Posters for the Fun Fair on Thanet Road were followed by Circus Posters, and these were put on boards nailed to trees,  telegraph posts, and cellotaped to telephone boxes and cable boxes. Initial complaints to Street Environment Officers resulted in a large proportion being removed, but many still remained. The Lib Dem council team have been busy removing these from Westfield Ward with Sue, Sheena and Andrew busy in Green Lane, Front Street, Askham Lane, and Gale Lane. Posters for these events are gladly displayed by local shops, and in other legitimate places, and so we are sorry to see a mess around the place. If there are any remaining then please let us know.

After Clean up

Askham Lane close to junction with Foxwood Lane – posters have now been removed

Telephone Box Green Lane near roundabout

There is an Autumn Craft Fair coming up at Acomb Explore on Saturday 8th 9am-4pm

Saturday Evening also sees the Acomb Community Cinema (Free Showing) at 7pm at Acomb Methodist Church. From their description “screening of an uplifting comedy, based on a true story. If you like the story of an underdog then this is the film for you!” Unfortunately they can’t advertise which film as this would cause a license fee issue which would mean that they would have to charge for the films. Drinks and snacks sales allow them to cover their costs.

It has come to that time of year when the delivery of the waste collection calendars is being undertaken. Deliveries will start on Monday 3 October and will be completed by Sunday 23 October.  The calendars also contain information about the final garden waste collections of the year and Christmas collections. The calendars will be available next week to download via the refuse look up tool on the website www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup.

Liberal Democrats – as part of the Joint Executive running York – reintroduced 2 green bin collections over the winter. We are now pushing on with our One Planet York programme as we aim to boost recycling. As part of this, the council is encouraging everyone to sign up to the new One Planet York Waste App  (more information can be found at: www.york.gov.uk/press/article/1827/get_appy_with_one_planet_york) to get bin collection notifications direct to your smartphone.

Following cuts to local funding by the government, the council is looking at ways to best allocate resources, as part of this the schedules of street cleansing have been reviewed using knowledge of frontline employees and local knowledge. This has helped to identify work that is definitely needed and reduce work that was undertaken due to it always being done prior to the rescheduling.

As a result of this for 6 months, beginning in August 2016, there will be a trial period testing the new street cleansing schedules. If you have any feedback during the 6 months please email: shapingneighbourhoods@york.gov.uk

For more information on the schedule for Westfield, go to: www.york.gov.uk/wardstreetcleaning#westfield

On Saturday 15th October between 10am and 12pm, there is an event on at Hazel Court offering opportunities to experiment with activities such as graffiti removal or  litter picking, as well as providing a space to sign up as a volunteer in emergency situations.

Find more information on this poster: Hazel Court Event

The Yorkshire Marathon will be taking place on Sunday 9th October starting at 9:30am. The route will start and finish at the University of York and complete a loop through York City Centre, Stockton on the Forest, Upper Helmsley, Sand Hutton, Gate Helmsley, Stamford Bridge, Dunnington, Holtby, Murton and Osbaldwick.

Full information on road closures and the route can be found by clicking this link: Yorkshire Marathon Road Closure Poster

Speed humps have been repaired in Danesfort Avenue and Kingsway West. Updated signs have been put up for the closure of Windsor Garth which will now happen between 30th August and 14th October. The road which has deteriorated with the Hob Stone Development in recent years is now to be brought back up to standard, something that your Lib Dem councillors have been pressing for since their election in 2015. There is already a shortage of parking in the area, and even construction vehicles have been using the verges, so we have asked that whilst the roadworks are being done that additional parking (like the existing matrix covering used on Ascot Way is rolled out to this area) is put in to the area to help the situation after the Hobstone development is occupied.

We have asked that the operator for the number 24 service makes it clear when the bus will be re-routed, and that the bus stop is marked out again outside Radford House.

Residents contacted Andrew to sort out repairs to the speed humps on Kingsway West close to the chicane, and on Danesfort Avenue. These have now been completed.

Before on Danesfort Ave

After repair Danesfort Avenue

Kingsway Road hump before repair

Repaired Speed hump

We have taken up residents ‘ request for the bus stop markings to be repainted.

On Windsor Garth signs have gone up to indicate no through road from 15th August, for road resurfacing connected to the Hobstone development however, having checked with the council’s Highways Teams this is premature. It seems that this may be the case from the end of the month, and so we have asked for more accurate signage, and clarity on what will happen to the number 24 bus route. This has is in the past been re-routed through Ascot Way (but bus users need to know when so that they can be on the right road). We have also asked why it is taking 6 weeks, when we find out we will post this.

Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign against the undermining of council housing by Central Government which could cost York £455 million.  

The Conservative Government, under the recently passed Housing and Planning Act, will force higher-value council homes in York to be sold-off in order to fund national policies. Research from the charity Shelter estimates that 1,432 houses in York (18.3% of the total stock) could be sold under this policy with the majority of the sale receipts being passed to the Government.  

Earlier this year, City of York Council officers said the sell-off and other national reforms could mean income for the authority will over the next 30 years “at best be reduced by £340m, and at worst £455m…..(and as a result) It is likely that any future building programme for new council homes will need to be significantly reduced or ended completely”.  

York Lib Dems are calling on the recently appointed Housing Minister, Gavin Barwell MP, to rethink the plans, and have launched a petition which can be found at: www.yorklibdems.org.uk/housing. In 2011, Liberal Democrats in York ensured the building of the first council houses for two decades and will continue to argue that there is a future for social housing going forward.  

Cllr Stephen Fenton, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, said:  

“The Conservative Government is intent on destroying social housing. Over 1,000 homes could be sold-off in York under these reforms, without the guarantee of building new ones to replace them. This will hit people on waiting lists, in desperate need of a home. 

“The reforms could also cripple the council’s finances. As council officers warned earlier this year, this could make building new homes practically impossible as well as make looking after existing homes harder and harder in the coming years. 

“Liberal Democrats believe that access to decent and affordable housing is a fundamental right. We are calling on the newly appointed Conservative Housing Minister to rethink the plans and protect council housing in York. We have launched an online petition at: www.yorklibdems.org.uk/housing. 

“We will continue to fight to get the best outcome possible for the city. Tenants will want to know what the impact of Government policy will be so that they are fully informed on how future finances could look. As Lib Dem councillors, we believe that any possible changes resulting from this in the way that council housing is managed in York should only go forward with the agreement of tenants.”