Almost 2,500 new trees have been planted in the City over the last year.
According to the Council, following work with local schools, parish councils and other stakeholders, trees have been planted along Malton Road and at Melrosegate Park, Huntington Environment Park, Carr Infants School, Lakeside Primary Academy, Burton Green Primary and seven other school sites.
This first year of planting has been fully-funded by grants totalling £168,000 from the White Rose Forest and Forestry Commission. The grants also provide for three years aftercare, helping the new trees thrive.
The programme builds on the 250,000 trees already planted in the award-winning York Community Woodland near Knapton .
Trees deliver a range of environmental and other benefits, including enhanced biodiversity and air quality, storing of residual carbon in the atmosphere, providing urban shade in the face of rising global temperatures, flood alleviation and improved access to green space.
Earlier 20th Sept 2022
Tree planting details now available
A couple of weeks ago the York Council decided to plant an additional 4000 trees on verges and on school grounds. There was no consultation with residents before the sites were identified although the Council was at pains to point out that it currently did not have any funding to implement the programme.
Details of the proposed locations and species types have now been made available to local Councillors, Parish Councils, affected schools and residents associations
The local Foxwood Residents Association has now published details of two of the proposed locations in their area.. Foxwood Lane is identified for 33 trees and Askham Lane for 17 trees.
The species being recommend include
Acer (Autumn Blaze)
Pear
Redwood
Hawthorn
Alder
Maidenhair
Lime
Hazel
We think that there is general interest in the proposals and therefore that the Council should published all the plans on line.
Google Digital Garage is coming back to York with a new series of free digital skills workshops for local businesses.
In collaboration with City of York Council, they’re offering three training sessions throughout June and July 2024.
These sessions are open to York-based SMEs, eager to learn about artificial intelligence (AI), enhance their digital marketing strategies, boost productivity, and leverage data for informed decision-making. Participants will learn how to market their businesses online, attract local customers, and drive footfall.
Additionally, businesses attending the digital skills training day will be able to sign up for free mentoring on the day with Google Digital Experts, and access coaching tailored to their specific business needs – whether this is support building a brand on YouTube or advice on utilising Google Search or Maps to attract more customers.
These events are free and open to all business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Interested businesses can now book their place online using the links below.
Hard on the heels of the controversy over bus shelter advertising, the York Council has suffered another setback with its advertsing strategy.
The income from sponsorship boards on the City’s roundabouts and central reservations has continued to fall.
A useful £60k a year was being generated 8 years ago. This offset the costs of grass cutting and maintenance. It enabled some central reservations to be planted as wildflower meadows, promoting the welfare of wildlife.
But the revenue fell away during the pandemic and, after a small increase in 2022/23, it fell away again last year.
The Councii has been criticised for allowing the roundabouts to become overgrown with several of fhe sponsorship boards now obscured.
It seems a move to outsource the advertising contract to the private sector has also failed to produced much needed additional income.
This year the authority has decided not to cut the roundabouts at all; ending any hopes of a financial injection for the cash strapped authority.
Ironically, the Councils leadership said last week that it would be asking residents for help in dealing with their financial problems!
NB. There are 27 roundabouts, traffic islands and similar open spaces are available for commercial sponsorship in York 27
Even bugs need a library – somewhere safe and cosy to chill out. Join us and build your very own Bug Library. Decorate it with stickers to personalise it. Take your bug library home, put it in an outdoor space and wait to see who comes to check in!
This craft activity is aimed at children aged 8+ It forms part of our celebration of Great Big Green Week and encourages children think about nature and the environment. Insects and other minibeasts need safe spaces to shelter, hide from predators and raise their young. You can help them by building a bug library for your garden or outside area.
A response to a Freedom of Information request has revealed the take up rate for free school meals at the Westfield Primary school.
The York Council, which has pumped £200,000 into a “pilot” aimed at persuading all pupils to eat a school lunch, refused to publish base data last year,. The data would have showed how many children could benefit from the scheme.
Now the figures have been published.
They reveal that the numbers of KS2 (8 – 11 year olds) taking up the FSM offer on a typical day is still only 71%. This compares to 67% before the free meals pilot started.
Cumulative figures for the last 6 weeks of the sprng term (Feb/Mar) reveal similar take up rates
The Freedom of Information response can be viewed by clicking here
In the main, what seems to have happened is that children, who’s parents used to pay for a school meal, have continued – in the main – to take it, albeit now at taxpayers expense.
Many (around 40), however, chose not to..
The 130 children or so that prefer a packed lunch or alternative arrangement have continued to opt for one.
