It has become clear how the York Council’s controversial £1 million “Delivery and Innovation fund” is being spent. Allocations, of under £100,000, from this fund are made by the Leader of the Council.
Contrary to expectations, most of the money has been allocated to “beer and skittles” style leisure events*.
There is a history going back a couple of centuries of unscrupulous politicians using various transient events to draw the attention of voters from more pressing matters. Cynics called it a “beer and skittles” tactic.
The tradition seems to be alive and well in York.
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Now two bids for larger sums of money are being debated by York’s “Cabinet” next week.
£175,000 will go on consultants fees to prepare a bid for a new transport scheme (Access York phase 2). The Council hopes to get funding of “£millions” from a new West Yorkshire transport budget http://tinyurl.com/West-Yorks-LTB which is being devolved by the Coalition government.
The risk for York is that the new arrangement could see less, rather than more, invested in transport in the City over the next 10 years. No details of any “safety net” on investment levels have been published by the supporters of the West Yorkshire Local Transport Board arrangement. Rather bizarrely the current plans do not to include Selby or Harrogate in the area covered by the Board leaving York as an isolated West Yorkshire enclave.
One problem with taking funding from different parts of the York Council budget is the potential for duplication. The grandly named Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF) has already allocated £2.5m for park and ride and £1.665m for a “better bus fund” (as well as £0. 430m to cover project team costs).
Access York 2 promises it “will reduce strategic and cross city traffic levels in the city centre by upgrading the Northern Outer Ring Road and improving public transport provision in the city”
The main concerns though will be how any investment is prioritised and to see that York gets a fair share of the available budget.
£330,000 is being allocated to a project with another impenetrable name –the ” Innovation Catalyst Programme”. It is an offshoot of so called “Genius” initiative which a few months ago produced an eclectic mix of proposals ranging from the unlikely (kinetic pavements) to the blindingly unoriginal (a city centre bus).
Innovation doesn’t always mean better.
The scheme is being promoted by Science City York (which in fairness in the past has produced some good projects) but again there is a lack of clarity about objectives, how they will be achieved and how success will be measured.
No experienced Councillor would approve expenditure of this order on the basis of the information currently provided (http://tinyurl.com/1-million-York)
*Beer and skittles’ is shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub.