Teachers’ unions the NUT and the NASUWT are planning a one-day strike for their members on Tuesday 1 October 2013.
Information about the school closures is detailed below and will be updated regularly. However, if you have any queries, please contact your school directly.
Contact details for schools can be found here.
Click here for up to date list.
click for updated list
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards. Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
Acomb Ward
Erection of two storey dwelling following demolition of existing garages
Site To The Rear Of 32 Carr Lane Rosedale Avenue York
Ref. No: 13/03101/FUL | Received: Tue 17 Sep 2013 | Validated: Wed 18 Sep 2013 | Status: Pending Consideration
Two storey side and rear extension
17 Melwood Grove York YO26 5RE
Ref. No: 13/03080/FUL | Received: Fri 13 Sep 2013 | Validated: Mon 16 Sep 2013 | Status: Pending Consideration
Westfield
Increasing height of roof to accommodate loft conversion (revised scheme)
70 Gale Lane York YO24 3AA
Ref. No: 13/03082/FUL | Received: Fri 13 Sep 2013 | Validated: Mon 16 Sep 2013 | Status: Pending Consideration
Variation of condition 2 of permitted application 12/03511/FUL to alter design of rear extension
157A Gale Lane York YO24 3AG
Ref. No: 13/02630/FUL | Received: Thu 01 Aug 2013 | Validated: Thu 19 Sep 2013 | Status: Pending Consideration
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/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.
Front Street
We understand that the York Council is being recommended to allocate only £30,000 to a much needed regeneration project in the Acomb Front Street area.
That is just 0.1% of the Council budget that is available for economic development projects in the City.
The Labour Council has been blamed for the stark decline in the area over the last 2 years. The decline started with the council closing its Acomb Office before reducing the number of litter bins in the area.
Ward Committees in Acomb and Westfield, which had over £80,000 a year to invest in local public services, lost their budgets.
Fly tipping in Front Street back lane
But the whole area needs a lift with the removal of weeds, road repairs, repainting and replacement of street furniture all high priorities. Dumped rubbish needs to be systematically removed, fences repaired, graffiti removed and walls rebuilt.
Some broken bus timetable information boards have been out of service now since 2011. A lasting memorial to neglect.
The £30,000 can be compared to the single £500,000 project which is currently seeing Kings Square in the City Centre being repaved.
Well fancy that! Click to enlarge
Some 500 homes in the Kingsway West area haven’t had their bins emptied today (Wednesday). Once again the Council claims that they will be emptied tomorrow.
The list, being published on the Council’s web site, now includes lists of streets where recycling also hasn’t been collected.
The backlog now runs into thousands of homes.
Un-emptied bins on Kingsway West 1730 hours 18th Sept 2013
Black Bin:
• Tudor Road
• Kingsway West
• Ascot Way
• Windsor Garth
• Ashford Place
• Woodford Place
• Newbury Avenue
• Beverley Court
• Aston House
• Sandown House
• Merton House
• Radford House
• Carlton House
• Craven House
• Adelphi House
Green Bin:
• Millgates
• The Paddock
• Plantation Drive
• Paddock Way
• Farfield
• Langholme Drive
• Ouseacres
• Caxton Avenue
• Boroughbridge Road
• Priors Walk
• Welton Avenue
• Rosetta Way
• Lavendar Grove
• Princess Drive
• Monarch Way
• Marquis Court
• Regent Mews
• Duchess Mews
Recycling:
• Princess Drive
• Monarch Way
• Marquis Court
• Regent Mews
• Duchess Mews
• Newlands Drive
• Boroughbridge Road (from Ouseburn Avenue to Beckfield Lane)
It remains unclear what the Labour run Council intends to do to remedy the problems
Parts of the Woodthorpe and Westfield wards have not had their bins emptied today.
It is the seventh working day of the new bin emptying regime. The crisis is now being blamed by the Council on a “work to rule”.
The Council are bullying the local media into not reporting the problems which today meant that bins in the following street have not been emptied.
Green Bin :
Recycling not collected in Chapelfields Road today. Not mentioned on Council web site.
