York hospital resources stretched as….

…….Liberal Democrats publish plan to invest an extra £8 billion a year in NHS

LibDems NHS graphic Jan 2015

Media reports are suggesting that unprecedented numbers of people have visiting A & E departments at the York and Scarborough hospitals over the last 3 weeks, leading to unacceptable delays in treatment.

The hospital has not published any figures for patient numbers and waiting times recently and the Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for “Health” has offered no comment.

Responsibility for scrutinising the performance of the health service in York now also rests with the York Council but again no statements have been issued and no special meetings scheduled.

Some are claiming that “bed blocking” – discharges from hospitals delayed through lack of spaces in nursing homes – is partly responsible for the crisis.

The hospital management are right to ask people not to misuse A & E services when other options may address their issues.

But more facts about relative demand levels, together with the publication of up to date performance statistics, would help residents understand the problem rather more than they do now.

Liberal Democrats to increase NHS funding by £8bn by 2020

Liberal Democrats have today (Tuesday 6 January) set out plans to safeguard the NHS for the future.

NHS funding will increased by at least £8bn per year in real terms by 2020.

The Liberal Democrats are the first party to present a plan to meet the financial needs of the NHS as set out by Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England in his Five Year Forward View.

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To achieve this boost in funding by 2020/21, Liberal Democrats will do three things:
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“Good night” Knights?…. as St John’s College submits multi million pound sports ground plan for Haxby Road

 

York St John College has submitted a planning application which would see the construction of a sports hall with associated changing, teaching and social facilities following demolition of the pavilion at the Mille Crux Sport Park.

Master plan for Haxby Road sports centre

Master plan for Haxby Road sports centre

The sports hall will be the equivalent in size to 5 badminton courts and will incorporate changing rooms, a “strength and conditioning” suit, flexible teaching space and catering facilities.

The proposal is the third part of the development of the sports park on the 24 hectare site on Haxby Road

It was granted planning permission 2 years ago

Full details of the current application can be found by clicking here

Ironically both the planning applications make mention of the York Knight RFL side saying that they are users of the facility.

There were indeed high hopes of a link up in 2013 as part of the Community Stadium deal but that relationship seems to have gone sour.

The York Council is apparently refusing to talk to the Knights owner following an acrimonious legal wrangle which ended a couple of months ago.

The Knights in turn are saying that they want a guarantee of being able to play games at Bootham Crescent until the new Community Stadium is completed.

Given that the Community Stadium project is already 2 years behind the schedule agreed in 2010 that may not be an unreasonable request.

It is about time that both

York Local Plan hits political buffers

 

Any hope, that York’s Local Plan might be agreed for submission to an “examination in public” before the Council elections are due to take place in May seem to have disappeared today.

Big City Our City logot

Labour Councillors refused at a meeting today to remove Cllr Watt – who now sits as an Independent – from the Local Plan Working Group.

They chose to take that line after Watt agreed to back their “Big City” house building plans.

For the next couple of weeks at least, Cllr Watt would be able to attend working group meetings provided he continues to toe the Labour Party line.

The Conservatives will have only one seat on the working group (although, under proportional representation, they are legally entitled to two)

The next Local Plan meeting is not scheduled to take place until 29th January.

Little divine inspiration or common sense on show at today's meeting. click to access

Little divine inspiration or common sense on show at today’s meeting. click to access

It is to be hoped that the political groups find an accommodation before the “Urgency” committee next meets on 19th January.

Today’s ill tempered meeting will be best remembered for tit for tat accusations about individual Councillors “misbehaviour”. The allegations should more properly have been raised at the specialist “standards committee”.

The promise of the new Labour Leader, to encourage debate about issues rather than personalities, seems to have fallen flat on its face. The “part time” Labour Leader (Williams) was noticeable by his absence from today’s meeting.

Odour problem blamed on Harewood Whin facility

Burning compost blamed

Yorwaste entrance

Problems with a fire in the composting plant at Harewood Whin has been blamed for a continuing odour problem in parts of Acomb.

Although there were no signs of a fire today residents has contacted the Environment Agency to complain about the problem.

Cllr Andrew Waller has been called in and has promised to find out the cause of the fire and what is being done to prevent a repetition.

Unfortunately YorWaste have not provide any updates on the problem on their website

York Council petitions

The York Council is to consider an update on 10 petitions received from residents at a meeting taking place on 12th January.

They concern:

  • Speeding on Peter Hill Drive
  • Future of Burton Stone Community Centre (2)
  • Installation of speed humps on South Bank Avenue
  • Objections to development site H30 (Local Plan)
  • Need for 20 mph speed limit on Walmgate/Navigation Road
  • Future on York Deaf Society
  • Future of Youth Advice Centre in Castlegate
  • Winter Green Waste collection
  • Future of Groves Chapel
  • Objections to plans to build on Earswick Green Belt (Local Plan)
  • Request for Residents Only parking in Nunthorpe Grove
  • Road safety in Strensall
  • Future of Yearsley Pool
  • Travellers site fees

For more details click here

Petitioners are able to attend the meeting and speak in support of their petition.

Yearsley Pool decision on 12th January

A Council scrutiny committee will decide on 12th January whether to undertake a public review of Labour’s plan to withdraw the Yearsley Pool’s £250,000 a year subsidy.

Yearsley Pool

Yearsley Pool

LibDem councillors have proposed that a review begin straight away giving managers the maximum time possible to find alternative sources of income and savings prior to the summer 2016 cut off date.

The early review has the backing of the Yearsley Pool Action Group which has submitted a 4,500 signature petition supporting the retention of the pool.

