New Housing & Debt project coming to Tang Hall

Great news from City of York Council for the Tang Hall community:

From Thursday 2nd May, Linda Ward, CYC's Income Estate Manager and the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) will be running a weekly session from Tang Hall Community Centre every Thursday from 10.00am – 12.30. Times will be reviewed at a later date, depending on demand.

The Housing & Debt project is partly funded by CYC's Homelessness Department and the only criteria to access the service is that the resident (social & private tenant, owner occupier) has a debt with their housing provider (this could be a small debt).

The principle is that that CAB will help a person address any other debt which is acting as a barrier to them meeting their housing costs. The most common debts are loans, credit/store cards, utilities (particularly water rates) and council tax. With the changes to the welfare benefits system from April, we are likely to see more low income households fall into the last category.

Early intervention is key to helping people address any housing debt.

Linda is an experienced Housing Estate Manager with an excellent track record for both reducing rent arrears whilst helping & supporting tenants with not only housing debt but multiple debts.

Linda offers a drop in session whilst the CAB is appointment only. Appointments can be made directly via the CAB or Housing Services can organise an appointment on a tenants behalf. 

The Friday CAB drop-in sessions at the Tang Hall Advice Hub can also still be used for housing/debt advice.

Hull Road Councillors welcome ‘Green Flag’ Park move

As your Labour councillors for the Hull Road ward, Neil and Fiona have welcomed moves by City of York Council to work towards gaining ‘Green Flag’ status for Hull Road Park – following a consultation meeting between councillors, officers and local community groups on Thursday 25^th April.

The meeting was held at Tang Hall Community Centre and was chaired by Coun. Sonja Crisp, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism.

It commenced with a brief overview of the Council’s current plans and investment proposals for Hull Road Park before an open discussion took place on how the community could be involved. Officers also detailed how they intend to attain Green Flag status for the park, adding it to the five Green Flags already held by other York parks.

Fiona said: “I’m delighted that the Council will pursue Green Flag status for Hull Road Park. The park is a valuable community resource and used by many residents of all ages.

“Neil and I have always assured residents from the start that we will work with the community to ensure the park continues to be clean, well-maintained and safe.

“This meeting between the council and local community groups was very productive and we can look forward to further local consultation about the positive future of Hull Road Park.” 

Neil said: “In Labour’s February budget proposals, whilst contemplating difficult cuts to parks and open spaces, we were also clear that the next twelve months would encompass open consultation and community action towards securing a positive future for Hull Road Park. 

“This public meeting was the first step in that process and local councillors are looking forward to playing a full and influential part in further consultation.”

Since their election in May 2011, Neil and Fiona have followed the example of former Hull Road ward councillors in continually seeking a programme of improvements to Hull Road Park to help make it a welcoming resource for the Tang Hall and other neighbouring communities.

Estate walkabouts in Tang Hall

Tang Hall residents to have their say on the areas where they live

Tang Hall 'North' residents will be able to talk to City of York Council officers about the area where they live in a series of 'Estate Walkabouts' taking place during 2013.

Estate staff and partners will take a short walk around the designated area and residents can join the walk or stop the team en route in order to raise any issues that they might have.

Hull Road Labour Councillors Neil Barnes and Fiona Fitzpatrick are also planning to be at the walkabouts so residents can talk directly to us.

The walkabouts are organised by City of York Council's Housing Services and will take place as follows:

Rawdon Avenue, Harrington Avenue & Burlington Avenue
Walkabout starts 2pm outside the shops on Melrosegate on either Wednesday 15th May or Wednesday 21st August

Etty Avenue, Alcuin Avenue & Flaxman Avenue
Walkabout starts 2pm outside the shops on Melrosegate on Wednesday 19th June or Wednesday 18th September

Tuke Avenue, Hadrian Avenue, Osbaldwick Lane & Woolnough Avenue
Walkabout starts 2pm outside Drake House, Woolnough Avenue on Wednesday 17th July or Wednesday 16th October


For more information ring Julie Hood on 01904 554379 or email yourservice.yoursay@york.gov.uk

Badger Hill flooding update

Interesting news for those in Badger Hill affected by flash floods last June...

On Thursday 18th April, the Labour Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, Cllr Dave Merrett, considered a report addressing the Badger Hill flooding incidents of 10th June 2012 following a period of intense rainfall.

