Foxwood Community Centre rate relief application set to fail

A Christmas market was held on Sunday as volunteers tried to raise funds for the centre.

A Christmas market was held on Sunday as volunteers tried to raise funds for the centre.

Wednesday’s meeting of the York Council’s Executive is being recommended not to provide Discretionary Rate relief for the, now volunteer run, Foxwood Community Centre.

The Foxwood Community Centre’s Business Rating valuation was recently increased from £6000 to £7000.

Discretionary relief – which reduces the proportion of the bill payable –  was routinely granted to the centre when it was Council funded.

The report to tomorrow’s meeting criticises the lack of a “Community Impact Assessment” (CIA) which officials say should have been submitted with the rebate application.  Any CIA would be little different from that produced for the Council in previous years.

14 other charitable organisations in the city are also being denied relief. They include the Tang Hall Community Centre and the Theatre Royal.

NB A reduction for the Chapelfields community centre at Sanderson House is recommended for approval.  This will be worth £2,592 to the centre.

West York – The week in photos

Cllr Sue Hunter is encouraging residents to adopt local verges and amenity area and plant flowers. Grants may be available from the local Ward Committee for bulbs and containers

Lowfields verge flowers

Lowfields verge flowers

Windsor Garth

Windsor Garth

The Ward committee will be balloting residents shortly on their priorities for using the delegated budget. Among ideas put forward by residents are plans to lop trees and overgrown hedges.

Next Ward committee newsletter will include ballot paper

Next Ward committee newsletter will include ballot paper

Overgrown trees on Kingsthore reported by Andrew Waller

Overgrown trees on Kingsthorpe reported by Andrew Waller

More overgrown trees this time on Grange Lane

More overgrown trees this time on Grange Lane

Trustees have now signed a formal lease for the Foxwood Community Centre. It means that the centre will be largely free from Council control but will have to raise most of its income from lettings. It is now run entirely by volunteers.

Community Centre lease signing

Cllr Stephen Fenton Dringhouses ward (extreme left*) and Cllr Sheena Jackson Westfield Ward (extreme right*) and Trustees sign the Community Centre lease on Wednesday. (*not politically!)

Meanwhile Sheena has been out and about in the Foxwood area reporting issues for attention

Obstructed path

Obstructed path

In the Cornlands Road area, while out delivering the latest Focus newsletter, we spotted several issues requiring attention. These included  offensive graffiti on the Tithe Close snicket. Issues have been reported using  https://www.fixmystreet.com/

We'll be keeping an eye on drainage and gutters channel as tree begin to shed their leaves. There is an almost continual problem in St Stephens Road

We’ll be keeping an eye on drainage and gutter channels as trees begin to shed their leaves. There is an almost continual problem in St Stephens Square

It's some times difficult to know whether an item has been dumped or left out for the scrap merchant

It’s some times difficult to know whether an item has been dumped or left out for the scrap merchant

Andrew Waller has commenced a survey of the Askham Lane/Grange Lane area

Survey launched this weekend

Survey launched this weekend

Grange Lane field entrance 2

One of the issues being probed is whether residents would like to see kissing gates installed on the accesses to the local parks and open areas. At present there are problems with motorcyclists riding near where children play

That was the week that was in west York

Thanks to the work of volunteers aided by the community payback team the garden at the Foxwood Community Centre is now looking amazing.

garden8 Garden 4 CC garden 2

The next Foxwood Residents Association meeting on Thursday will give those attending a chance to see the work that has been done

Meanwhile the prize winners in the Foxwood Residents Association annual flower basket competition have been announced.

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Elsewhere local Westfield Ward Councillors have been out and about reporting issues

Dumping behind Beaconsfield Street off School Street

Dumping on Beaconsfield St back lane.

Epicormic leaf growth on some tree trunks like this on Gale Lane is causing visibility problems

Epicormic leaf growth on some tree trunks like this on Gale Lane is causing visibility problems

Blocked gully on Gale Lane

Blocked gulley on Gale Lane. Several have been reported for cleaning by Cllr Andrew Waller

Success for Cllr Sheena Jackson who has had the damaged bollard at the entrance to Fir Heath Close repaired

Success for Cllr Sheena Jackson who has had the damaged bollard at the entrance to Fir Heath Close repaired

More dumping on the Bachelor Hill snicket

More dumping on the Bachelor Hill snicket