“It’s almost as if they didn’t want us to know”

Council delivers notification leaflet after meeting has taken place

Following on from our story yesterday, the Council has started to issue a survey form to residents asking for their views on cutting public services (aka “rewiring”).

Most residents have yet to receive the leaflet which advertises a “drop in” taking pace at the Acomb Library on …err yesterday. (There are other “drop in” dates next week)

Labour rewiring proposals

No attempt was made by the Council to publicise yesterday’s event. No media release was issued. The Consultation is not listed on the Council web site and cannot be downloaded from there. (Although we have provided a link HERE to a copy on “dropbox”)

The Council has for some reason set up a separate, impenetrable, web site containing what it describes as background information http://rewiringyork.com/ . Most residents won’t, of course,  know it even exists.  There is no link shown from the Council web site.

Waste collection "survey"

Waste collection “survey”

The rewiring blog makes much of the Council’s new (under development) web site – but fails to acknowledge the leap backwards on communications that has taken place over the last 12 months (the facility to report issues like broken street lights and potholes using the internet was withdrawn by the present administration – increasing pressure on an already overburdened “contact centre”)

The content of the leaflet is risible.

It says that residents can see a copy of the “business case” for change on the blog site. No such business case is visible.

The leaflet says “the proposed changes will have an effect on the frequency, accessibility and cost of services such as waste collection and STREET CLEANSING”. It talks of changes to “roads”

The leaflet fails to say how much green bin emptying will cost a resident under Labour’s plans and doesn’t’ even mention “street cleansing” or “roads” again.

 The leaflet makes the bold statement that the Council “needs” to save £2.5 million from “this service area” They mean street level public services but don’t define them or mention current standards.

The statement is in any event untrue.

The Council can make savings in other areas. Many capital investment plans (new access bridge into the station land, new Scarborough footbridge, turning the Guildhall into a media centre etc) could be shelved with annual savings on borrowing costs equivalent to the amount being cut from essential street services.

£9.32 million on Guildhall media centre

£9.32 million on Guildhall media centre

It’s not all bad. Investment in LED lights may well save energy and running costs, and MAY prove to be more reliable and durable that the exiting street lighting systems. But there is no information provided which allows residents to make an informed judgement on that claim.

Included is a very limited prioritisation list. It muddles service improvement (collecting kitchen waste) with service reductions (charging for all green bin emptying & reducing the frequency of grey bin emptying to monthly).

The costs and implications of the latter two “options” are not explained.

So what does it really mean?

Labour are seeking endorsement for their plans to:

  1. Reduce the investment in road and footpath repairs
  2. Reduce the number of sub-urban litter bins
  3. Sweep streets less frequently
  4. Reduce grey bin emptying to once a month
  5. Make an annual charge to everyone who has a green bin
  6. Get local “volunteers” to “manage” parks and open spaces.

Should I respond to the survey?

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t

Silence may be pronounced as contentment with the changes planned by “rewiring” supporters.

On the other hand, prioritising a very limited number of options could be used as a justification for an unpopular change to waste collection arrangements (just about the only Council service that every resident uses).

The survey can’t be answered “on line” so freepost returns will cost taxpayers over 40p each, putting more pressure on public service standards.

What we’d do

Send an Email with your views to rewiringyork@york.gov.uk.

Say that the Council should abandon other, less essential, projects to make savings.

Say that core street level public service standards should be sustained.

Tell the Council to make future consultations timely, fairer giving full information on costs, provide a wider range of options and offer an “on line” response option.

Green bin emptying next week

last year for an additional November collection. The then Labour-run Council Group refused this request.

Ann and Stephen green bins

After Labour lost their majority on the Council last October, the Lib Dem Council Leader sent a joint letter from Opposition Councillors repeating the request for an extra green bin collection. While it was too late to organise this for November, all households with garden waste collections will get one additional collection in January 2015.

The collections will be in the weeks starting 19 and 26 January 2015.

Collections are on your usual recycling collection day.

If you still have Christmas trees to dispose of these can be chopped up and put in your green bin.

Thank you for continuing to use the recycling facilities we set up when we ran the Council. Liberal Democrats are committed to getting back to the recycling rates we achieved then.

Sadly these rates have declined in the last 3 years.

Poor take up on extra green bins

It looks like the Councils leaflet explaining when waste will be collected has failed to reach many residents.

In some streets today the majority had put out recycling expecting it to be removed. (There is no waste collection this week).