The Cabinet Member approved the report by officers, which can be found by clicking here, namely concluding that:

• A number of factors combined together to cause the flooding experienced at Badger Hill.
• Lack of knowledge of critical drainage infrastructure, combined with subsequent lack of maintenance by several parties, caused a build up of problems over the years.
• The intense storm of 10 June, and the flooding that ensued, have highlighted deficiencies in several areas of the Badger Hill Estate and on Hull Road that are long-standing and have not been addressed by those responsible for their maintenance.
• There has been concerted action and co-operation by the relevant responsible bodies to ensure that the immediate flood risk was minimised. An in-depth study of the drainage network by CYC and YWS is required to ensure that other factors are not causing wider scale under-capacity problems.
• Asset records have been up-dated to unsure that infrastructure is logged and maintenance regimes established by the relevant bodies.
• Residents should be informed of the change to planning law regarding additional front garden paving, and asked to ensure that debris is not dumped into road gullies.
• Performance of the drainage system should be monitored and residents should be encouraged to report any future flooding problems to CYC‟s Flood Risk Management Team on 01904 553466 or FRM@York.gov.uk

Hull Road Labour Councillors Neil Barnes and Fiona Fitzpatrick can remember clearly the events of that day and were both on site to see how the flooding had affected residents - with flooring and carpeting ruined and rooms unusable for days in an area that is not normally associated with flooding.

Residents will remember the Press reports at the time (see below) and so the Labour Councillors will keep a close eye on the situation and ensure that actions following this report are undertaken in good time.

York Press report of 11th June 2012:
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9752881.Flash_flood_victims_left_counting_cost/

York’s Local Plan – Securing homes and jobs for the future

The development of a Local Plan for York will be of much interest to Hull Road residents who face years of high rents and an uphill struggle to buy their own home. The Local Plan is an investment in the future of York - generating jobs and homes for York residents.

Disappointingly, the Lib Dems and Tories in York have come out against the draft plan even before any public consultation - showing just how truly limited their vision is for this great city of ours. They appear to be happy to let York standstill and grow stagnant, which is unacceptable. Labour in York will continue to stand up and drive towards creating homes and job for York residents.

Opposition websites appear to only want to show the news from their perspective, so we'll give you the direct source to all the information so you can make your own minds up - so visit www.york.gov.uk/localplan

The full news from City of York Council:

City of York Council is developing a citywide plan which aims to support the city’s economic growth, address the shortage of housing and help shape future development in York over the next 15-years and beyond.

The ambitious plan is expected to be in place by the beginning of 2015 and proposes to create a permanent Green Belt to ensure the city’s boundaries are protected until around 2040. The proposals will also create new sites for employment and housing - and for the first time - allocate safeguarded land for the city’s needs.

In line with the government’s new National Planning Policy Framework, introduced last year, a Preferred Options draft report will go before Cabinet at a special meeting on 30 April, following a meeting with the Local Plan Working Group on 22 April. If approved, the proposals outlined in the preferred options draft plan will then be opened up to the public for an eight-week consultation.
Cllr Alexander, Labour Leader of City of York Council, said: “We recognise that the biggest challenge for York is the city’s need for affordable housing. Having met with the Minister for Planning, Nick Boles MP, I’m pleased that he agrees with our push for economic growth through an ambitious Local Plan. 

“We’ve taken the tough decision to allocate 1.8 per cent of draft green belt land for development in order to meet the needs of our rapidly growing city and deliver key developments such as York Central, and to deliver jobs, homes and protect York’s unique built environment for future generations.”

In total, 20 employment sites have been indentified for future development in York over the lifespan of the new plan, including York’s City Centre, York Central and Monks Cross.

Linking housing and employment growth is a critical step-change in the new plan and is supported by technical work undertaken which forecast that building 1,090 homes per annum would accommodate a population growth of 40,000 people over the next 15-years.

Cllr Tracey Simpson-laing, Cabinet Member Health, Housing and Adult Social Services, said: “We need to unblock York’s house building market and address the lack of affordable housing. Whilst ambitious, the proposals will respond directly to calls for this from residents and the third sector. We are committed to building a fair and inclusive city and the Local Plan needs to be an absolute reflection of that.”

With this in mind, the proposals seek to address York’s housing needs, including the development of private, rented and affordable housing and in total 62 sites have been indentified for housing across the city over the next 15-years.

A number of these sites were identified through a comprehensive six week ‘Call for Sites’ exercise, which was carried out in late 2012. This sought potential sites from developers, landowners, agents and the public and alongside others previously indentified from the 2008 ‘Call for Sites’, resulted in over 600 sites submitted.

In order to continue maximising the delivery of housing, ambitious targets have been proposed in the plan to build between 1,090 - 1,250 new homes per annum by the year 2030, delivering over 20,000 dwellings during the plan period.

Two large sites have been indentified for potential new settlements, including Holme Hill (South-East of York), which has potential for 5,580 new homes over the next 25-years; and Clifton Gate (North of Clifton Moor), which has potential for 4,020 new homes over the next 25-years.

