Liberal Democrats are calling for action to stop the increase in betting shops in some parts of York.
Lib Dems have responded to residents’ concerns that some parts of York have reached saturation point with betting shops. Currently York Council has no powers to refuse permission when there are already a large number in one specific location. This is changing the character of high streets and reduces the range of different types of shops in local retail areas.
The Council say that they have been unable to empty green waste bins and collect recycling in parts of the Clifton and Rawcliffe area today. They hope to empty the green bins tomorrow (Saturday)
They have also failed to collect recycling from 10 roads in Rawcliffe. However they now plan to collect them on Monday. How residents are supposed to know this remains a mystery.
The local media continue to pretend that everything is OK.
No point in ringing up the Councils help line (01904 551551) . It is closed until Monday.
Even then you will only have a 50% chance of getting through – see our story tomorrow for the background to the Council communications meltdown.
Waste not collected (according to Council web site)
Green Bin: (Clifton Moor)
Hopes that Council Leader James Alexander will step in to address the bins crisis have been dashed. His involvement here was photographed only a few weeks before the last local Council elections
• Winscar Grove
• Langsett Grove
• Roseberry Grove
• Landalewood Road
• Grimwith Garth
• Gouthwaite Close
• Rivelin Way
• Doe Park
• Roundhill Link
• Stubden Grove
• Thornton Moor Close
• Dale Dyke Grove
• Boltby Road
• Morehall Close
• Oakdale Road
• Bransholme Drive
• Whitley Close
• Hayforth Close
• Handley Close
• Wellesley Close
• Ilton Garth
• Ryburn Close
• Loxley Close
• Rishworth Grove
• Eldwick Close
• Lanshaw Croft
• Ebsay Drive
• Lindley Road
• Barmby Close
• Redmires Close
• Gillingwood Road
• Wharnscliffe Drive
• Harden Close
• Lindley Wood Grove
Green Bin: (Clifton)
• Burton Stone Lane
• Burton Green
• Ashton Avenue
• Ingram Avenue
• Waveney Grove
• Burrill Avenue
• Evelyn Crescent
• Marjorie Waite Court
• Crombie Avenue
• Crichton Avenue
• Wilberforce Avenue
• Bede Avenue
• Intake Avenue
• Lucas Avenue
• Link Avenue
• Rowntree Avenue
• Sutton Way
• Little Avenue
• Kingsway North
Recycling:
1. Beaverdyke
2. Chelkar Way
3. Fewston Drive
4. Angram Close
5. Swinsty Court
6. Leighton Croft
7. Keats Close
8. Reighton Avenue
9. Lawnswood Drive
10. Melton Drive
click for larger map
The Council is implementing changes to bus stop arrangements in the Pavement/Stonebow area.
The park and ride bus stop is being relocated to Stonebow to reduce footpath congestion, while the entrance to Whip-ma-Whop-ma-Gate is being narrowed.
The background report says,
“The proposed alteration of the Whip-ma-Whop- ma-Gate junction will reduce the carriageway width to allow just a single exit lane. Whilst this is considered adequate to deal with traffic flows, and will bring about a number of safety improvements, there is a risk of some criticism over this change”.
No consultation with residents has taken place and he decision was taken “behind closed doors”
From Sunday 29 September the following fares will apply on First buses in York:
• • York FirstWeek reduced to £12.00 (from £16) – a 25% cut and a saving of £4
• • York FirstMonth reduced to £44 (from £53) – a saving of £9 and now monthly (rather than for four weeks)
• • York FirstAnnual reduced to £440 (from £583) – a saving of £143
• • A new minimum single fare of £1 – meaning all York customers have access to a £1 single fare to somewhere in York
• • York FirstDay prices frozen (£3.70)
First say, “In the summer we talked extensively to our customers and partners in York and have listened to what they have said to us. Value for money was one of the major points raised and with this range of lower and more attractive fares we are giving both new and existing customers the chance to save money when they use First buses on a regular basis.
For those customers who plan ahead there are a range of savings to be made on our week, month and annual tickets. We have also looked at our single ticket structure and have offered some new cheaper fares from just £1 and will publish widely for the first time our simplified single fares structure to encourage new bus users to try the bus.
Our key message, and it came out of the public consultation, is that we should be fair. Some singles are going up but the increases are capped at 20p, while some singles are being reduced by as much as 70p. When people do have increases on singles many will still have an opportunity to pay less by buying a different type of ticket”.
Ahead of the autumn festivals and to help students settle into the new academic year, City of York Council has said that it will be running additional ‘noise patrols’ this autumn and issuing waste disposal reminders.
The council’s environmental protection unit will be carrying out extra noise patrols at the start of the new academic year, and around Hallowe’en and Bonfire Night at the end of October and early November.