Recycling put out for collection today

Recycling put out for collection today

NB. 1,512 York households have paid for an additional garden waste collection bin compared to a budgeted estimate of 3,500.

Waste collection arrangements in York over Christmas and New Year – reminder

grey waste bin

  • All households will get a rubbish collection this week (w/c 15 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied in the run up to Christmas. Recycling collections will continue as normal.
  • There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections during Christmas week (22 to 26 December)
  • All households will get a rubbish collection the week after Christmas (w/c 29 Dec) so all rubbish bins will be emptied. Recycling collections will continue as normal.
  • There will be NO rubbish or recycling collections on Thursday 1 January. Collection of rubbish missed this day will happen on Saturday 3 January instead. Recycling will be collected on your next scheduled collection day after that
  • Residents who put out their own bins will need to make sure they’re out by 7am, as collection times can vary. If anyone needs to check their collection dates please use the online tool (click) There is a calendar which can be printed from the ‘results’ page.
  • The Council have agreed to empty green bins on an additional occasion this winter .They will be emptied, on your recyclables day, during the weeks commencing 19th and 26th January 2015 . Christmas trees (real) will also be collected if they are cut up and put inside your green bin.
  • The Hazel Court recycling centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. Its current opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Sundays 8.30am to 4.00pm
  • Local skip locations are detailed below
Skip Programme Click to enlarge

Skip Programme Click to enlarge

Waste collections over Christmas & New Year

Following the citywide distribution of 2014/15 waste and recycling calendars, City of York Council is reminding residents when collections will take place over the festive period.waste lorry

To prevent a build up of rubbish all households will receive a rubbish collection the week before and the week after Christmas.

However, household recycling and rubbish collections will not take place from 22 December to 26 December.

All households which are due a rubbish or recycling collection on Thursday 1 January will receive a rubbish collection on Saturday 3 January instead, but there will be no recycling collections on this day.
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Extra green bin emptying dates confirmed

The extra garden waste collections will take place during the weeks commencing 19th and 26th January 2015.

The collections will be on residents normal recycling collection day.Waste calendar 2015

Christmas trees will also be collected at the same time.

Residents should by now have received a new collection calendar (right).

If not please visit the Council’s Facebook site.

http://www.facebook.com/CYCwaste

New 2014/15 waste and recycling calendars

Recycling wagon

City of York Council is sending households in York a new waste and recycling calendar for 2014/15.

From this week households across the city will start to receive their new calendar which outlines when collections are taking place between December 2014 and November 2015, including collections over the Christmas and New Year period.

The new calendars also provide tips and advice on what items can and can’t be recycled including paper/cardboard, glass, plastic bottles, cans/tins and if applicable garden waste.

The council also recently announced its decision to add a further garden waste collection in January to pick up out of season garden waste – to collect any remaining autumn waste and Christmas trees.

Flats, rural properties and city centre properties serviced by St Nicks recycling team will receive collection information in December. For any queries about the St Nicks recycling service in the city centre please go to http://www.stnicks.org.uk/ or telephone 01904 411821.

Residents are asked to ensure their bins or boxes are presented by 7am on the day of their collection, but no earlier than 7pm the evening before.

For more information on waste and recycling visit please visit www.york.gov.uk/recycling .Or follow on @CYCWaste on Twitter or ‘like’ CYCWaste on Facebook.

Labour’s waste collection charging plans slip out

 

Green_waste_family_89__1A working group report has revealed the kind of charges that Labour Councillors want to introduce for waste collection.

As we have previously forecast, Labour intend to charge for emptying green bins but it also seems that other costs may also be passed on to customers.

The changes are likely to cover:

  • Gardening waste collection
  • Bulky waste collection
  • Clinical waste collection

Of these, by far the most controversial is likely to be turning the green bin emptying into a subscription service.

Information from 46 other local authorities suggests that 40% charge for the service (as does York now for supplementary bins).

30 of the Council’s also collect food waste. This would be a welcome enhancement of the services available in York and which would reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill (and thereby reduce landfill tax payments)

Across the country subscription charges range from £17 pa to £75 pa.

Most Councils provide a service throughout the year but reduce collection frequencies in winter (York stops collections together)

Evidence suggests that 45% of households elsewhere would pay £20 a year for an emptying service.

This falls to 5% if the charge is £50.

We doubt that many residents will even know that this option is being considered.

The new, balanced, Council may simply choose now to restrict any changes to collection arrangements to covering more of the year with green bin collections and refining the charges made for bulky waste collection.