10 Ombudsman complaints against York Council upheld

“During the year there was a case where the council’s handling of a particular complaint was extremely poor”

ombudsman report 2015

More evidence, that the York Council had become seriously dysfunctional by the end of last year, has been provided in the annual report from the Local Government Ombudsman

The organisation received 91 complaints about the York Council during the year ending March 2015.

Of thes,e 10 were upheld with 35 referred back to the Council for local resolution

The majority of the complaints concerned planning, transport, benefits, adult social care and environmental issues.

One case prompted the Ombudsman to label the Councils response as “extremely poor”

The report says that it took “emails, phone calls and finally two threats of a public interest report (sent by special delivery) to see any action taken”. 

The complaint related to social care and the York Council, having accepted it was at fault in December 2013, took until October 2014 to remedy the complaint.

The Ombudsman’s letter was sent to the York Council on 18th June 2015 but has not yet been scheduled for cosideration by any of its committees.

There is likely. in the future, to be a single Ombudsman’s office covering all public administration organisations.

Hopefully the new organisation will also have a role in relation to the growing number of Quangos being established in York and elsewhere. Residents, who at least partly fund organisations like “Make it York”, York Museums Trust and York Libraries, need to have a route to independent arbitration if they are unable to get a local resolution for a problem.

Freedom of Information legislation should also apply to those types of organisation.

York Council accounts open for inspection

City of York Council will open its accounts for public inspection from Monday 27 July to Monday 24 August between 8.30am and 5pm daily.

The annual inspection gives members of the public and local government electors certain rights in the audit process.

Any person may inspect the accounts of the council for the year ended 31 March 2015 and certain related documents (comprising books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts) at West Offices. They may also make copies of the accounts and documents.

The council’s accounts are subject to external audit by Mazars LLP.

Following this period of public inspection residents can, from 24 August, question the auditor about, or make objections to, the accounts before they are signed off by Audit & Governance Committee on the 23 September 2015.

Time to come clean on the costs of redundancy at the York Council

Angry mob - whole truth

The York Council has shed a lot of staff over the last few years.

The redundancy terms – and payments made – to an individual are understandably considered to be private matters.

But the expectation was that the responsible Council committee would receive a public overview report detailing the total cost to the public purse.

A report to a meeting taking place on 22nd June is remarkably lacking in candour.

Councillors had been told on 8th June that they could expect a “4 month overview” on redundancies. It seems that the information has not been made available or is to be considered in private.

That is a shame and an issue that Councillors should challenge the new Council Leader over.

There remains a suspicion that the York Council has lost too many experienced staff over recent years and this lack of understanding – and capacity – is at least partly responsible for the decline in public service standards in the City.

York Council‘s new web site labeled as “impenetrable”

Angry mob score web site

The York Council has launched a new web site design.

Heralded as an attempt to make contact with the Council easier, many users have struggled to find the services or information that they are seeking.

The Council claims that the site design was inspired by conversations with local residents.

We have yet to find anyone who says they were consulted and the ordering of information looks to be more what an official has impulsively decided residents should want to know.

Reporting issues on line is still not possible under the new arrangements. As long ago as 2008 the Council had a working internet based system which allowed residents to report a wide range of issues and include – if they wished – photographic evidence.

This was trashed by the Labour Council when it introduced a “Smartphone” App which is so limited in application that most users rapidly abandoned it in favour of, more flexible, commercial options (My Council)

The new Councils commitment to openness has already been challenged. Its reputation is unlikely to be enhanced by the new web site which makes monitoring the responses to Freedom of Information requests more difficult. Responses – which are far from up to date – are now assembled in someone’s idea of a community of Interest; making research into the latest information released a tedious and time consuming occupation

Initially launched without any access to performance information, the site does now contain links to rapidly aging KPIs outturns. The most recent are these for the period ending December 2014. Nearly 6 months later and there has been no update.

Some of the information is incomplete and some out of date. 

The assembly of information under the “open data” link – which is supposed to improve transparency – is largely impenetrable. Other pages (i-Travel, Libraries, “Rewiring”, Make it York, Smarter York etc) have been hived off onto independent web sites resulting in a confused web of options for the uninitiated.

The site is claimed to be easier to access from mobile devices and, perhaps not surprisingly, Councillor are now being issued with tablet computers at so they will be able to take advantage of some of the new “functionality”. 

The site also has a “where’s my nearest” search facility and text to talk features both of which may be of use to some users.

But, all in all, this looks like a web site that was launched too soon and with too little research into the York communities information and communication needs.

Clearing up the mess – where to start?

York Guildhall

York Guildhall

The new York Council’s ruling coalition moved quickly a few days ago to publish a list of policy initiatives that it will take.

In the main they concentrated on reassuring residents that the mistakes of the past would not be repeated. So now know that

  • The Castlegate centre (or the services that it provides) will be continued – the fifth announcement of a reprieve made during the last 6 months!
  • The Yearsley Swimming pool would remain open (the fourth reprieve announcement)
  • There would be no additional green bin emptying charges and grey bin emptying frequencies will remain as they are.
  • The will be no more “wide area” 20 mph speed limits imposed. (although what happens to the existing ones remains a mystery)
  • Government money will be used to freeze Council Tax levels (if it is offered)

In other areas the general intent is known but the targets and timetables remain unclear.

