LibDems attack York Council pay supplement plan

Liberal Democrats are calling for plans to increase the salaries of top council officers to be scrapped.

Fat cat

The proposals to introduce ‘market supplements’ in order to raise pay for specific senior officer posts were pushed through by Labour in August, but still need to be formally approved at tomorrow’s Full Council. The Lib Dems will oppose Labour’s recommendation and call for the supplements to be scrapped.

Currently, officers in City of York Council’s Management Team receive between £88,080 and £149,710 a year, but the pay for these posts could rocket if plans for the special payments are approved. Supplements are expected to be worth around £10-15,000 per post.

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Council house rent arrears in York

The York Council has published details of the rent arrears owed by its Council house tenants during this year.

• Jan-13 £631,225 (households in arrears 2785)

• Feb-13 £709,637 (3196)

• Mar-13 £491,835 (2142)

• Apr-13 £637,442 (2877)

• May-13 £697,883 (2958)

• Jun-13£741,570 (3090)

• Jul-13 £779,029 (3149)

Although arrears have increased since Labour took control of the Council there is little evidence to suggest that the spare room subsidy (sometimes referred to as the bedroom tax) has had a major effect on levels of rent arrears.

Council service satisfaction levels down as £1.4 million now allocated to pay for Tour De France start,

Public satisfaction with the way that the Labour Council is performing is dropping according to the authorities own figures.

Around 4000 residents responded to a Council survey. The percentage satisfied with the way that the Council runs things dropped from 63% to 54% in just 12 months.

click to enlarge

click to enlarge


The results need to be viewed with caution given the volatility of public opinion – and the likely sample bias on a post back survey – but other polls tell a similar story.

The Council could have taken the opportunity to test public opinion on a range of controversial issues such as:

• The proposed cuts to the number of roads being gritted this winter and the planned removal of self help salt bins.

• It’s plans to expand the size of the City by 25% over the next 15 years

• Changes to bus services and its refusal to publish reliability figures

• The bungled changes to refuse collection arrangements.

• Secret “behind closed doors” decision making.

• The introduction of wide area 20 mph speed limits

• The Lendal Bridge and Coppergate traffic restrictions.

Without these figures the Council may find it difficult to understand why its reputation is suffering.

Meanwhile Labour are now admitting that York taxpayers face an enormous £1.4 million bill for hosting the second day start of the Tour De France.

That is over and above the money being taken from existing budgets such as highways resurfacing.

Put in context, the annual repayment costs on the money borrowed to fund this one day event will be over £100,000 or enough to sustain existing winter maintenance (de-icing) standards for the next 20 years.

It is probably not surprising that residents weren’t given the opportunity to comment, in the Council’s survey, on this priority.

Oliver House- the parking issue

Thanks to those residents from the Bishophill are who contacted us to say that some people are apparently exploiting the Oliver House situation to get free car parking.

The property is located in the middle of a ResPark area with residents paying around £100 a year (depending on car size) for parking permits.

Cars parked at Oliver House

Cars parked at Oliver House

Apparently some drivers are monopolising the car parking spaces which were provided for the use of staff and residents at the elderly persons home.

The 8 spaces could bring in around £1000 a year from car parking charges.

On Sunday only one of the parked vehicles was displaying ResPark pass suggesting that the Council is loosing out on potential income.

It’s about time that the Council explained what is going to happen with this building and when.

Oliver House – £30,000 taxpayers bill for property empty for 18 months

It has become clear why the Council’s leadership were so reluctant to answer questions about the future of the former elderly person’s home at Oliver House in Bishophill at the last council meeting.

Oliver House York

A Freedom of Information response has revealed that the building is costing taxpayers nearly £2000 a month to keep empty.

The building has been unused since April 2012.

The only “occupants” are a firm called “ad hoc property management” who – in return for access – offer a “free” security service.

No rent or other income has been received for the property.

Discussions with the York CVS, which might have led to the building being sold to them, started in May 2012. They stalled several months ago.

The value of the prime site has been put at over £1 million with offers having apparently already been made, to the Council, by housing developers.

The Council has spent £30,000 over the last 18 months paying rates and on maintaining the empty property.

There are currently over 4500 people on the waiting list for social accommodation in the City. Many of these require single person accommodation

NB. The Guildhall has also now been empty for 8 months and is costing Council taxpayers around £160,000 a year in maintenance, rates and other costs.

York Council footpath investment down by 40%

New figures reveal that investment, in keeping York’s footpaths in a safe condition, has fallen by 41% over he last 5 years

Expenditure on repairs peaked at £1.8 million in 2009 when the Council was under Liberal Democrat Leadership.

Neglected roads and paths in Kingsway West reported on Saturday

Neglected roads and paths in Kingsway West reported on Saturday

This year only £1 million will be spent. The detailed figures – revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request – are:

• 2009/10 – £1,794k

• 2010/11 – £1,784k

• 2011/12 – £1,667k

• 2012/13 – £1,160k

• 2013/14 – £1,050k

The Council received 48 claims for compensation last year from people who had fallen on badly maintained footpaths. £6,750 was paid out in compensation

The number of complaints about pavements doubled in 2012/13 to 554 from a level of 258 two years earlier.

The Council admits that 5% of its footpaths require resurfacing.

Each year the Council resurfaces less than 1% of the total mileage of footpaths in the City.

The most complained about footpaths are Front Street in Acomb and Coney Street.

NB. The Council are currently spending £500,000 relaying flags in Kings Square. despite the area being in a generally good condition

Allerton Park waste disposal contract – last minute move

The York Council has today agreed to extend the deadline by which planning permission for the new waste disposal facility at Allerton Park must be achieved.

The agreement with the contractors AmeyCespa was due to expire today but a last ditch agreement has extended the agreement until at least the “Cabinet” meeting on 1st October.

Allerton park waste centre

The granting of planning permission had been held up following a move by a Parish Council which asked for a judicial review of the terms of the planning permission.

This is still being considered by the Court of Appeal

The North Yorkshire County Council also has to agree a way forward.

If the contract were terminated at this stage, then a payment of £3 million could be due to the contractor.

It is unclear why the York Council was forced into making a decision today with minimal notice. The terms of the contract have been known for over 2 years.

Call for rethink on airport spending

Plans to spend £85,000 on marketing at Leeds Bradford Airport have been called-in by opposition councillors.

advertising airport

Last week the Labour Cabinet agreed that City of York Council would spend an initial £85,000 on marketing the city at the airport, with £10,000 for the development of the campaign followed by £75,000 for the roll out.

A further three instalment of £75,000 could then be invested over the next three years.

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Vehicle damage claims against York Council increase by over 400%

Potholes

The number of claims for damage to vehicles in York, as a result of poor road surfaces, has increased by over 400%.

In 2011/12, 13 drivers made a claim against the York Council

This spiralled to 70 in 2012/13

The value of compensation paid, however, reduced from £1455 to £333.

The Council had halved the amount that it was investing in highways maintenance in 2012/13.

A Freedom of Information response has identified the road in poorest condition in York.

Moor Lane, near Murton, attracted 10 damage claims between 23-12-2012 and 06-01-2013

The Council says that, generally, a road has a surface design life of 15 years.

At any one time there are around 40 potholes on the York road network requiring attention. This increases in the winter as a result of the impact that ice has on poorly maintained carriageway surfaces.

Potholes can be reported here http://www.mycouncilservices.com/