Feedback from businesses and key employers on creating and growing the economy whilst protecting York’s heritage were fed into the preferred options paper, following a series of workshops last autumn with internationally renowned speakers from Friends of the Earth and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.

To ensure York’s boundaries are protected well beyond the lifespan of the plan, the council is proposing to create – for the first time in York’s history - a permanent Green Belt to protect the city’s boundaries.

In order to manage development pressures and need for housing and employment growth, pockets of land will be excluded from the Green Belt for longer term development need - referred to as ‘safeguarded land’, as per the National Planning Policy Framework.

Significant evidence work was undertaken prior to the draft Local Plan options paper and potential sites for development to address and protect York’s heritage and conservation, open spaces and taking into account flood risk areas.

Cllr Dave Merrett, said: “This is a pivotal step for York, ensuring we have the first adopted Local Plan since 1956. The Local Plan will meet Government’s new planning guidance and provide much needed more sustainable homes. Importantly, it will create the first Green Belt for York and includes policies to protect York’s heritage, preventing an unplanned free for all approach and protecting York’s special qualities for future generations.”

To find out more visit www.york.gov.uk/localplan

Background: The draft Local Plan builds on the previous Local Development Framework (LDF Core Strategy), which was withdrawn in 2012 prior to new the National Planning Policy Framework being issued by Government. The new plan develops existing evidence base work and consultation undertaken as part of this process.  

Timescales:

• Following approval by Cabinet, an eight-week public consultation on the preferred options of the Local Plan will be carried out between May and June (more details to follow post Cabinet).
• Consideration and comments will be fed back into the document and a submission draft will be prepared in the summer.
• Members the public will have another opportunity to feedback their views, when the council opens up a consultation on the final Local Plan in early 2014.
• Comments and feedback will be incorporated into the final submission draft before the council submits this to the Government for examination in late 2014.
• If approved, the Local Plan will be appointed by 2015.

Thousands of York residents to get extended chance to reduce energy bills

News from City of York Council which may be of use to Hull Road residents:

York residents are being given more time to gain help and advice on saving hundreds of pounds on their gas and electricity bills, by joining a scheme to lower prices which could reduce their energy bills.

Through the region’s largest ever mass energy switch, residents could save around £115 a year on their gas and electricity costs through signing up to the free scheme, which will now continue for a further two-weeks.

Leeds-based Community Energy Direct is working across six local authority districts, including York, to deliver real energy bill reductions and its scheme was originally scheduled to close at midnight on Wednesday 17 April. Now the deadline is midnight on Wednesday 1 May.

“So far more than 4,000 people have joined our free sign-up”. said Community Energy Direct director Hugh Goulbourne.

“We’re finding that people are suspicious of the energy sector but we are an independent organisation, a community co-operative, supported by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and City of York Council , and have no connections with any energy supplier. Our objective is to encourage people to get the best possible deal on energy costs – especially those who have never switched or who are on fixed incomes”, he said.

Cllr Dave Merrett, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability said, “The deadline has been extended to give more people more time to sign up. The more people who sign, the better the scheme’s negotiating position. To register, all people have to do is visit the Community Energy Direct website www.communityenergy.info or call them on 0845 4502581 to register for free and without obligation.

“Anyone who wants help signing up can also visit York Explore Library, Library Square, York on 25 April from 9.30 – 4.30pm.  Please bring a copy of your energy bills with you.”

When the scheme closes on 1 May the details of everyone who has registered will be passed to Which? - a UK consumer watchdog. They will then spend around four weeks sourcing the best deals from energy suppliers, passing the details back to everyone who has joined. Individuals will then have two weeks to decide whether to make the switch or to stay with their current arrangements.

For more details please contact 0845 4502581 or visit www.communityenergy.info

Notes:
1.    Community Energy Direct is based in Leeds. For more information visit www.communityenergy.info
2.    Energy regulator Ofgem predicts that energy prices will rise by 60% to 2016 and that the number of homes in fuel poverty (spending more than 10% of household income on energy) will rise from 13% to 16% in the same timeframe.
3.    A community energy co-operative approach enables local people, within a distinct area, to join together and hold an `auction’ with energy providers to source the best possible deal for its members.
4.    Community Energy Direct is working in six local authority areas across northern England to drive down energy prices for thousands of households.
5.    Based on studies of previous energy switching initiatives, Community Energy Direct expects households to save up to £115 per year on their fuel costs.
6.    Which? is a consumer champion. It works to make things better for consumers. Its advice helps them make informed decisions; its campaigns make people’s lives fairer, simpler and safer; its services and products put consumers’ needs first to bring them better value.

Next Tang Hall RA coffee morning - 19th April