Plans to transfer £17,800 to the Acomb Alive group of local businesses from City of York Council will be considered next Tuesday (12th April).

The council had previously decided that £30,000 was to be spent on Front Street. Since then, £12,200 has been spent or earmarked for schemes such as installing planters, benches, Christmas tress and lights. The report proposes moving the remaining funding to Acomb Alive.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Executive Member for Economic Development and Community Engagement, said:

“Moving the remaining resources closer to the Acomb Alive group will help to empower local businesses to improve Acomb Front Street and the surrounding areas. This will help local traders provide better services to residents in the community.”

Sue Hunter, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Westfield and Chair of Acomb Alive, said:

“As Chair of Acomb Alive, I am glad that funding is being considered to support our work with businesses. Our group want to promote the area to make it more attractive and encourage residents to shop locally, and investment to help us do this is very welcome. New environmental improvements such as planters and benches have already been added and now we hope to be able to achieve even more.

“I have also launched a campaign calling for improvements to the damaged and uneven sections of pavement on Front Street, which are a hazard particularly for elderly residents and those who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters. I have had lots of support from residents and business owners, and I hope that more local people will sign my petition and back the campaign.”

Sue’s petition on improving footpaths on Front Street can be found here: www.yorklibdems.org.uk/frontstreet

Following problems earlier in March Andrew had reported problems with a stream running from fields into Osprey Close before going down the drains in the road following heavy rainfall. This was on March 9th and a team was sent by the council to tackle the blocked ditch at the side of the field between that road and the Outer Ring Road. Checks were made after recent rainfall, however, the downpour today demonstrated another stream coming into the road. Again the road drains were able to cope. Close investigation (thankfully the wellies were not over-topped) showed that the drainage ditch was still blocked and so water was flowing towards houses rather than along the channels cut for it. we will follow this up as there are similar problems in nearby areas.

Garden waste collections start again this week across York, with fortnightly green bin collections through until the end of October.

To check the date of your collection please visit: www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup

Under Cllr Andrew Waller (pictured), the Liberal Democrat Executive Member for the Environment and Councillor for Westfield, the Executive has reversed plans to charge for the first green bin per house – built into the council budget by Labour in February 2015. Two green bin collections over the winter have also been reinstated – these winter collections were scrapped by Labour in April 2013.

This investment is part of a wider effort to make York the Greenest City in the North. The council’s long-term target is to boost the amount the city’s households recycle by 5,000 tonnes taking recycling rates to over 50% which would save £500,000 in Landfill Tax.

Recycling fell from 46% in 2011/12 to 44.5% in 2014/15 under the previous Labour administration and Landfill Tax increased to £4million.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Sue Hunter has launched a petition calling for improvements to pavements in the Front Street shopping area of Acomb.  

Damaged path on Front Street 1

The petition follows concerns about uneven and damaged paths on Front Street, particularly for elderly residents and those who use wheelchairs and mobility scoters. Cllr Hunter says over the years footpaths have been dug-up and re-laid and there is now a patchwork of different surfaces and levels with a number of broken flagstones and kerbstones.

Much of the pavement in the pedestrianised area is private, and the

Damaged path on Front Street 2

campaign is calling on local business landlords to do their bit. The petition is part of a wider campaign by Westfield Lib Dem councillors to support Front Street and help to regenerate Acomb.

Cllr Sue Hunter, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Westfield, commented:

“I launched this petition in response to concerns from local residents about the state of the paths around the shops on Front Street. At the moment, the pavements can be a real hazard for elderly residents and those who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters or walking frames.

“Despite only recently launching the petition, I have already received a lot of local support from residents and businesses owners. I hope that more local people will sign the petition and back the campaign in the coming weeks.

“The is part of a wider effort to promote Front Street and make it more attractive in order to encourage residents to shop locally. The work of the traders group Acomb Alive! is continuing as we try to regain the community life that Acomb village once had and the area could have again.”

If you want to find out more information on the campaign and sign the petition go to: www.yorklibdems.org.uk/frontstreet

James Blanchard

The Liberal Democrats have announced that James Blanchard will be the party’s candidate in this May’s North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) election.  

James joined the Lib Dems while studying at Leeds University and served as a councillor in Kirklees between 2011 and 2015. He currently lives in York and has worked for a number of major regional companies and organisations in senior communications and campaigning roles. James will fight the election for the York and North Yorkshire Liberal Democrats on 5^th May.  

