The consultation meeting, which was to have taken place on 4th March and which was cancelled by the Council at short notice, will now take place at Heslington Church on Wednesday 10th April between 7:00pm and 8:30pm

Local people are concerned about proposals to change the layout of University Road and Field Lane.

Despite protests from local residents asking for the scheme to be dropped altogether, we understand the council is planning to press ahead.

The consultation meeting will ask for residents views on two alternative versions of the plans.

In both versions, University Road is reduced to one lane in the area with Field Lane either reduced to one way or kept as it is with an off road cycle path.

Following a Ward Committee meeting the Council has held additional meetings with local groups in Heslington.

Although these meetings produced a third option unfortunately the Council is apparently not willing to consider it.

Commenting, Lib Dem councillor Keith Aspden said: “It’s disappointing that the council has ignored local wishes and pressed ahead with the plan. “Although they have listened to some local concerns it’s important that the consultation is thorough and that they listen to residents views this time.”

A Freedom of Information request has shed some light on the Councils future intentions regarding the management of Extra Care elderly persons homes.

As we previously reported, the 2014 budget agreed by Labour included provision for “market testing” the management of the service.

A cut of over £300,000 in provision of the service was agreed.

The FOI request specifically – in its final question – asks the Council to specifically rule out letting a contract for the management of the service in future. The Councils response specifically fails to do so.

Email from Labour Councillor

Meanwhile residents tell us that a bizarre message – from Labour Cllr Laing who is responsible for the privatisation initiatives in Social Services – has been pinned to the notice board in Gale Farm Court.

Her claims that no changes are planned looks increasingly disingenuous now that the Warden Call service is being outsourced and some charges doubled.

Cllr Laing’s email could get her into hot water as Councillors are not supposed to use Council facilities for political campaigning.

Detectives in York are investigating following a serious assault in the city.

It occurred shortly before 9pm an Friday 5 April 2013, in a house in the Upper Poppleton area.

As a result of the incident an 81-year-old man suffered serious head and chest injuries and was taken to York District Hospital were he remains in a serious condition.

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The York Council admitted that only about 10% of its 8000 plus tenants will be affected by changes to Housing benefit.

From 1st April benefit has not been payable on spare bedrooms.

The changes do not affect those paying full rent or pensioners while special arrangements apply for forces personnel, people with disabilities and foster carers.

Private tenants are not affected by the change.

658 Council tenants have been affected by the removal of the empty room subsidy together with another 378 living in housing association properties

Of these, 156 Council tenants have 2 or more empty bedrooms. The equivalent figure for housing associations is 68.

A tenant with 1 unused bedroom could lose around £10 a week (14%) in rent subsidy.

It remains unclear whether the Council have fulfilled their promise to visit all affected tenants and offer advice on the options available to them.

Tenants have a right of appeal against the Councils assessment (for example, if a room is unsuitable to be classified as a “bedroom”)

More information is available on the Councils web site.

It includes a rather bureaucratic explanation of the discretionary housing payments scheme which is intended to help those who find themselves in hardship.

An application form can be obtained by clicking here

NB. There are over 4000 residents on the waiting list for homes in York. The vast majority of these are living in overcrowded conditions.

Although nothing new, it is sad to see the amount of fly-posting increasing in the City.

More so, when it seems to be tolerated on Council owned street furniture including even ward notice boards.

In some areas the latter seem to have fallen into disuse – but that is no excuse for their tatty appearance nor allowing them to be hijacked for free advertising space for commercial organisations.

One of the events being promoted is taking place on Council owned land.

The last Council introduced a system where organisers of similar events were required to pay a deposit which was forfeit if events were promoted through fly-posting.

The deposit was then used to remove the offending posters.

It remains to be seen that will happen with the fun fair posters.

In the meantime the Council might consider making any unused space on its notice boards available for voluntary organisations or – on payment of a small fee – local traders.

