Weather has impact on services in York

High winds have been blamed for he increase in litter seen today. Insecure recycling has been blown around many suburbs with the Council struggling to catch up on their collection schedules post New Year.

Full litter bin on Bellhouse Way

Leaf and tree detritus in gutters on Askham Croft

Litter blown by high winds today in St Stephens Road

Surface water problem at junction of Ashford Place and Ascot Way

Waterlogged verges are being damaged by vehicles

Latest planning applications for the Westfield Ward

Below is the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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131 St Stephens Road York YO24 3EE

Condition 3 – 16/02845/FUL

Ref. No: AOD/17/00407 

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45 Gale Lane York YO24 3AD

Extension to garage and increase in height (revised scheme) 

Ref. No: 17/02965/FUL 

 ——

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received

Public meeting to discuss future of Windsor House site

Plans for Centre of Excellence for Disabled Children

Windsor House which would be demolished under the plans

Residents are being invited to give their views at a Westfield ward meeting being held on 15th January 2018. The meeting is being held at Hob Moor school with the Windsor House item being discussed from 7:30pm

No details are given of access arrangements. There are concerns that any intensification of the use of the Windsor House site on Ascot Way, would exacerbate traffic congestion and parking problems in the area.

A decision on whether to proceed with the centre idea is due to be taken at a Council executive meeting being held on 25th January 2018

A special website gives more details of the disability centre plans.

Disability Centre of Excellence Monthly Updates

What we have done

  • Final feasibility design, layout and site options have been presented by Gilling Dod Architects to a group of key staff, managers, parent / carers and partner agencies.
  • A potential land option for the Centre of Excellence has been agreed by Council Executive in December. This is the site of Windsor House Older Person Accommodation, which is planned to close. This land is adjacent to the Hob Moor Oaks Special School playing fields. Discussions are taking place with Hob Moor Federation of Schools about co locating part of the new provision and its outdoor amenities and space on some of the surplus playing field land.
  • A report is being prepared for the Council Executive meeting on 25th January 2018. This report will ask Elected Members to commit the capital needed to build a Centre of Excellence for Disabled Children and their families and seek agreement for the preferred site layout
  • The report also contains information about how staffing roles and structures will develop in the future in order to deliver a new way of working within a Centre of Excellence.

What we plan to do next

  • We will communicate the decision following the meeting on 25th January to parent /carers, staff and partner agencies.
  • If there is agreement to progress the project to an implementation phase, we will continue to adopt a co production approach of involving parent /carer, staff, children and young people and partner agencies in each stage of the future development.
  • Finally, hope you all have a great Christmas and new year. Thank you all for your time, energy, enthusiasm, ideas and input that has helped shape and develop this project to the stage we are at now.

 How you can be involved

Please send ideas, questions, feedback to feasibility@york.gov.uk

For more information please contact william.shaw@york.gov.uk

Keep checking web pages for the latest information and areas that we are working on that we want feedback on

Crime meeting hears residents concerns

Considering the date and location, last night’s meeting to consider policing standards in York attracted a good turnout.

There was little more to report on delays in answering 101 calls although the Police were able to say that on average all non-emergency calls were answered within 90 seconds. Residents were told that a standard 15p (flat rate) fee applied to all 101 calls. There has been a big increase in the numbers of people using the service.

Many residents from the Foxwood and Woodthorpe areas attended the meeting and complained about ongoing anti-social behaviour problems.  A sharp increase in criminal damage incidents had been noted earlier in the year and figures produced for the Westfield Ward (left) showed a steady monthly increase in reports up to the end of October.

The Police explained that they had transferred PCSOs staff into permanent (City Centre) Police officer posts earlier in the year. Many of these had come from sub-urban areas. This might explain why communication links between the Police and Residents Associations stalled in January 2017, and are only now being reinstated.

