One month to York hosting region’s Paralympic Flame

A gold medal-winning disabled York climber will be among City of York Council’s welcoming party which will divide Yorkshire’s Paralympic Flame for the region’s five events at York on 24 August.

The York High School pupil earned the highest number of nominations to carry York’s Paralympic Flame. Sianagh, from Acomb, learned to climb at Energise Leisure Centre where she’s just completed a fortnight’s work experience.

Sianagh said: “I cannot believe I’ve got gold again: that’s two gold and a silver this year and it feels amazing. My ultimate goal is to compete at Paralympic level, so that’s where I’m aiming!” Meanwhile she hopes to do well in the 2013 Parclimbing Series and be selected for the world championships.

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Strong partnership working ensures North Yorkshire remains the safest place in England

A relentless pursuit of criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, supporting victims in the fight for justice and delivering a high quality of service.

This is North Yorkshire Police’s pledge to residents across the county and the City of York.

This effort by the force, together with our partner agencies, is reflected in the national figures released by the Home Office today (Thursday 19 July 2012) which showed that overall crime had reduced by 9% in the 12 months up to March 2012 with a total of 38,716 crimes

To put it in real terms, this equates to 3,750 fewer people and their families in North Yorkshire and the City of York having to face the misery of being a victim of crime.

More up-to-date recorded figures for the period April to July 2012 – the first quarter of the current financial year – show a 13% reduction in overall crime or 1,311 fewer victims in comparison to the same period in 2011.

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Labour officials have admitted that they did not consult anyone regarding which litter bins to remove before they implemented their reduction plans a month ago. Now litter is on the increase and the remaining bins are often full to overflowing.

At the Council meeting last week the “Cabinet” member with responsibility for the shambles claimed – in reply to a tabled question – that litter “audits” were being carried out.
He said;
Since the removal of approximately 350 bins during June approximately some 60 enquiries from residents and Elected Members have been received. These enquiries relate to approximately 34 bins locations and 6 general enquiries.
Currently Officers are in the process of undertaking litter audits of locations where bins were removed, as part of the normal NI195 audits. Results of these audits to date are:
74 locations audited
• 23 = B+
• 37 = B
• 13 = B-
• 1 = C
with, on a scale of A-D, A-B being acceptable and below B being unacceptable i.e. only 14 locations were found to be of an unacceptable standard.
Discussions and audits have so far resulted in the re-siting of 5 bins of those remaining and the re-instatement of 5 bins, which had been removed.

You can sign a petition asking for the litter bins to be reinstated here.
http://yorklibdems.org.uk/en/petition/sign-our-petition-against-bin-cuts-in-york

The funds for reinstating the litter bins would come from cutting down on the number of “Cabinet” posts carried by the Council.

http://liberalengland.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/york-in-early-1960s.html

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Labour have agreed to an increase in school meals prices.

The move comes against a background of continuing concerns that not enough is being done to encourage parents and children to opt for school meals.

Ironically Labour Councillors in 2009 – while they were in opposition – tried to reduce school meal prices to £1-05, claiming that the move would make a major contribution to improved health and reduced poverty.

Now that policy has been quietly forgotten

Currently there are 46 schools benefiting from a joint contract with ISS to provide school meals. A further 19 schools make their own arrangements to provide meals.

Around 31% of Primary school children take a school dinner.

At Secondary level that figure falls to 24%.

About 75% of users are entitled to a free school meal because of low income levels.

The council is reporting a huge surplus on its housing account.

A report considered this week says,

“The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) opened with a general balance of 10,398k and the year end position identifies an underspend of £1,491k resulting in an increase in the overall HRA balance of £413k.

There are a number of underspends across the HRA within repairs and maintenance, general management and sheltered housing.

There were further underspends due to slippage within the capital programme and higher than assumed interest on cash balances “

Tenants will be wondering why the programmes to increase car parking provision – like the new off road space at St Stephens Square – have stalled. Clearly money isn’t the issue.

The Council is due to take full control of local housing shortly when the government transfers outstanding (national) debts on Council house building to local authorities.

In return the Council will be able to set its own rent levels and – critically – retain any surplus for investment in existing and new social housing.

It replaces the system run by the last Labour government which saw £5 million a year creamed off the York housing account and transferred to repay debt incurred in other parts of the country.

Residents in North Yorkshire and the City of York have the opportunity to ask Assistant Chief Constable Iain Spittal about the crime and anti-social behaviour issues that matter most in their communities.

Iain, who is the chief officer responsible for delivering Safer Neighbourhoods policing, will be on hand to take questions via a webchat hosted on the North Yorkshire Police website on Friday 20 July 2012 between 12noon and 1pm.

The webchat goes live at 12noon when you can post your questions at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/webchat

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North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following roads between Wednesday 18 July and Tuesday 24 July 2012.

•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
•Beckfield Lane, Acomb, York
•Green Lane, Acomb, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, Acomb, York
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The longest wait to be rehoused, for someone on the York housing list, is reported to be 13 years.

This is the exception though and probably reflects the desire of some applicants to be housed in a particular part of the City or in a specific village. Many applicants are rehoused within a few months. Others, with a low housing needs assessment, may never be offered a property.

Around 750 vacancies occur in the 12,431 rented properties available in the City (4512 Housing Association, 7919 Council). In addition there are around 500 shared ownership/discounted sale or intermediate rent properties in the City.

The number of available properties has grown from the 12,321 recorded on 1st April 2008.

Around 2000 people register to be on the housing waiting list each year. Currently 4280 are registered.

The Council introduced a new system for allocating properties a few years ago which involved vacancies being advertised.

Applicants then apply for the individual properties with the home being allocated on the basis of need. Applicants are assessed in order of priority bands of gold, silver and bronze, with those in gold having the highest need for a home. Around 92 per cent of households on the register are in either silver of bronze band and average waiting times for a home is around two years

In the case of one advertised home, as many as 290 people applied to be tenants.

The York Council is currently consulting residents about their “tenancy strategy” More information is available here: http://tinyurl.com/York-Tenancy-strategy
One of the key issues being considered is the under-occupation of rented accommodation. Current estimates suggest around 1,000 council owned homes are under occupied at any one time. Currently 190 household are seeking a transfer due to overcrowding and 160 tenants seeking a transfer to smaller accommodation.

Information for City of York Council 1 April 2011 – 31 March 2012

• Number of fly-tipping incidents? 923

• Cost of clearance & disposal of fly-tipped waste? £44,618 (estimated)

• Number of enforcement actions taken? 1438

• Number of successful prosecutions? 5