As part of their welcome to the city (!) – which includes advice on waste disposal – noise patrol officers called out to investigate reports of noise will be helping establish acceptable noise levels.
These patrols will run during Fresher’s Weeks: 16-19 September for York St John University and 29 September-3 October for the University of York, plus on Sunday 6 October. On each night the Noise Patrol will operate from 10pm to 1am in addition to its regular hours of 9pm to 3am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The noise patrols will also operate over these same hours on Halloween on 31 October and on Bonfire Night on 5 November.
Results of a door to door survey in the Hamilton Drive part of Acomb have seen Labour fall to their lowest ever level of support.
Asked which party they would support if there were a Council election tomorrow, only 3% said they would vote Labour.
The Conservatives and UKIP were vying for second place behind the Liberal Democrats who were favored by 40%
The poor Labour showing is put down to problems with the introduction of new waste collection arrangements and threats to reduce the amount of ice clearance undertaken in the neighbourhood.
200 homes in the area were visited by surveyors.
The Councils web site is reporting that the following streets have not had their bins emptied today
Green Bin: (Huntington)
• Strensall Road
• Abbots Gait
• Vesper Walk
• Kingsclere
• Mulberry Court
• Connaught Way
• Langley Court
• Linden Close
• Heron Rise
• Drakes Close
• Avon Drive
• Crinnan Court
• Trent Avenue
• Witham Drive
• Lang Road
• Ikin Way
• Broome Road
• Broome Way
• Cotswold Way
• Southdown Road
• Malvern Close
• Mandip Close
• Chiltern Way
• Grampian Close
Green Bin: (Haxby)
• York Road
• Hilbra Avenue
• Rosecomb Way
• Farmstead Rise
• Milford Mews
Recycling: ( Haxby/Wigginton )
• Forestgate
• Calvert Close
• Gateland Close
• Little Meadows
• Old Orchard
• Cherry Paddock
• Orchard Paddock
• South Lane
• Abelton Grove
• Kennedy Drive
First have confirmed the terminus (timing points) where their new Acomb bus services will lay over.
Service 5/5A will terminate at Front Street, (5 at The Marcia Pub, 5A at the Post Office),
The 4 will terminate at Green Lane.
First have promised to improve the prominence of the timetables for the new services on their web site.
We are expecting an announcement about fare levels tomorrow morning. See this web site for details.
Some 500 homes in the Kingsway West area haven’t had their bins emptied today (Wednesday). Once again the Council claims that they will be emptied tomorrow.
The list, being published on the Council’s web site, now includes lists of streets where recycling also hasn’t been collected.
The backlog now runs into thousands of homes.
Un-emptied bins on Kingsway West 1730 hours 18th Sept 2013
Black Bin:
• Tudor Road
• Kingsway West
• Ascot Way
• Windsor Garth
• Ashford Place
• Woodford Place
• Newbury Avenue
• Beverley Court
• Aston House
• Sandown House
• Merton House
• Radford House
• Carlton House
• Craven House
• Adelphi House
Green Bin:
• Millgates
• The Paddock
• Plantation Drive
• Paddock Way
• Farfield
• Langholme Drive
• Ouseacres
• Caxton Avenue
• Boroughbridge Road
• Priors Walk
• Welton Avenue
• Rosetta Way
• Lavendar Grove
• Princess Drive
• Monarch Way
• Marquis Court
• Regent Mews
• Duchess Mews
Recycling:
• Princess Drive
• Monarch Way
• Marquis Court
• Regent Mews
• Duchess Mews
• Newlands Drive
• Boroughbridge Road (from Ouseburn Avenue to Beckfield Lane)
It remains unclear what the Labour run Council intends to do to remedy the problems
Figures for August released today by the Council will confirm many residents experiences.
The time being taken by the Council to answer telephone calls is ridiculously high.
In some cases, residents have had to wait for 20 minutes for their call to be answered.
Many Councils routinely publish on their web site quality of service stats covering basic services such as the time taken to deal with issues. The York Council fails to do so.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Council has now admitted that the maximum time that telephone callers had to wait, during the week commencing 5th August, was:
Between 8:00am and 9:00am 3:52 mins (maximum waiting time for call to be answered)
9am-10am 11:30 mins
10am-11am 09:22 mins
11am-12am 08:34 mins
12am -1pm 12:32 mins
1pm -2 pm 11:56 mins
2 pm-3pm 20:22 mins
3pm -4pm 10:27 mins
4pm -5 pm 10:03 mins
5pm -5:30pm 16:21 mins
The failures have prompted calls for the switchboard to remain open for an additional hour to deal with the backlog.
It is likely that many callers will have abandoned their attempts to get through.
The figures suggest that the quality of service being provided by the Council has declined since it moved into its new “state of the art” West Office building