Libraries seek community Director

The new company that will run York’s libraries after 1st April is asking “Could you be a Community Director for Explore York Libraries and Archives? “

Dringhouses Library

Dringhouses Library

“Explore York Libraries and Archives – the new organisation which will be running York’s libraries and archives from 1 April under a five year contract from City of York Council – is looking for two Community Directors to join its Board and help to develop and deliver excellent library and archive services in the city”.

We have considerable doubts about this new venture – more so now that the Council has agreed to cut £200,000 off its budget over the next 2 years.

This could mean library closures.

However the stronger the voice that York residents have in deciding the priorities of the new organization the better.

If damage can be limited over the next 12 months, then the new Council which will be elected in May 2015, will have a reasonable chance of putting things back together.

In the meantime more about what the Council says can be found by clicking here.

Potholes on increase

Despite a relatively mild winter, the number of potholes appearing on local roads continues to increase.

In the main this is a result of major cuts to maintenance investment implemented by the new Labour administration when they took office in 2011.

City of York Council

Road repairs expenditure

Year

Pothole reports

Resurfacing

Basic maintenance

Total

2012/13

2492

£1,570,000

£616,700

£2,186,700

2011/12

1566

£2,134,000

£877,200

£3,011,200

2010/11

2860

£1,706,000

£1,008,000

£2,714,000

2009/10

966

£1,604,000

£1,096,000

£2,700,000

 

The York Council will in 2014/15 return to its pre 2011 levels of investment, but for many roads the change will come too late. A poorly maintained highway costs much more to repair than one that has had some routine maintenance.

We believe that the Council should use the £1.3 million, that it has raised by fining drivers on Lendal and Coppergate, on dealing with the repairs backlog.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Resident Forum tomorrow (Monday)

Monday, 3rd March, 2014 7.00 pm

Venue: Woodthorpe Primary School, Summerfield Road, York YO24 2RU

Agenda

1. 7.00pm Drop In Talk to ward councillors, policing team ; pick up information on ward grants 2014-15, have your say on how health services are commissioned in York. York Older People’s Assembly will have a stall.

2. 7.30pm Main Meeting: Welcome and Minutes from the last meeting

3. Police Report

4. JRHT report on play area (Sheringham Ave/Bellhouse Way)

5. Smarter York and environment issues – with Russell Stone CYC

6. Tour de France – a presentation on the arrangements for the event and how communities can get involved

7. 2014-15 Ward Priorities/Ward Budget

8. Annual Planning Panel elections

9. Have Your Say

Scrapping Minster Badge will “threaten evening economy” in York

parking-charges-car-park-ticket-machine-149887544

The Labour leadership have been asked to clarify their policy on evening charges following their decision on Thursday to scrap resident’s car parking discounts.

As well as providing a reduced fee in during the day, the Minster badge entitles residents to park for free at City centre car parks after 6:00pm.

Those without badges are charged £2.

The Minster badge is being replaced by a “frequent user” card but this will cost £20 and will be available to anyone.

The Council have also been criticised for not extending the discounts available to small/low emission vehicles in the City.

Bill for 20 mph signs reaches £238,000

Since Labour took office, they have introduced 20 mph speed limit signs on an additional 11 miles of roads in South Bank and another 44 miles in west York.
Dijon Avenue Green Lane junction small 3

947, 20 mph signs, have so far been installed with a further 1752 still to be put up – mainly in east York

Where the roads revert to a 30 mph limit, new signs have also to be installed.

So far 280 additional 30 mph signs have been installed with a further 587 still to be fitted.

So far the Council has spent over £52,000 on signs, paid out £40,000 in fixing costs with management costs accounting for a whopping £120,000 (planning, project management, professional fees).

Adding in miscellaneous expenditure, the total comes to £238,000.

A further £350,000 has yet to be committed to the programme which will roll out next in east York.

The programme should have been suspended for at least a year to allow the effects, that the new limits so far introduced have had, to be assessed.

In other parts of the country the introduction of 20 mph limits has coincided with an increase in accident levels.

NB Last week a Labour Councillor said that people shouldn’t be consulted on the introduction of 20 mph speed limits.

Rubbish skips this weekend in Dringhouses Saturday 1st March

Although the Council has cut back on the number of amenity skips it provides, several residents associations continue to run programmes aimed at making it easier for tenants to get rid of unwanted items.

The skips are only in place for a few minutes and residents must ensure that they put any rubbish into the skips and do not leave it on the path or highway.

1 Don Ave 08:30 09:30

2 North Lane 10:30 11:30

3 Viking Rd 12:30 13:30
4 Kingsway West 08:30 09:30
5 Stuart Rd 10:30 11:30
6 Ebor St 12:30 13:30
7 Lindsey Ave 08:30 09:30
8 Bursall Drive 10:30 11:30
9 Windsor Garth 12:30 13:30

Residents to bid for Crystal Palace pub and Fordlands home?

Crystal Palace pub and Fordland’s care home first to be considered in York

The York Council is to consider next week the first applications from community groups who want to be given the right to bid to buy what they regarded as community use buildings.

Fordlands EPH

Fordlands EPH

The buildings being considered are the Crystal Palace pub in Holgate and the Fordland’s Elderly Persons Home in Fulford.

Government legislation now requires Councils to maintain a list of “assets of community value”.

The purpose behind these provisions is to ensure that property (land and building) assets which are currently used to the benefit of the local communities are not disposed of without the local community being given a fair opportunity to bid for these assets when they are put on the open market. This right is not simply to accommodate ‘public assets’ but also private assets, the test is whether such assets are viewed as ‘assets of community value’.

These assets therefore could be currently owned by the public, private or voluntary sector.

The nomination for the Crystal Palace pub comes from the cooperative that took over its running a few months ago. Their application is supported by officials.

The Fordland’s application comes from the Fulford Parish Council who want to run the building as an interpretation centre. It is redundant under the Councils elderly person’s modernisation plans. Officials are recommending that the building is not added to the list.

Admission to the list means that the community group will be able to submit a bid for the properties as and when they come onto the market. There is no guarantee that their bid will be the highest or that t would be accepted by the owners..

Some building owners have criticised the scheme as it potentially could delay, by up to 6 months, regeneration schemes .

Adoption event in York

City of York Council is hosting one of its regular Information Events for anyone interested in finding out more about adoption next week (Monday 3 March).

The information events, which are help jointly with North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding Council, provide an informal opportunity to anyone interested in adoption to find out more about what’s involved.

The next information session will be held at West Offices in York on Monday 3 March between 6.30 and 8.00pm. To book a place please  call 01904 553525or email adoption@york.gov.uk

Nationally 4,000 children are waiting to find an adoptive family, but for one in four it is likely to remain only a dream.

City of York Council is planning to approve 18 new adoptive families in 2013/14 and 21 in 2014/15.

City of York Council has joined forces with other local authorities across the region through the Yorkshire and Humberside Adoption Consortium to recruit more adopters. For more information on the ‘Being Family’ campaign visit http://beingfamily.co.uk/

For more information on adoption in York visit www.york.gov.uk/adoption or visit ‘Adoption and Fostering York’ on Facebook