◦Bramham Avenue
◦Marsden Crescent
◦Marsden Avenue
◦Grange Lane
◦Hotham Avenue
◦Barkston Grove
◦Askham Lane
◦Askham Grove
◦Apple Blossom Court
◦Westfield Place
◦Branton Place
◦Sandringham Court
Black Bin :
◦Alness Drive (Part)
◦Tarbert Cres
◦Deveron Place
◦Halladale Close
◦Torridon Place
◦Ashmead Close
◦Etive Place
◦Tarbert Crescent
◦Coeside
The Council says that it will return tomorrow (Wednesday) to these properties.
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Acomb and Westfield wards. Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
Acomb
Ref No: 13/02986/FUL
Location: 1A Wetherby Road Acomb York YO26 5BS
Proposal: Bay window and canopy to front
Applicant: Mrs Juliet Powell Contact: Mr J Funnell Consultation Expiry Date: 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Carolyn Howarth Expected Decision Level: DEL
Ref No: 13/03048/EIASP
Location: British Sugar Corporation Ltd Plantation Drive York YO26 6XF
British Sugar site
Proposal: Scoping opinion for proposed residential-lead development at former British Sugar site, Plantation Drive
Applicant: Neil Jones Consultation Expiry Date: 4 October 2013 Case Officer: Jonathan Kenyon Expected Decision DEL
Westfield
Ref No: 13/03017/FUL
Location: 100 Tennent Road York YO24 3HG
Proposal: Single storey rear extension
Applicant: Mr Filatov Consultation Expiry Date 7 October 2013 Case Officer: Elizabeth Potter Expected Decision Level DEL
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/
NB. The Council now no longer routinely consults neighbours by letter when an application is received.
We understand that the Council is planning to stop the weekly housing benefit advice sessions that they had been running at the Chapelfields Community centre.
Acomb Council Office – closed in February 2012.
The service was one of those introduced to replace the “face to face” adv ice service which was lost when the Council’s Acomb Office closed 18 months ago.
Each Thursday morning the Council promised a “Housing advice, Council Tax Support and Housing Benefits service: 9am – 12 noon”
It was one of five advice points were established last year, but now only the one at the Gateway centre (the most popular) will continue in Acomb.
Ironically this building is within 50 yards of the former Acomb Office.
Originally the intention had been to locate advice, and headquarter estate managers and community workers, at the Acomb Explore Library but this plan was scrapped when Labour took control of the Council in 2011.
Now Acomb residents face a long trek to the Council HQ in Toft Green. A telephone link may continue to be available at the Community Centre, but as many callers know, such services are inaccessible for some. We understand that the estate manager will still be present at the centre on Thursday mornings
NB. Callers to the main Council switchboard this week are reporting delays of up to 10 minutes before connection.
Any hopes that the Labour Council would finally get on top of public service standards in the City have been dealt a fatal blow over the last few weeks.
The number of complaints about street level service problems are escalating.
The Council’s on line “report it” system is proving to be more and more unreliable.
The Council has admitted that between 3rd September 2012 and 1st July 2013, they received 727 complaints.
Of these 402 were found to be justified.
Meanwhile, in little over an hour, the following problems were reported in parts of the Westfield ward.
Dumping and litter on Tithe Close snicket reported on 23rd August. Partly blamed on cancelation of skip programme in the Cornlands area
Weeds growing through footpath in St Stephens Square
Weed growth on Otterwood Lane. Reported 23rd August 2013
The Council has announced supplementary funding for wards judged to be “deprived”. The amounts are tiny compared to the levels allocated to Ward Committees when the Liberal Democrats were in power.
Until 2011 a ward like Westfield could expect to receive around £60,000 a year. It was spent following a ballot of local residents priorities.
The amounts allocated are:
Westfield – £3,326
Clifton – £3,311
Heworth – £3,354
Hull Road – £2,609
Guildhall – £2,200
No indication has been given as to how the money will be spent athough an injection into dealing with weed growth, potholes and litter won’t be amiss.
The decision was taken at a “behind closed doors” meeting.