  • We know there will be a new Local Plan but no one has yet set down the preferred economic growth assumptions (if any) or related the latest ONS population forecasts to land use demand.
  • We know more will be spent on road repairs, “streetlights” (presumably repairs), gulley cleaning and litter bins. But we don’t know how much, where and when.
  • Ward Committees will (rightly) be reinstated but with how much funding and when?
  • We know that the Guildhall DMC centre scheme will be revised to “minimise the risk to taxpayers”. But we don’t know how much taxpayer’s money has already been committed to the project. The Arts Barge will get no more public money. It was incorrectly labelled a “vanity” project – the criticism was that it was a low priority project for the use of taxpayers money and that the business case was rocky to say the least.

Community Stadium Nov 2014

There is no mention of the “in year” budget deficit which the Council faces. It’s so called “rewiring” project looks fanciful in the extreme, while rescinding Labour’s cuts to key services will require compensatory savings elsewhere.

So, over the next few days, residents will expect to see a proper statement of intent on a range of issues. These should include:

  1. The way that the Council is structured and the way that it interacts with residents
  2. What a revamped 2015/16 budget will look like
  3. Confirmation that the Council has reached an accommodation on the York Knights RLFC participation in the Community Stadium (together with a solution to their interim match day and training requirements)
  4. Confirmation of a start date and milestones for the Council estate regeneration project
  5. Details of a sub-urban shopping area regeneration project
  6. Practical help for those Community Centres in the City which had their Council funding removed by Labour

    Coppergate - York Council failure, to win appeal against unlawful fines issue, could plunge it into a financial crisis

    Coppergate – York Council failure, to win their appeal against unlawful fines issue, could plunge it into a financial crisis

  7. Confirmation that the Coppergate fines will be repaid and the method for so doing
  8. The future of transport in the City
  9. Our relationships with the WestYorkshire combined authority
  10. The future of empty buildings and sites like Oliver House, Lowfields school etc.
  11. Relationships with Trusts like those now running the libraries, museums, tourism, economic development etc
  12. Management structures and appointments.

The clock is ticking

York Council announces who will chair local committees

No change to decision making structures yet

Committee chairs 2015

The members of each committee can be seen here

Residents will have to wait and see how quickly the promised new structural arrangements, and accompanying transparency processes, will be brought forward.

It seems likely that there will be a return to something like the old “Executive Member Advisory Panels” (EMAP) which were introduced in 2003. From 2007, when the Council again became “balanced” (hung), the EMAPs took on a more significant policy making role.

The process allowed members of an all party committee to debate – after public consultation – upcoming issues which were then referred, with policy advice,  for decision by the Executive member. Invariably the Executive member accepted the offered “advice” (or referred the matter  to the full Executive for decision).

At the time is was the nearest option available to the Council which included the discursive elements of the “committee system” style decision taking process.

York Council – Lib Dems to participate in new joint Executive

No reduction in grey bin emptying frequencies. Plans for £35 green bin tax also axed.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have reached a tentative agreement to form a joint administration with the Conservative Group to run City of York Council.

Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Keith Aspden will become Deputy Leader of the Council, with Cllr Chris Steward as Council Leader. The new Executive will be made up of 4 Conservatives and 4 Lib Dems, with appointments due to be agreed at Thursday’s Annual Council meeting.

The Group has published an initial set of joint policy priorities which include redrawing York’s Local Plan, putting greater investment in frontline services and ending so-called “vanity projects”.

They have also published joint governance proposals which introduce new cross-party working arrangements and include a commitment to improve openness and transparency at the Council.

Keith Aspden statement click to enlarge

Keith Aspden statement click to enlarge

The major interest for residents is what this will mean for the way the Council is run and what policies are pursued?

The commitment to openness is welcome although, for coalitions to work, usually some private wheeler dealing is necessary.

The Council will need to say, early on, how it will in practical terms improve “openness”.

One step would be to update performance stats each month giving access to raw data on line.  Any administration will worry about perceptions of adverse trends but most residents – against the background of reducing resource levels – will accept that there will be some ups and some downs.

One major issue to be addressed is the Local Plan. The two parties have so far failed to agree on an optimum housing new build figure.

The LibDem preferred figure of 575 pa is more than Labour achieved during any of the 4 years that it was in control of the Council.

It is a figure which the Tories may struggle to support – given their dependency on business backers – although it would guarantee the integrity of the Green Belt in York.

Residents will be scanning the draft policy agreement, when it is published, for proposals on other key issues.

These include:

  • Dealing with the detritus of the past (Lendal Bridge/Coppergate, Grand Departy overspends, 20 mph speed limits etc)
  • Housing estate regeneration proposals
  • Investment in the Acomb Front Street and other sub-urban shopping areas
  • Community Centre support
  • Relations with the West Yorkshire “Combined Authority”

The new Council is right to plan an emergency budget which hopefully will freeze any additional expenditure plans and then take time to re-adjust priorities.