More recently an increase in police patrols – and the use of social media including twitter (https://twitter.com/NPTYorkSouth) – had been noted. This included a high-profile attempt to take some of the “scooter gangs” off local roads.

Crime distribution in the Westfield ward in October 2017

The performance and transparency of the Safer York partnership was criticised. The Councils web site provides access to the minutes of the organisations last meeting which apparently took place in December 2016 (click). Those attending the public meeting were assured that another meeting had taken place since, although the claimed two monthly frequency was not being achieved (click).

In any event, the Safer York web site is over 2 years out of date and includes a message, urging visitors to help flood victims, prominent on the “what’s on” page!! (https://www.saferyorkpartnership.co.uk/latest-news/)

Nor is the North Yorkshire Police web site much more up to date.  In the neighbourhood’s section they assure residents that the last “event” – property marking – took place last March. There are no events planned for 2018. (click)

Plans to reinvigorate the “Neighbourhood Watch” scheme were announced by Cllr Andrew Waller while most attendees were appreciative of the trouble taken by Cllr Ashley Mason to organise the meeting. Senior police officers present were able to reassure residents that a recovery plan was in place and that the expectations were that policing standards next summer would be higher.

For their part, residents wanted to see more proactive policing with the emphasis being on preventing crime rather than reacting to incidents that had already taken place.

This would mean a sustained improvement in all communication channels and the likely reversal of the trend to centralise resources into the City centre generally and West Offices in particular.

School funding in Westfield missing out on £73,000 boost

It has been revealed that under the Government’s new Schools National Funding Formula, schools in Westfield ward are set to receive the one lowest increases in funding across York.

The issue, raised by Liberal Democrat ward Councillor for Westfield ward, Cllr Andrew Waller, was highlighted during the Liberal Democrat motion on funding for children and young people in York during Thursday’s Council meeting.

If the York average increase was applied to Westfield’s Schools, then this would have meant an additional £73,000 for additional classroom support.

Cllr Andrew Waller said:

“For the past 28 years, I have been a school governor and I have seen the hard work that schools have put in to supporting vulnerable pupils, especially through Pupil Premium which is audited by Ofsted on inspections.

When you look at the indicative figures for York, you can clearly see that there are specific issues regarding support for schools within disadvantaged communities. The three schools in Westfield deliver an inclusive education to the local community.

There is concern that clarity on additional funds for schools serving communities with areas of need will become unpredictably complex with the new Government Formula and impacts from Universal Credit.

This will severely impact on the support they can offer to pupils, in helping them reach their full potential.  Every school in the country is judged by Ofsted; comparing York schools against better funded schools.  The Liberal Democrats are simply asking for fairness.

The three Westfield Ward Councillors will be writing to the Secretary of State to draw her attention to this appalling situation and request that schools in Westfield be appropriately funded, so that they can go on to provide an inclusive education in one of the most disadvantaged areas in York.”

Latest planning application for the Westfield Ward

Below is the latest planning application received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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68 Milner Street York YO24 4NH

Proposal              First floor rear extension

Reference           17/02802/FUL

 ——

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received

Latest planning applications for Westfield Ward

Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the application reference

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99 Front Street York YO24 3BU

Proposal              Crown reduce Sycamore tree up to 2.5m in a Conservation Area

Reference           17/02666/TCA

——-

26 Askham Lane York YO24 3HA

Proposal              Single storey rear extension

Reference           17/02601/FUL

——

Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received

Latest planning applications for the Westfield Ward

Below is the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Westfield ward.

Full details can be found by clicking the Ref No.

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9A Hawkshead Close York YO24 2YF

Dormer to rear

Ref. No: 17/02473/FUL 

——

53 Green Lane Acomb York YO24 3DJ

Single storey side and rear extension following the demolition of existing side and rear veranda and first floor pitched roof over existing flat roof to rear.

Ref. No: 17/02459/FUL 

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 Representations can be made in favour of, or in objection to, any application via the Planning on line web site.  http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/

  1. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received