Guildhall media centre plans to be reconsidered
Cllr Andrew Waller
Liberal Democrat councillors say plans to spend £9.2million on a ‘Digital Media Hub’ at York’s Guildhall should be reconsidered.
The proposals were rubber-stamped by the Labour Cabinet last night despite concerns raised at the meeting by Lib Dem Cllr Ian Cuthbertson. Under the plans, City of York Council will spend an initial £500,000 on the project. The overall scheme is due to cost £9.2million with cash coming from council capital funds, borrowing and the council’s ‘Economic Infrastructure Fund’. £1.7million in funding is yet to be found.
The Lib Dems say there is not enough evidence on income to justify the spending and have ‘called-in’ the decision for review. The proposal will now be reconsidered at a cross-party scrutiny meeting in January.
Cllr Andrew Waller, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Finance and Performance, commented:
“It is astonishing that the Labour Cabinet has brought forward these proposals without a proper business case which shows how the council hopes to get a return on its investment to justify the spending. There is also currently a £1.7million black hole in Labour’s plans.
“If this plan proceeds, York taxpayers will be asked to underwrite £9million of risk on the project. As well as a huge upfront capital cost the plans would greatly increase the council’s long-term borrowing commitments, a burden which has already increased under Labour.
“The report passed presents no evidence that other options for the Guildhall have been properly considered, that this is the right location for the use being proposed or that the private sector will take on any of the risk of this project.
“At a time when Labour are cutting frontline services for ordinary residents and considering moving to monthly rubbish collections, we cannot support this sort of speculative spending on vanity projects in the city-centre.”
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Muddle, confusion, division and delay – York’s Local Plan
Yesterday’s York Council working group meeting should have sorted out a way forward which would have led to majority support for a new Local Plan for the City.
Instead a maverick Tory Councillor, Joe Watt, voted against his own parties policies when he sided with the “Big City” proposals which Labour have been touting around for the last 3 years. The high growth proposals were rejected at the October Council meeting having attracted a record number of objections from residents (over 15,000).
The latest proposals envisage an average of 926 additional homes being built in the City each year leading to a total build of 14,816 by 2030. The character and setting of the City would be changed for ever.
The majority of the houses would be built on Green Belt land and would be occupied by inward migrants.
Existing York Green Belt boundaries. click to enlarge
On average the City has seen – over the last 15 years – an average of just over 600 homes built each year.
Lack of planning permissions and identified development sites has rarely, if ever, been a problem during that period.
Over 80% of new homes have been provided on previously developed (brownfield) sites during the last 2 years.
The Council has been totally opaque in its dealings over the Local Plan. Even now Freedom of Information requests are subject to ongoing delays.
The York Council has also still to come up with a workable governance system which will see it through to the “all out” local elections in May.
We doubt that many existing Councillors will be re-elected if they don’t step up to the plate and respect the wishes of York residents. Cllr Watt, in particular, is leaving an unwelcome legacy with 4000 new homes now likely to be built on Green Belt land on the doorsteps of Skelton and Clifton Moor electors.
The Local Plan is the biggest remaining issue for the present Council to sort out.
It needs to find a consensus approach and quickly.
Fewer jobless in York
Figures released today (17 December) by the Office for National Statistics have shown the number of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) has fallen by 42.2 per cent since November 2013.
Liberal Democrats have welcomed today’s figures which means the number of claimants has fallen for the ninth consecutive month.
Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that unemployment has fallen again nationally.
Click to enlarge
In the three months to October, unemployment fell by 63,000. The rate of unemployment stands at 6 per cent, its lowest level in 6 years.
There are 30.8m people in work and 1.7m new jobs have been created since Liberal Democrats entered government.
Locally the statistics show there to be 1,232 claimants in York, a decrease of 86 from last month. The claimant count represents 0.9 per cent of the working population contrasts to the regional average which stands at 2.7 per cent. The figures are also much lower than the national average which is currently 2 per cent.
Today’s figures mean there are 901 less claimants than in November 2013.
The ONS figures also showed youth unemployment levels decrease from 495 to 245 in the past year, a fall of 50.5 per cent since November 2013.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“Today we’ve had another remarkable set of labour market figures, which show that the strong performance of the labour market has been broad based.
“This has led to an almost record share of the UK working age population being in work. In addition we are now seeing rises in average pay growth above inflation, meaning annual real wage rises for many workers.
“However there is still more to be done. Although youth unemployment has fallen in the past year, it remains too high. That is why we will continue to encourage firms to invest in the UK and equip British workers with the skills they need to compete in the jobs market.”
Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said:
“Once again, we have a new record for the number of people in work, which is great news in the run up to Christmas.
“But more than that, today’s earnings figures show that the positive effects of our economic recovery are beginning to show in people’s wage packets.
“There’s a lot more work to do to secure the recovery and to ensure that trend continues. That’s why it’s so important to stick to the balanced plan that has secured the recovery in the next few years, and not allow a lurch away from common sense with Labour or the Tories.
“We have to keep the economy on the path of strong growth, rising employment, low inflation and rising wages so that more and more of the people who have worked so hard to turn the economy around feel the benefit.”