The figures confirm that around 109 children from low income families (income of less than circa £650 a week) have continued to be eligle for, and take up, the school meal offer. Funding for this is outside the £200,000 Council grant.
Quite where this leaves the Councils flagship policy is unclear.
Any hopes that the scheme could be financed by voluntary donations have long since disappeared.
The funding which is available could be better spent, not least supporting children who are genuinely disadvantaged.
Why childen prefer to eat a pack up rather than a cooked meal is another question (albeit not a new one)
Earlier 27th March 2024
Another £100,000 of taxpayers money allocated to prop up failing free school meals trial
The York Council has doubled to £200,000 the subsidy it is making available to provide free school meals for the children of wealthy families. The money is supporting the parents of children at a local school who don’t normally qualify for FSM because they have higher incomes.
178 children are potentially affected, although some are continuing ot make alternative lunch arrangements
Originally the Council had claimed that the project would be funded from “voluntary contributions”. Initially some funds were donated. They are being used to subsidise free breakfasts at Clifton Primary school.
But it appears that the voluntary contributions have dried up. There is no hope that the estimated £4 million needed to roll out the scheme to all primary schools can be covered by voluntary payments.
The decision brings back into focus the absence of the kind of base line data necessary to properly assess the success or otherwise of any trial. The Council have not confirmed the number of children who were paying for school meals before the trial started. How many more – if any – are taking the school meal option, now that it is free of charge, has also not been publicly reported.
So far any effect of the change on educational achievement has been restricted to anecdotal comment.
Public service standards are declining
Although the free school meals pilots will pause over the Easter holidays, many children and young people across the city will be eligible to join York’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF).
Children and young people in receipt of benefit-related free school meals can attend free fun activities for keeping active, being creative, and trying something new, together with a healthy meal, over the Easter, summer, and winter school holidays.
The activities are funded by the Department for Education(DfE) as part of the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
NB. The £100,000 allocation means that there will be even less to spend on street level public services. The authority has already been criticised for allowing a marked decline in foothpath and road maintenance standards. It is also threatening to reduce the number times grass is cut this summer coupled with a drastic reduction in weed control. It will also introduce new and increased charges including a £47 bin emptying tax, as well as threatening the future of the library service.
Earlier 9th November 2023
Free school meals plan for Westfield school
The York Council has published a report which tries to explain how the Labour Council’s free school meals policy will be implemented.
Westfield school
The authority plans to run a pilot at, what is Yorks largest primary school – Westfield.
The school has a total of 519 pupils. Any pilot would affect only KS2 pupils; those aged between 7 and 11 years old. Younger pupils (KS1) already receive free meals.
It will operate between January 2024 and December 2024
It turns out that the free lunch policy would apply only during term time. The authority claims it will cost taxpayers £100,000 to fund.
The Council claims that researchers elsewhere in the country found that UFSMs for infant pupils (KS1) had “small but positive impacts on absence, obesity, and household expenditure”
The cost of extending the pilot to cover all primary schools in the City is put at around £4 million. The Council is hoping to fund this through voluntary contributions to a “community fund” Officials warn that the closure of the project after the pilot ends ” may leave families in a worse position”.
Several schools say that the government funding for (existing) free meals should be £2.87 per meal. The current rate paid in the government grant is £2.53 per meal. On average schools are now charging parents £3 per meal.
The funding for FSMs is paid direct to schools as part of the schools grant.Westfield Primary School claims that it has a £25,000 deficit on its existing meals services
Their contractor North Yorkshire Catering Services has established that the cost of extending the meals at Westfield Primary would involve a price per meal of £2.94. The cost quoted includes “the costs of extra staffing, equipment and other sundry costs to deliver the pilot”.
The report makes the following benefit claims
Providing a healthy lunchtime meal for children is expected to have the following benefits: a. improve cognitive function, particularly memory, attention, reaction time and executive function after lunch; b. improve academic performance, including school achievement and attainment; c. Improved attendance; d. Better weight management; and
e} a healthy balanced lunchtime meal can assist in staving off negative health effects.
The report doesn’t say how many of the non-FSM pupils lunch at the school with their parents paying. Without this analysis, it is impossible to judge whether there would be any physical benefits for children, although it is known that the number of children returning home for lunch has declined over the years, while some prefer to take a “pack up” (and may choose to continue to do so).
Council reportNov 2023
The trial is to be evaluated by the University of York. No doubt they will make a start by assessing whether those pupils who currently eat free school meals (those from poorer families) outperform their contemporaries who find lunch elsewhere.
