York Local Plan – private briefing meeting announced

 

The York Council has issued a media release saying that all Councillors are being invited to a (private) briefing session on options for progressing the Local Plan.

Local Plan consultation leafletApparently they will be able to question the consultants who produced the background data that was claimed to underpin Labour’s “Big City” strategy.

It was a tactic which resulted in a plan which attracted massive public opposition and which was then ditched at the October Council meeting.

It is unusual for the Council to issue a media release about an internal briefing session. While any attempt to involve all groups represented on the Council in making important decisions would be a step forward, consultants evidence is often predicated on justifying a given political outcome.

Some fresh thinking, and options, will be expected by opposition councillors

In particular Councillors will be expecting to see robust challenges to both the economic growth assumptions, and resultant housing building plans, which caused so much unrest in the City.

The Council media release reads,
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York Community Stadium local consultation dates announced.

Continuing concern over tight timetableCommunity Stadium Nov 2014

We understand that consultation meetings, involving local residents, about the design of the Community Stadium complex has been scheduled.

A series of public exhibitions will be held to give the community the opportunity to view the plans and provide feedback.

The events will be held on:

  • Friday 28 November at Orchard Park Community Centre, Badger Paddock, York, YO31 9EH between 2.30pm and 7pm and on
  • Saturday 29 November at City of York Council Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA between 10am and 4pm.

The exhibitions will be run as drop-in events and people are free to attend when convenient to them.

More details are available on this Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/yorkcommunitystadium

Clearly the project is still some way from the point where a detailed planning application can be submitted.

There are also continuing concerns about the source of the £12 million commercial investment needed to make the project financially viable

The planned opening date for the Stadium (July 2016) still looks to be optimistic.

The project is currently running 2 years behind the schedule agreed in 2010.

Have your say on York’s new Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP3)

Residents and other key stakeholders are today being invited to comment on a new draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP3) for York.

In March 1915 York Corporation Tramways Department was one of the very first operators in the country to use electric buses and to this day, there are still two relics of this pioneering form of transport in the City – the shelters at Clifton Green and Malton Road Corner, which were built as charging points for the buses

In March 1915 York Corporation Tramways Department was one of the very first operators in the country to use electric buses and to this day, there are still two relics of this pioneering form of transport in the City – the shelters at Clifton Green and Malton Road Corner, which were built as charging points for the buses

The consultation runs from 21 November to 2 January 2015 and provides an opportunity to comment on proposals to further reduce emissions and improve air quality in York during the next five years (2015 -2020).

The draft AQAP can be viewed online at www.york.gov.uk/consultations .

Paper copies will also be available in all York Explore libraries and at West Offices reception.

Support from the government’s Green Bus Fund enabled York to become the first city in the north to introduce a fleet of electric buses to its Park&Ride service and more recently a Cleaner Vehicle Technology Fund (CVTF) grant allowed Transdev to convert one of its tour buses to a fully electric drive train.
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York Councillors unite to save Yearsley pool

Liberal Democrat and other opposition councillors have joined together to call for action to safeguard the future of Yearsley Pool.

from left to right Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, Derek Wann, Martin Lewis Crosby, Cllr Carol Runciman, Chris Cullwick, Cllr Keith Orrell, Cllr Brain Watson (Independent Councillor) and Cllr Keith Aspden - at a recent event in Parliament Street collecting signatures for the petition to save Yearsley Pool.

from left to right Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, Derek Wann, Martin Lewis Crosby, Cllr Carol Runciman, Chris Cullwick, Cllr Keith Orrell, Cllr Brain Watson (Independent Councillor) and Cllr Keith Aspden – at a recent event in Parliament Street collecting signatures for the petition to save Yearsley Pool.

In September Labour run City of York Council said it would cut the £250,000 annual subsidy given to Yearsley from 2016.

Lib Dem calls for the future of the pool to be safeguarded over the course of the next council term were defeated at October’s Full Council meeting.

Since then a petition against closure, set-up by the Yearsley Pool Action Group, has been signed by over 4,000.

Now, opposition councillors are joining together to call for action. The councillors have called for a scrutiny review to be set-up to explore ways to reduce the subsidy given to Yearsley but secure its long-term future beyond 2016.

Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Keith Aspden, who has submitted the scrutiny review request today, commented:
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Skip programme

The skips below are funded by your local residents association using their Estate Improvement Grant. The skips are removed once they are full so please make sure you arrive in good time if you intend to make use of them.

1. Please remember to take your waste to the site only on the dates advertised

2. If the skip is full or not on the site, please do not leave your waste. This is classed as fly tipping and is illegal

3. Bulky items including furniture, fridges and freezers are not accepted. To arrange disposal of Bulky items including furniture, fridges and freezers are not accepted. To arrange disposal of one of these items please ring York (01904) 551551.

Click the following links for more information

Chapelfields CA

Cornlands RA

Dringhouses RA

Foxwood RA

Kingsway West

click

click

York Community Centre users fight cuts

Users of the Burton Stone Community Centre have joined their counterparts in Foxwood, Chapelfields and Bell Farm in criticising Labours plans for the future of their facilities.

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

Burton Stone community centre future unclear

A petition from the York Coronary Support Trust is being considered at a decision meeting on 27th November. The petition expresses concerns that the Council plan, to outsource the management of the centre, could lead to the organisation’s 4 fitness sessions each week being interrupted.

As at other community centres around the City, Labour are planning to eliminate all support subsidies by 1st April 2015.

In the case of Burton Stone, the centre will in future by predominately used to provide “a day activity programme for over 60 adults with a learning disability and/or autism between 9:00 – 5:00 Monday & Friday”.

New LibDem Councillor Andrew Waller has been leading the campaign to have Council grants to the City’s community centres restored.

A grant of £15,000 a year to each would allow a part time caretaker to be employed, raising the possibility of increased opening hours and hence community use.

Most York Community Centre rely heavily on volunteers to manage and sustain them.

Lendal Bridge fines – new move

Liberal Democrats are making a fresh call for all Lendal Bridge fines to be repaid following the resignation of council leader James Alexander.

Lendal bridge - always been busy at 5;00pm

Lendal bridge – always been busy at 5;00pm

Lib Dem Group Leader Cllr Keith Aspden will move a motion at next month’s Full Council meeting (11th December) calling for all fined motorists to be automatically refunded. He will be seeking support from other councillors to back the move in the coming days.

Cllr Aspden says the refunds need to be part of a wider rethink of council policies following the resignation of the Labour council leader yesterday.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Group Leader in York, commented:
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“Grand Departy” Inquiry agreed

Only minutes before the York Council Leader resigned, a Council scrutiny committee had agreed to hold an Inquiry into the Grand Departy shambles.

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

Sparse crowd for Grand Departy

The event lost £187,000.

Officials attending the meeting admitted that mistakes had been made.

The Culture Scrutiny committee agreed to look at the processes – including decisions on marketing and safety – connected with the event as well as the operation of the spectator hubs and camping arrangements.

All the opposition parties supported the review although two Labour Councillors at the meeting opposed holding an inquiry.

A report will also go to the Cabinet in January.

The meeting was held in public and can be viewed on the Council web cam.