The long term aim must be to reduce the amount that the Labour Council was paying in interest payments to fund their “vanity projects”

In the meantime, no doubt discussions on the details of policy will continue and become clearer to residents at the  Council meeting scheduled to take place on 16th July.

York Council mismanagement revelations – trend emerges

Even the most enthusiastic Labour supporter cannot fail to be dismayed by today’s revelation that the York Council considered issuing “fudged” figures to potential care village bidders.

But it is simply the latest in a string of mistakes that has eroded the trust that residents have in their local authority.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge

The Lowfields Care Village project fell foul of a system which has encouraged a series of over ambitious “mega projects”.

 At a time when the Council’s management structures were being cut back, leading Councillors failed to recognise that the system had broken under the strain.  

They failed to get answers to key questions in a timely way

Not only is York’s social care system now breaking down, but another project – to turn the Guildhall into a Digital Media centre – has produced fresh calls for a public inquiry.

 Local experts have poured scorn on rental income assumptions for the serviced workstations proposed for the site.

When the item was “called in” earlier in the month for review, business plan assumptions were only displayed via a projector, giving Councillors no chance to evaluate them.

Westfield Councillors launch "save our care services" campaign

Westfield LibDem candidates launch “save our care services” campaign

If the business case is flawed, then nearly £500,000 of taxpayers money (out of a potential £9.2 million total cost) is already  at risk as the project moves to its next stage.

So there is growing evidence that this business case has also been “fudged”.

So what next?

There are Council elections on May 7th and a record number of candidates (over 200) are likely to be seeking votes. Most have now declared themselves and are beginning to actively canvass for  support.

The prosperity of our City depends on having a team of  able Councillors with a mix of life and work experiences.

Most of the failed Cabinet decisions can be put down to a system which prevents debate and which encourages secrecy.

That needs to be changed, with the traditional “committee system” being the obvious alternative.

Failing that, Cabinet membership should be restricted to Councillors with at least 5 years experience.

On May 7th, electors will need to look beyond the headline policies and seek out the hidden – potentially unpopular – promises which may be hidden in the manifesto small print.

 Hardly anyone noticed in 2011 that Labour intended to introduce wide area 20 mph speed limits – but the policy was there, on the Labour web site, albeit in the small print.

Most of all voters will, on May 7th, need to look beyond party labels and ask who would be the best representative for the ward and for the City?

Who has the best blend of skills, experience and a track record in the local neighbourhood?

Then there is the culture issue that the York Council faces.

Some changes have been made in the months since the Council became “balanced”.  But more needs to be done.

The writing was on the wall from the day when the new Labour Cabinet took office in 2011. Cllr Alexander apparently told the Chief Executive that her job targets were to implement the Labour manifesto.

That attempt to politicise officials may be partly responsible for the attempts that are still being made to suppress information and use the Councils press office to “spin” bad news stories.

That has to stop when the new Council takes over in May.

It is difficult also not to conclude that, to convince residents that a new start is being made, a refresh of the Councils management team should be undertaken.

Council officials are normally proud of their political impartiality.

This is now more in question in York than at any time since the late Rod Hills appointed two former Labour Councillors to Chief Officer posts when he had control of the Council.

Many residents may feel that  the May 7th poll can’t come soon enough.

York Council rapped by Local Government Association inspectors

York residents can now see for the first time a copy of the damming report produced on the Council by the Local Government Association.

Although worded in diplomatic, conciliatory language it confirms the view held by many residents.

Namely that the new Labour administration elected in 2011 metaphorically threw away the rule book as they tried to implement a, hopelessly overambitious, programme of change against a background of falling resource levels.

Relationships within the Council broke down and inexperienced Councillors – catapulted into key decision making roles – had neither the confidence nor inclination to seek consensus support for their proposals.

Secrecy became a byword, denying residents the opportunity to contribute before decisions were taken.

There were complaints of bullying.

Councillors tried to “micro manage” – distracting staff from their principal responsibilities

The problem was exacerbated  by the Council Leadership who tried to fully exploit the Councils public relations machine to justify their partisan views.

The report also criticises outside “commentators” (people using social media sites and “twitter” to criticise) and describes the number of FOI requests as being unreasonably high.

However the number of FOI requests increased after 2011 simply because access to performance data – freely available in earlier years – was hidden by the new administration

The report is being considered by the Councils Governance committee on Thursday

The LGA team make several suggestions about how a more constructive way forward can be developed.

Until the extraordinary events at the “urgency” meeting held 10 days ago – together with the more recent power grab by senior officials – that was a worthy opportunity which seemed to have some chance of success.

But clearly confrontation is likely to increase in the run up to the elections in May and it seems increasingly likely that the election of a new Council will be needed before the unhappy events of the last 4 years can finally be confined to history.

Electors will not make the same mistake again.

 They will be looking for candidates (of whatever party) who have a mature outlook on life, relevant experience, a proven commitment to York and the neighbourhood which they seek to represent. as well as a record of putting the City ahead of political ambitions..