The Council have failed to issue any update during the last 24 hours on the progress that they are making with the “catch up” bin collections.

Centurian Court 5th jan 13

Litter drift is widespread

This appears to be the position

Most grey bins in sub-urban areas – which were due to be emptied on 1st January – were completed on Saturday.

There was no sign though of the recycling crews, who we were told were working over the weekend. Most households, who are able to, have now taken their recycling back in pending collection on Tuesday.

There are considerable amounts of litter drift across affected estates.

Those that are unable to store their recycling inside, face particular problems. Blocks of flats like Centurion Court in the City centre depend on regular recycling collections. Any failure can lead to health and safety issues.

Paper bank at Acomb Car park is full Sun 6th Jan 13

Cans dumped at Acomb Car park Sun 6th Jan 13

Meanwhile the paper banks at sites like the Acomb Car park (near Morrisons) are full to overflowing. There is space in the bottle banks now but some cans are being dumped.

Many of the few remaining litter bins (over 300 were scrapped in the summer) are also stuffed solid.

Litter bins full

click to enlarge

In response to a Freedom of Information request the York Council has revealed that it has made 685 staff redundant over the last decade.

The highest number recorded came last year when 222 left the authority. Most were “voluntary” redundancies.

The total coast to taxpayers was £13.05 million. The costs included additional pension contributions, redundancy payments and “pay in lieu of notice”.

The staff concerned all worked for the York Council or in local schools.

The figures cover the period to the end of March 2012.

There are fears that the current year will see a record number of redundancies declared by the now Labour run authority which has embarked on a policy of privatisation and external contracting to meet its financial obligations.

A crack down on burglary has seen 13 suspects arrested in 24 hours.

The arrests were made between the early hours of 3 to 4 January 2013. They were made in connection with separate burglaries across North Yorkshire and include suspects arrested in Cleveland and Bradford.

• A 38-year-old man from York was arrested on 3 January following a burglary in the early hours of 3 January in Green Dykes Lane, York.

• A 48-year-old York man was arrested on 3 January in connection with a burglary in Heslington Road over Christmas. He has been released on bail while enquiries continue. A 51-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of theft and arranging to handle stolen goods. She has been released on bail while enquiries continue.

• Two men from York aged 24 and 26 were arrested at around 9pm on 3 January in connection with a commercial burglary on Moor Lane, York on 30 December. They remain in custody for questioning.
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Binmen have arrived in the Woodthorpe area this morning (Saturday) to empty grey bins. Some of the bins haven’t been emptied for 18 days.

According to the Council web site, recycling collections won’t generally take place until Tuesday for those that were missed on 1st January. However a separate “twitter” statement issued by the Council promises that recycling collections teams will be “working over the weekend”.

http://www.york.gov.uk/content/45090/64365/Household_waste_-_collection/Revised_collection_list.pdf

Meanwhile some sub-urban recycling banks are now full to overflowing adding to the litter drift which is threatening to engulf some parts of the City.

The once endangered Great Crested Newt is threatening to overwhelm the City. The media are reporting that, what was thought to be a small colony of 30 newts living on the site of the new Community Football and Rugby Stadium at Monks Cross, had grown to over 300 in a matter of weeks.

The building project there has been put on hold while the newts are rehoused.

They have been placed on the housing waiting list with a “gold” banding.

Early indications, that the newts could be offered some of the vacant single bedroomed accommodation available in the City,have been jettisoned after experts revealed that colonies liked to “live together”.

New “Houses in Multiple Occupation” rules mean that a new communal home may have to be built. Housing Chief Tra Cee Lang said, “Well at least we’ll be able to build it on the flood plain”.

Cllr D’Green blamed climate change for the population explosion. “Basically we believe that the colony, discovered at another development site at German Beck, have been carried on flood water to Monks Cross. With the gene pool there reinvigorated, heaven knows where the population growth will end. I’m going to agree to rent my spare bedroom to two of them but I’m not sure how I am going to get them out of the bath each morning”.

Environment Chief Leftie Levene said, “Oh no, not bl**dy newts as well”.

The government has allocated £150,000 for five schemes aimed at improving air quality in York.