James Blanchard commented:  

“I will work hard to restore people’s trust and confidence in the police. The current Police and Crime Commissioner has nearly doubled back-office staffing costs compared to the old Police Authority, and is spending a lower proportion of the force’s money on front-line policing than the national average. This has to change. I will protect front-line policing.  

“Despite Government promises to protect police funding, her colleague in the Conservative party – Chancellor George Osborne – is cutting national funding for policing by £160m. I will fight these cuts as they will inevitably lead to council tax rises, further station closures and cuts in officer numbers. 

“Crime is changing, with many criminals moving online. I will invest in training so that officers can continue to keep across new laws and crime-fighting techniques. How we organise our police to meet these challenges is key to the safety of everyone living in York and North Yorkshire.

James added: “We need our police to concentrate on measures that will address crime and the fear people have of crime. I will lead more community and restorative justice initiatives, that will allow victims of crime a say and bring criminals face to face with the consequences of their actions. Unlike the Conservatives and Labour, who make empty promises about being ‘tough on crime’, this is about truly being ‘tough on the causes of crime.”

Concern has been raised by the Lib Dem Westfield Ward Council team that the figures for Job Seekers Allowance claimants in Westfield has increased for the second month running. Cllr Andrew Waller said “Action is needed to ensure that Westfield benefits from the national improvement in employment. Whilst overall unemployment in the city is lower than the regional fiures I will be pressing for action in our area.”

“The floods have had an impact on the local economy and I am pleased that the Government have at the last minute applied for European Union Solidarity Funding for the North of England, however, uncertainty over Britain’s membership of the EU is not going to help the situation.”

Figures for Job Seekers Allowance

Tim Farron with Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners outside Jorvik

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has visited the Jorvik Viking Centre and local businesses to hear how they are recovering from the Boxing Day floods.

Tim Farron MP was in York for the Lib Dem Spring Conference and was joined on the walkabout by the party’s leader in the city, Cllr Keith Aspden. Together they visited Jorvik, Fossgate, and local businesses Sharp Hairdressing and the Walmgate Ale House. Many local businesses are open again while Jorvik is taking exhibitions on tour around the city while the attraction is rebuilt ahead of a planned re-opening by Easter 2017.

Tim Farron MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, commented:

“I was delighted to visit the Jorvik Centre to hear about their plans to reopen. It is one of the many attractions that brings visitors to York from all over the world. I also visited local traders to hear how they are recovering and how York is open for business following the devastating flooding in December.”

Tim Farron also highlighted the decision by the Government to apply for EU funding after a campaign by the Lib Dems, saying “I am pleased that at the eleventh hour the Government gave in and eventually decided to apply for EU Solidarity Funding. The challenge now is to ensure that the money received from that fund actually goes to the affected areas rather than being held back by central government.”

We have been contacted by residents who have been concerned by activity of motorbikes in the field at the back of Westfield Place. The land is owned by the council and there is no authority for off-road motorcycling. Indeed the local councillor team has been working with council officers to improve the area, and to develop a habitat plan for Westfield Fen.

We have contacted the neighbourhood police team, and council officers, to see what steps can be taken to tackle this current issue We have been advised that a ‘Section 59’ notice can be served on a vehicle. If this is breached it means that the vehicle can be seized if this is witnessed by either a Police Officer or PCSO.

Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers will be visiting the site to look at potentially issuing a Community Protection Notice (CPN) warning.  If this warning is breached then they could serve a CPN, and if that is breached then we could issue a fixed penalty charge.

Please could residents keep reporting incidents to the Police, by calling 101, as they occur, and continue to keep Andrew informed of the situation so he can continue to work with officers for a solution (but it is important to keep reporting incidents as this will provide evidence for future legal steps).

Improving parking in St Stephens’ Road to help the number 24 bus and other vehicles get through has been an objective of your local Lib Dem councillor team. The latest scheme which will start in the week commencing 7th March is being funded via the Estate Improvement Grant which is overseen by the Cornlands and Lowfields Residents association on behalf of tenants (who voted on the proposals) and the estate manager. There had been a shortfall in funding which had been made up with Ward Committee funding as the ward councillors were keen to make sure that the improvements were able to take place.

The work is programmed to take 2 weeks, weather permitting and consists of excavating the verge laying new kerbs to the front of the footway and reconstruction the verge as carriageway in tarmac. The Contractor carrying out the work will be P&T Contracts who are responsible for safety and for providing access while the work is ongoing.    The contractor will be working between 7:30am and 4:00pm Monday to Fridays.

The Westfield Councillor Team will be working hard to get more funding into the area for improved parking.