#strongereconomy
Guildhall future
Despite representations from Liberal Democrat and Independent Councillors at last nights Cabinet meeting, Labour decided to press ahead with their £9.2 million scheme to remodel the Guildhall complex as a “Digital Arts and Media Centre”
Guilhall entrance
The same meeting considered plans which could see major cuts made to the quality of the environment in the City, reductions in social care regimes, charges introduced for emptying waste bins and reduced highways maintenance standards.
The new Council leadership’s claim – that they would concentrate available resources on basic service standards and respond positively to public priorities – now looks rather less than convincing.
The “business as usual” attitude also confirms that the Council has yet to find a governance system which truly reflects the new “balanced” make up of the Council.
The simplest way to get a broader view would be to run all draft reports through the weekly public “urgency” meetings which take place. Reports could the be refined to meet the majority view before going through the formal decision taking process.
Until that happens, it seems that all controversial items will be “called in” for further consideration. This is a laborious process which doesn’t necessary result in a change in the original decision.
Ultimately, if Labour don’t respect the majority view, then a special Council meeting could be called and the Leader of only a few weeks could be kicked out of office.
Lendal Bridge meeting next week
The Cabinet member with responsibility for Transport (now Cllr Levene following Dave Merretts sacking last week) will be asked on Monday to sort out the continuing Lendal Bridge refund crisis.
Although no background report has yet been published, it seems likely that the first step will be to scrap the 31st December deadline for the Council to receive refund requests.
Quite how the Council will “automatically” refund the remaining fines remains to be seen as does the result of the Council’s appeal against similar unlawful charges which were levied in Coppergate.
British Sugar site plans submitted
British Sugar site
The media are reporting that plans to build 1100 homes on the former British Sugar site have been submitted to the York Council.
The plans have not yet been published on the Councils web site.
The site has been available for development for about 5 years with the recession mainly to blame for the slow progress.
Residents will be looking with particular interest to see how the additional traffic generated by the development will be handled. It appears that access will be concentrated on Millfield Lane.
If the plans are approved it will reduce demands to build on Green belt sites around the City
Brief history
- 2011 Plan stalls
- 2013 Methane risk
- 2013 Public exhibition
- 2013 “Large” supermarket claim found to be bogus
Waste collection arrangements in York over Christmas and New Year – reminder
- All households will get a rubbish collection this week (w/c 15 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied in the run up to Christmas. Recycling collections will continue as normal.
- There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections during Christmas week (22 to 26 December)
- All households will get a rubbish collection the week after Christmas (w/c 29 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied. Recycling collections will continue as normal.
- There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections on Thursday 1 January. Collection of rubbish missed this day will happen on Saturday 3 January instead. Recycling will be collected on your next scheduled collection day after that
- Residents who put out their own bins will need to make sure they’re out by 7am, as collection times can vary. If anyone needs to check their collection dates please use the online tool (click) There is a calendar which can be printed from the ‘results’ page.
- The Council have agreed to empty green bins on an additional occasion this winter .They will be emptied, on your recyclables day, during the weeks commencing 19th and 26th January 2015 . Christmas trees (real) will also be collected if they are cut up and put inside your green bin.
- The Hazel Court recycling centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. Its current opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Sundays 8.30am to 4.00pm
- Local skip locations are detailed below
Skip Programme Click to enlarge
York Council plans to spend £250,000 on “Tour de Yorkshire” cycling event as
More cuts to local environment planned
It looks like Labour Councillors want to spend another £1/4 million on a 3 day cycling event next May. One of the stages of the new “Tour de Yorkshire” will finish in York with several local sprint races planned.
Taxpayers will be expected to pick up the bill, from the commercial rights owners, for a whopping £100,000 “hosting fee” for the event,.
A report which is being considered tomorrow, by the Councils Cabinet, shows no sponsorship or admittance fees aimed at offsetting the bills.
A decision will apparently be made before the Inquiry into the disastrous Grand Departy flop is completed.
Organisers were forced to admit a couple of months ago that the Huntington Stadium event – staged separately from the Tour de France start – had lost over £186,000. An inquiry into the event was subsequently ordered by the Council’s scrutiny committee.
More Cuts
The same Council Cabinet agenda talks of major cuts to basic service standards.
Road surfaces already breaking up
£1.3 million a year will be cut from social care budgets.
As well as the much publicised proposals to charge for green bin emptying and move to 4 weekly residual waste collections, Labour are now admitting that more cuts are planned to open space maintenance.
Volunteers will apparently be expected to maintain bowling greens, tennis courts, flower beds and undertake rose planting. The report says that the “replacement of bedding plants with ornamental grass at 18 sites could potentially save 1,519 hours of labour”.
Ominously the report talks of York’s roads and footpaths being “better than average” suggesting that further cuts in maintenance standards are planned.
Many residents will view with incredulity any proposals which would allow a further deterioration in the standard of highways surfaces.
Latest planning application Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Ward
Below are the latest planning applications received by the York Council for the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward.
Full details can be found by clicking the application reference
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Location: 77 Dringthorpe Road York YO24 1LF
Proposal: Single storey side and rear extensions
Ref No: 14/02716/FUL
Applicant: Mr Matthew Crow Consultation Expiry Date 5 January 2015 Case Officer: David Johnson Expected Decision Level DEL
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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.