No feedback, from the consultation sessions already held with parents, has been included the report.
The authorities are also considering providing free breakfasts at Burton Green Primary Academy although they have yet to find a source of funding for this pilot.
There is a nagging doubt about this initiative.
With poorer families already entitled to free meals, the financial benefits of the pilot will accrue to middle-income and wealthy families. There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that the vast majority of parents in those groups fail to ensure that their children are properly fed.
If more funding is available to help the poor, then there may be more important projects to prioritise
There were expectations, when they had successful avoided answering key policy questions during the recent Mayoral elections. that Labours transport plans might be come clearer.
Closure of roads and car parks planned
….& a report has now been produced for a York Council “scrutiny” committee. It provides no additional information, talking in generalisations about the results of a recent consultation exercise.
Fewer than 1% of the York population responded to this survey with many criticising the use of leading questions, jargon and the lack of supporting information.
One key piece of information missing was traffic modelling work which would have revealed why and when people are traveling in York .
Knowing the origin and destination and purpose of journeys, would reveal what opportunities exist to persuade more people to use buses and bikes (or to change the times when they travel) .
The needs of delivery drivers and tradespeople were almost totally ignored during the consultation.
The Council wants to create extra traffic queues despite the failure of the recent trial in the Gillygate area
The only objective figures quoted in the report refer to a, dated, Local Plan document, which mainly examined the effects that new developments in and around the York area would have on road travel.
It offers little by way of answers to “what if”. questions
As a result, those who did respond to the survey did so without any knowledge of what the knock on effects would be on the local economy or traffic congestion on alternative routes.
Unlawful Lendal Bridge closure cost Council £millions in compensation payments
There was no attempt to assess the views of the public on Labours planned “interventions” such as road closures, As Labour found out, when it closed Lendal Bridgeduring its last period in office in 2013, the reputational and financial consequences can be major and long lived.
Ostensibly the York Council is simply making representations to the new all powerful regional Mayor, A fuller set of proposals is promised for publication at the Councils June Executive meeting
Missing from the report is any mention of the deteriorating condition of Yorks roads, footpaths and cycle ways. Together with the refurbishment of other items of infrastructure, this should be the number one priority for investment,
The solution to that problem now lies in the hands of Labours new Mayor.
Along with crime prevention, it was a topic to which he appeared to offer no solutions during the recent election campaign.
Hopefully Councillors on the “scrutiny” committee will offer a robust challenge before the City drifts into another crisis.
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Permanent • Salary: Grade 10, Level 33-36 (£40,964 to £46,412 per annum) • Job reference: CORP004715 • Application closing date: 27/05/2024 • Package: 37 hours per week, Additional hours (paid) will be required to be worked during elections/annual canvass including evenings and weekends. • Contractual hours: 37 • Basis: Full time
We are looking for an exceptional candidate to be the lead officer for our electoral registration and election functions here in the City of York.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop and manage a new team, working with the Head of Democratic Governance to implement an …[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Fixed Term • Salary: £29,269 • Job reference: EXTL000710 • Application closing date: 21/05/2024 • Package: Fixed Term for 2 years Monday to Friday • Contractual hours: 22.5 • Basis: Part time
We are excited to announce that we are recruiting for a new role of Campaigns Coordinator for a two-year project funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation, looking at understanding the impact of local welfare support on claimants and influencing the current and future design and take up of di…[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Permanent • Salary: Grade 8 Level 1- 4 (£31,947 to £34,988 per annum) • Job reference: PLAC004714 • Application closing date: 23/05/2024 • Package: 37 hours per week (some weekend working required) • Contractual hours: 37 • Basis: Full time
Do you want to play a vital role in delivering a high-quality Public Realm Services to residents across the city? Do you want a rewarding role, working with a committed and hard-working team? If so, this could be the role for you.
You will assist the Public Realm Operations Manager to deliver a…[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Temporary • Salary: £13.59 per hour • Job reference: WWYK090504 • Application closing date: 07/06/2024 • Package: 3 month, full time temporary role in York. (37 hours per week Monday to Friday) on a hybrid basis, but you will be expected to work regularly in the central York office with access to your team and colleagues. • Basis: Full time
WorkwithYork are recruiting Housing Income Management Officers for a local authority client. The role is for 3 months and will involve working within a busy and fast paced housing department in York.
This is a temporary, full time role (37 hours per week Monday to Friday) on a hybrid basis, but…[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Permanent • Salary: Grade 7 Level 1 – 4 (£29,230 to £31,391 per annum) • Job reference: PLAC004713 • Application closing date: 23/05/2024 • Package: 3 x 37 hours per week flexible/overtime • Contractual hours: 37 • Basis: Full time
Are you an apprentice trained Gas Heating Engineer looking for a new challenge?