The funding, which comes from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) puts York at the top of the funding ladder for a single local authority.

The grants see York receive £94,490 which is to be put towards the implementation of Low Emission Strategy measures and £54,490 for assessing the impact of these and other transport measures.

The funding aims to help create guidance and tools for local authorities who want to reduce emissions. Money was also given to authorities who want to develop the way they communicate air quality messages to their local communities.

The grant will allow the city to engage in a public information campaign to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution on health and will also see the promotion of low emission vehicles and taxis. This will include vehicle demonstration days, purchase / lease of a high profile low emission vehicle for use on promotional work and for development of a Low Emission Taxi Incentive Scheme. A study will also take place to ascertain the likely real-life emission reduction of the I-Travel York campaign, using the best available modelling techniques.

A Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling feasibility study for York will also take place alongside a Tackling Idling Vehicle Strategy Feasibility study – which will help the council develop an evidence base to demonstrate the reduction in vehicle emissions achievable through the introduction of anti-idling policies, which encourage drivers to switch off their engines when parked for some time.

Just when you didn’t think that refuse collection could get any worse, the Council announced a few minutes ago, on their web site, that they will not be doing the “catch up” collections of recycling materials until NEXT TUESDAY in many streets.

Grey bin emptying is continuing on Friday and Saturday.

A full list of when homes, that did not get a rubbish collection on New Year’s Day, can now expect to get one can be found here:

http://www.york.gov.uk/content/45090/64365/Household_waste_-_collection/Revised_collection_list.pdf

It’s an update of a list that has been wrong before.

Levene – blamed for rubbish collection chaos

People having to wait for 3 weeks to have their bin emptied is unacceptable at the best of times, but over the Christmas period, when waste levels soar, it is shamefully inefficient. To delay recycling collections is foolish in the extreme. It has taken years to win public support for separate recycling collections – now some residents will be saying “why bother?”

Apparently officials are blaming absenteeism for the further delays.

In reality the decision by Cllr Levene ((01904 270068 Email: cllr.dlevene@york.gov.uk) not to collect on New Year’s Day is the source of the problem.

… and still no apology or even explanation has been issued by Levene or the Council’s public relations team.

The Council have now posted the following comment on their web site. http://www.york.gov.uk/environment/waste/household/collections/1January_waste_info/

“Due to operational issues there are some delays with Tuesday’s catch up as detailed on this page. Please leave your waste out for collection until it gets collected, this may include Saturday 5 January”.

So basically refuse may be on the streets for another 2 days – making 18 days between collections.

……and still no formal explanation or apology from anyone at the Council, while the media remain strangely muted on the escalating problems.

We suggest that people telephone Cllr Levene (01904 270068 Email: cllr.dlevene@york.gov.uk) who is reponsible for the shambles if they have particular problems

Possible explanation for delays?

Bus operators including First, Arriva, Coastliner and EYMS are supporting the national scheme called Bus for Jobs by offering jobseekers free journeys for a month.

Jobseekers are being granted free bus travel in York throughout January in a new bid to help more people find employment in the New Year. http://www.busforus.co.uk/busforjobs

Jobseekers that have been unemployed between three months and one year will be eligible for the Bus for Jobs scheme, with a valid JobCentre Plus Travel Discount Card, although the scheme is particularly targeted at young people for whom unemployment rates remain high.

This initiative is known as Bus for Jobs and is open to those aged 18 years or more who have been unemployed for between three months and less than one year.

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Service 20: Askham Bar – Acomb – Poppleton – Clifton Moor – Monks Cross – University of York

The route between Askham Bar and Acomb been revised to run via Chaloner’s Road and Gale Lane. Knapton Village will no longer be served.

In Poppleton the route has been revised to run via Station Road, Long Ridge Lane and Millfield Lane – Main Street will no longer be served.

The section of route between Heslington Hall and Fulford has been withdrawn

Service 11: Bishopthorpe – City Centre

This new SUNDAY service replaces service 112 between Bishopthorpe and York City Centre.

In the City Centre it will run in a loop via Clifford Street, Rougier Street and the Rail Station – passengers may get on or off the bus at any point on the loop.

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