The York Council is seeking volunteers to join its Citizens “Talkabout” Panel

They say;

“Talkabout – York’s Citizens’ Panel has been inviting residents to give their views since 1996. Most panelists are randomly selected from the electoral register. We now want to give more people the opportunity to take part in discussion groups, online surveys and postal questionnaires.

A Citizens’ Panel is just one of the ways we find out what people think and need. It is a large group of residents that give a small amount of time to take part in surveys and discussions about local services and issues that affect where they live. You can decide whether or not you want to take part in any opportunity we offer you, usually two or three per year.

Who can join and how?

If you are at least 18 years old and live in the City of York Council area, we’re interested in hearing from you. You can leave the panel at any time and would not normally remain on the panel for more than three years”.

For more information please click here and if you would like to take part please fill in the recruitment questionnaire click here and return to business.intelligence@york.gov.uk by 8th April 2013 “.

City of York Council and local bus operators say that they are encouraging commuters, residents and visitors to join a new bus user group to become involved improving travel in York

Certainly York needs a group which would allow operators to more fully understand the views of passengers. Some of the current routes ignore passengers needs.

We hope though that it will not just be another attempt by the Council to blame others for their ineffectiveness.They have still to confirm whether they have successfully submityted a bid for “Green Bus Fund” support. Applications had to submitted last week.

The organisers say, “the new Bus User Group is looking for new members who either have an interest in bus travel or use services across the city, to help to shape future investment for the bus network in York”.

It will be know by the slightly uncomfortable anagram BUSUG!

“Meetings will be held at different times throughout the year to accommodate work commitments, and members of the group will also be asked to provide feedback online, on the phone or by completing questionnaires.

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Nestle, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and North Yorkshire Police have backed a new campaign to make York’s roads safer.

Nestlé, one of York’s largest employers, is set to endorse a new campaign to be launched by the City’s road safety team today (Friday 5 April).

I-Pledge asks people to sign a pledge to show that they care about their community and city. All the pledges are then uploaded onto an interactive map so that they can see just how much of the community or area they live in have signed up to respect others on the roads.

Non York residents can also pledge and the interactive map is live now on http://www.itravelyork.info/ so that people from across the country can sign up and show their support.

All of Nestlé’s employees and visitors are being asked to sign to up to i-pledge and consider all aspects of safety in everything they do, even considering things like not using a mobile phone when walking about the plant.

The pledge gives people the option to pledge to one or all of the following:-
• Respect all road users
• Stay within the speed limit
• Not use a mobile, when using the road
• Always wear a seat belt
• Not drive under the influence of drink or drugs

Anyone who would like to sign up to the pledge can click here or email road.safety@york.gov.uk

For those in the community who would be interested in promoting the pledge in their area there is a specially designed ‘Community Champion Pack’, which includes information and a number of pledge cards and can be requested from the road safety team at the above e-mail address.

Free compost giveaway on Sunday for York residents

In partnership with Yorwaste Ltd free compost is being made available again.

Bring your own bag, container and shover (it is not pre-bagged) and help yourself to some free soil improver for your garden or allotment.

When: On the first Sunday of every month from March until October: 7 April 5 May, 2 June, 7 July, 4 August, 1 September, 6 October

Time: 9:30am until 2:30pm or while stocks last

Where: Harewood Whin waste site, Tinker Lane, Wetherby Road, Rufforth, York, Yo23 3RR

Askham, Lane verge

The verges in the area are looking trim after their first cut of the year.

One of the few advantages of the heavy rainfall of recent months is that grass has been able to re-establish itself and some recent sun means the growing season has started.

However, the council is now considering reducing the number of cuts that they make on public grassed areas.

Currently 14 cuts a year are scheduled.

We believe that a meeting which will take place later in April may reduce that figure to 10 per year.

If approved the proposal is likely to result in a further deterioration in the quality of the local streetscape.

Unfortunately the decision will be made at another private meeting so residents will get no advanced notice of the its date nor will they have the opportunity to make representations.

However concerned residents could always contact the Labour member with responsibility for the plan! He is Cllr Levene Phone: 01904 270068 Email: cllr.dlevene@york.gov.uk