If so, you could join us and be part of our team of engineers and who provide and exceptional professional, quality craftmanship and customer orientated service to the council’s internal and external customers. …[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Permanent • Salary: Grade 8 Level 1 – 4 (£31,947 to £34,988 per annum) • Job reference: CCOM004712 • Application closing date: 26/05/2024 • Package: Hybrid • Contractual hours: 37 • Basis: Full time
We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to join our dynamic Infrastructure Services team. As a key team member, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in supporting a wide range of complex council-wide systems. Under the guidance of Senior Infrastructure Engineer and being the…[more details];
• Location: York, England • Employment Type: Permanent • Salary: Grade 5 Level 1 – 4 (£24,629 to £25,779 per annum) • Job reference: CCOM004708 • Application closing date: 26/05/2024 • Package: Hybrid • Contractual hours: 37 • Basis: Full time
City of York Council’s Business Support team is looking to recruit a proactive, highly technically literate candidate with excellent communication skills and an ability to quickly learn and apply complex administrative processes. The successful applicant will primarily provide administrative s…[more details];
Rge application is to use a of section of car park to construct 5. padel courts and erection of cabin accommodation with associated landscaping and boundary treatment
Padel is a comparatively new sport incorporating elements of lawn tennis but with the physical intensity of squash. The sport can be played indoors or outdoors with courts intermediate between squash and tennis courts in size. It became very popular with younger players after the COVID pandemic as it could be played outside with minimal physical contact. There are no current formal facilities for the sport in York although other courts besides those within the current proposal are projected
There have been no objections to the proposal.
Officials recommend approval of the plan and say “
“The proposal seeks permission to develop an area of car parking for a sports use in an area characterised by a mix of employment, retail and leisure related uses. The proposal is therefore considered in principle to be acceptable. In highways terms adequate vehicle parking can be provided for the site and subject to any permission being appropriately conditioned to secure cycle parking of an appropriate standard then the proposal is acceptable in highway terms”.
The proposal is to construction of new storey and roof level at 23 Tanner Row, conversion of upper floors of 23, 25 Tanner Row and 27, 29 and 31 George Hudson Street to create 17. serviced apartments (use class C1), conversion of ground floor and basement of 31 George Hudson Street to amenity space for serviced apartments above (use class C1)
Officials conclude that ” The proposed extension and change of use will not harm the character and appearance of the conservation area or the special interest of the listed buildings”
They go on to say, “The serviced apartments are acceptable in principle in this city centre location; the partial loss of the existing night club use is contrary to policy D3 of the DLP but on balance considering the applicant’s submissions, the retention of a smaller night club is considered acceptable.
Subject to planning conditions noise and air quality impacts on the serviced apartments are acceptable and the serviced apartments should not adversely impact on the functioning of the retained night club.
On balance the proposal complies with the policies of the National Planning Policy Framework and the policies of the Draft Local Plan 2018″.
Change of use of part of recreational space to contractors compound for a period of 1 year
Officials are recommending approval.
They say, “the proposal seeks planning permission for the temporary use of a section of the area of informal open space known as Holgate Dock as a construction site compound for the works for St Paul’s Nursery for a period of up to one year. The nursery site does not have sufficient space which is accessible by large commercial vehicles to accommodate a contractor’s compound. On balance the temporary loss of part of the open space land is acceptable subject to any permission being conditioned to secure compliance with the measures contained in the submitted arboricultural method statement, replacement planting and site restoration.
A Planng Inspector has overruled a York Council refusal of permission to develop a car park which is located opposite the former Terrys Chocolate Works on Bishopthorpe Road.. .
The site had been subject to a planning wrangle for over a decade.
More extra care beds are urgently needed in York with delays to the Councils own scheme at Lowfields being strongly critiised over recent months
The Councils refusal on 7th July 2023 quoted the developments impact on the street scheme and access difficulties among its concerns.
Earlier 17th April 2023
Retirement development plans for Bishopthorpe Road site published
McCarthy and Stone have submitted a planning application which would see 72 apartments constructed on the old chocolate works car park site.
A similar proposal was turned down on appeal. The Inspector viewed the design as “alien” to the area.
The applicants claim that the new design is more in keeping with the nearby streetscape.
The current proposal retans a 92 space two-storey car park. The existing site is used as a car park with a similar capacity.
Comprensive details of the proposals can be read byclicking here
York News Focus 