York Council launches appeal for “estate champions”

The York Council is seeking volunteers who will check the quality of local public services in their local estate or neighbourhood.

Although in much of the Westfield area, Residents Associations and local Councillors do routinely inspect the quality of public services we think that the more people who are involved the better.

So we hope that some will volunteer and feedback their experiences of getting problems rectified.

The speed of reaction by the Council to problems with dumping and litter has improved recently although there are still problems with some services such as the maintenance of communal garage areas and trimming hedges and trees.

Problems with road and footpath surfaces are a continuing issue as is dog fouling in some areas.

estate-champion

Have your say on York Council budget

The Council has issued a media release saying,

“City of York Council’s Executive is facing some tough decisions in 2016-17. Below outlines why these difficult choices need to be made and why residents’ views are so important.

To help shape the 2016-17 Budget proposals, the council is inviting residents to have their say through a consultation by Wednesday 20 January:

· Online at www.york.gov.uk/consultations/

· By post to FREEPOST RTEG-TYYU-KLTZ, Budget consultation, City of York Council, West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA

· By hand at West Offices or libraries/Explore Centres”.

On line consultation questionaire https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/YorkBudget

The Council of course omits to mention many options that many residents might like to take.

You noticeably won’t be able to vote for a pay freeze for Councillors or to reduce their support costs,
There’s no option to stop the “Our City” newspaper.
Quangos like “Make it York” are off the options list.

Not can you vote to save money through the lower debt (interest) charges which would come if the subsidy was reduced for big investment schemes like the:

New swimming pool at Monks Cross
Access bridge to the York Central development or
Development of the Guildhall site.

There isn’t even a “write in” option for those feeling inventive!

You can say whether you prefer a tax rise to service cuts but you aren’t offered a choice on how much any increase might be!

NB It is likely that the cap in increases will be around 3.9% most of which will be ring-fenced for elderly care.

The Council justifies its stance by saying, “This year’s budget proposals will seek to ensure the council’s priorities continue to be delivered, whilst also ensuring the council’s financial position is managed effectively.
(more…)

Litter, footpaths, dog fouling, dumping & weeds top residents concerns

Thanks to those living in the Front Street and Hob Moor areas who have been returning the LibDem Focus “grumble” sheets.

So far the most complaints have been about:

Litter
Uneven footpaths
Dog fouling
Dumping
Weeds/bushes obstructing paths

So pretty much basic public service standard issues.

This weekend we’ve moving on to look at services in the Cornlands Road and Askham Lane areas.

We’ve already been out and about this week checking on public service standards in the west of the City. Around 255 issues have been reported via “Fix My Street” including

Dogs have badly fouled the Tithe Close snicket

Weeds are still a problem on some footpaths

Grange Lane park play equipment still needs strimming

Swings damaged on Grange Lane park

Full litter bin on Askham Lane reported by Cllr Sheena Jackson

So how good are street level public services in York?

Well you’ll not find out from looking at the stats presented to the Council’s Executive committee

Graffiti 2nd September

Those reported on 27th August contain performance measures for only a minority of street level services.

click to enlarge

Many residents would expect that the volume of issues raised on each of the core activity areas of the Local Authority (see left) would be routinely reported to the Councils Executive together with stats showing the speed of response, the results of quality checks and customer satisfaction measures.

In August performance states were only provide for:

Graffiti removal where the Council claimed to have dealt with issues “in less than 3 days” (quicker for obscene graffiti)

Graffiti 26th September

% of roads in poor condition (No results since 2013/14)
YCC % telephone calls answered in 20 secs (45%)

Even in these cases the validity of the claimed performance must be open to doubt.

We reported graffiti on the flood gates on North Street on 2nd September.

25 days later it was still there.

We had similar problems when reporting broken glass in School Street and nettles overhanging a footpath in Bellhouse Way

Residents can report issues using “Fix My Street” they can record progress made in remedying issues on an interactive map (click here)

York Council urged to speed up response to complaints about local services

A large number of issues with Council service standards on the west of the City have been lodged – through the “Fix my Street” system – this week.

In many cases it seems that the York Council is struggling to catch up with a backlog which developed over the bank holiday.

Full clothers recycling bin Acomb car park

Abandoned bike on rack off York Road

Broken Glas back School Street

Dumped black bags in back lane

Graffiti

litter and weeds back Beaconsfield Streert

Litter and weeds on Front Street back lane

School Street carriageway needs resurfaicng

Vandalised garage door Thoresby Road

LibDem Councillor reporting increased problems with public service quality

Andrew Waller has been out and about inspecting public service standards in the Westfield area. Here are some of the issues that he has reported.

Blocked drain on Moorgate

Overflowing poop scoop bin in Grange Lane

Junction box on Bramham Road damaged

Blocked drain on Bramham Road

Overflowing cigarete bin on Front Street

Public services in York getting worse this year – official

Little attention has been given to a report to tomorrows Cabinet meeting which shows a marked decline in the quality of some public services in York

Graffiti taking longer to remove

It is taking the Council between 2 and 3 days to clean graffiti now – almost double the time taken two years ago

The number of York residents on the housing waiting list has increase from 1344 to 1439 over recent months It is still low compared to historical levels (because many applicants were struck off the list last year by the Council)

Only 62% of tenants are satisfied now with the Council as a landlord. To a degree this reflects the lack of investment in the Council estates across the City (a LibDem regeneration plan was voted down last week by the Labour/Green coalition)

Customer satisfaction with the quality of streets and public places has slipped below 50% as has satisfaction with green spaces.

Only 48% think that the Council is tackling anti social behaviour well.

Fewer residents (12%) are now “volunteering”

The number of people aged over 65 admitted to residential and nursing care homes had risen to 767 (per 100k population) by the end of last year. Numbers are increasing again this year.

By December 27 residents were victims of delayed discharges from hospital. Of these 15 were down to York Council care failings.

Waste going to landfill increasing

The Council is failing its waste management targets. Consequently taxpayers will foot an increased £3.7million landfill tax bill.

Stage carriage bus use in the City is stable. The Council refuses to publish monthly figures indicating the number of buses running on time (was 84% last year according to DoT figures)

York “rewiring” plan; Cliff Richard, Fred Smith Electrical or City of York Council?

The York Council has said it will spend £10 million over the next 5 years on IT equipment. Their intention is to force residents to use electronic communications to communicate with the Council.

Cliff Richard – rewired for sound

They promise (or threaten) that each local resident will have their own web page account.

The move comes following our revelation that the number contacting the Council by telephone or through a personal visit has spiralled since their move to the “West Offices”.

They have dubbed the scheme as service “rewiring” – a piece of jargon guaranteed to pass over the heads of most residents.

A report, nodded through by the Labour leadership on Tuesday, fails to make any kind of business case for the huge expenditure.

The report is riddled with management jargon and hyperbole plus much conjecture about what residents want.

Attached to the report is the 6 monthly review of service quality.

This revealed that many targets are already being missed by the Council with recycling rates reducing and the numbers using the bus service in sharp decline since Labour meddled with the services when they took office.

Confidence in the Councils ability to deal with reports and complaints has already been damaged.

The “app” launched to allow smart phone reporting of issues has flopped, some reports made using proprietary web tools were lost by the Council while frustrated residents – seeking information through Freedom of Information requests -frequently do not attract answers within legal target times.

But the main concern will be the implications for residents if the Council and its officials hide behind an electronic defensive barricade.

The plan will mean more outsourcing and local jobs will be lost as techno bureaucrats take over.

Public services will become DIY as residents are forced to fill in the gaps left by a retreating public sector.

………..and the march of more CCTV surveillance will continue in the background!