Although the Council had agreed to hold talks in early 2016 about the future of the pool, these would be held in private. They would also have presumed that no ongoing subsidy would be available.

One of the factors bedevilling the process is that with Council elections in May, it is likely that the majority of existing Councillors will not be re-elected to the new authority (many have said that they are standing down).

As the decisions of the present Council cannot bind the new one, priorities are likely to change.

Both LibDem and Tory Councillors have said that they want to move resources away from prestige projects preferring instead to improve funding for basic public services. These would include existing leisure facilities.

In 2007, the last LibDem Council invested over £1 million in upgrades to the Yearsley pool. It was expected that this would give the pool a life of over 20 years before additional investment was required.

In January 2011, before coming to power, Labour began to question the future of the facility.

Smoking campaign

City of York Council is backing a powerful new campaign that has been launched this week to highlight how smoking damages the body and causes a slow and steady decline in a process akin to rotting.

It follows a new expert review that highlights the multiple impacts that toxic ingredients in cigarettes can have on your body.

Whilst many smokers know that smoking causes cancer and harms the lungs and heart, the new report highlights how it also damages:

  • Bones and muscles – Smoking causes progressive harm to the musculoskeletal system, and has a negative impact on bone mineral density. Harms include:
  • 25% increased risk of any fracture and a 40% increase in the risk of hip fractures among men
  • Slower healing after injury
  • Increased risk of back and neck pain, leading to a 79% increase in chronic back pain and a 114% increase in disabling lower back pain
  • Significant cause of rheumatoid arthritis and can reduce the impact of treatment
  • Brain – Current smokers are 53% more likely to develop cognitive impairment than non-smokers and 59% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease
  • Teeth – Smoking increases the likelihood of tooth loss and decay
  • Eyes – Smoking damages sight by increasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 78%-358% and increasing the risk of age-related cataracts

With New Year’s resolutions approaching and two thirds of smokers saying they want to quit, new adverts are being used to graphically illustrate the degeneration that smoking causes.
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Gas works likely to increase congestion in York

Congestion levels likely to be affected by road works

gas works

Northern Gas Networks is about to start work to upgrade ageing metal gas mains in York city centre.
The project is part of Northern Gas Network’s on-going development of infrastructure across the north of England and will involve replacing existing metallic gas mains with more durable plastic pipes to ensure the continued safe and reliable supply of gas to customers in the area for years to come.
The eight week project will start on 5 January and take place on Nunnery Lane, Bishopthorpe Road and Scarcroft Road. On Nunnery Lane, it will be necessary to close one lane of the carriageway to allow the essential work to be completed.
A signed diversion route will be in place.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place on Bishopthorpe Road and Scarcroft Road.
Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times throughout the duration of the essential work and businesses will remain open as usual.
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The Theatre Royal and York’s other historic buildings

The proposal to sell the building that houses the Theatre Royal to the York Conservation Trust has raised some eyebrows in the City. The main issue seems to be the proposed £1 valuation.

York Theatre Royal was built in 1744 on, and among, the site of the medieval St. Leonard’s Hospital. Immediate repairs (roof replacement) are estimated at around £320k with significant further works needed in coming years

Separately £4.1m is being spent on a programme of refurbishment and improvement

The York Citizens Theatre Trust has a 25 year lease on the property at an annual rent of £27,250 with a 2 year rent free period during the refurbishment, It Achieves a significantly higher proportion of earned income (around 75%) and requires below average local authority funding in both the amount and proportion of turnover (around 7-8%). The Council provides a subsidy of around £250,000 a year to the theatre but has said that this will gradually reduce over the years.

Uniquely for a City the size of York, the Theatre Royal faces commercial competition from both the Barbican and the Grand Opera House

walking-guide-cover

The Conservation Trust is a charity and was set up in 1976 as the successor to Morrell’s “Ings Property Company Ltd”. This company had been established by the Liberal supporting family in the 1940’s with the intention of securing York’s historic building heritage. It is run by Directors who are all related to the original family.

Together with the York Civic Trust, it can claim to be the principle reason why we are still able to enjoy a large number of, generally well conserved, old buildings. Another reason is, of course, that most are “Listed” meaning that they cannot be demolished and that any alterations are subject to restrictive conditions.

The York Council has also accepted over the years a responsibility to maintain buildings like the Mansion House and Guildhall. That sense of responsibility has been undermined recently, not least by the Labour group’s decision to spend £9.2 million converting the Guildhall buildings into a “media centre” (currently subject to a policy review “call in”).

The York Guilds – essentially craft based trades organisations – also take responsibility for maintaining three ancient halls in the City, with much of their income derived from private lettings and (high) membership fees.

Finding uses for buildings, which are expensive to maintain and heat, will always be difficult. Currently there are at least three historic buildings with a question mark about their future use. St Anthony’s Hall (soon to be vacated by the Quilters Guild), St Williams College (where the Minster Trustees are seeking uses that could offset large repair bills) and the Guildhall.

The York Conservation Trust has already acquired two former Council owned buildings near to the Theatre (The Assembly Rooms and the De Grey Rooms).

While many York residents may feel, in an ideal world, such assets would remain in public ownership, the actions of the Council over the last 3 years is a reminder that public election does not automatically bestow either wisdom or financial acumen.

On the other hand, the negative side of large parts of the (former) public realm falling into the hands of a Charity – no matter how benign – is that public accountability all but disappears.

Residents of York will be dependant on the Charity Commission and the contestants of the planning system to ensure that the Trust continues to fulfil its founder’s altruistic aspirations.