Your Local Ward Councillor

Random Thoughts for 2009?

By John Galvin on January 1, 2009 4:43 PM | 0 Comments

As I look out of my window on the first day of 2009 I sincerely hope that the gloomy outlook is not a foretaste of what is to come in the Ward in 2009. I know that many difficult decisions will have to be taken by the City Council no doubt affecting us all. For my part I wish to continue representing the ward well on the City Council and to ensure that the ward is not neglected by the Council

It is quite likely that the Terry's Site will again be in the public eye during 2009 and I will work tirelessly to ensure that the quality of life in the village will not be put at risk, for it is my hope that a link road between Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane will be agreed in 2009.

I will continue to try and improve the village both in terms of cleanliness and appearance.

Wouldn't it be good to enter the village in the UK "Village in Bloom Competition" or is that asking too much?

Attempts are being made to get a Youth Club up and running , money has been put into the project by the Ward Committee from previous year's under spend, I also understand that the Parish Council has offered the use of a room in the Village Hall free of charge so let us hope for its success in 2009.

Finally I will work with the Police to ensure that anti social behaviour and vandalism is a thing of the past. I hope that either the miscreants will see the error of their ways in this New Year or that they will be arrested, brought to court and punished, there is absolutely no excuse for the kind of behaviour we have seen in the village over the past months.

Each and every one of these youths responsible for this behaviour are known to the Police, so if they continue with their yobbish behaviour they will be caught and suffer the consequences.

So enough of my musings and thoughts, how about yours dear reader? Your comments will be most welcome.

Have a happy, a safe, a healthy and a prosperous NEW YEAR.

Yet More Yobbish Behaviour

By John Galvin on December 30, 2008 5:57 PM | 0 Comments

I suppose it was too much to hope that the planters on the area in front of the Methodist Church would be left alone and allowed to flourish! I suspect that was a hope too far as they have now been attacked by mindless idiots, who it seems are hell bent on spoiling any attempts to improve our village.

I accept that the three planters looked a little lost on that large expanse, but at least it was an attempt to brighten up this part of Bishopthorpe. When the winter bedding flowers and the bulbs come through they will provide some colour to the area.

No doubt those who indulge in this kind of mindless vandalism live in the village, I only hope that sooner or later their ongoing yobbish actions will lead to them being caught and punished accordingly.

Seasonal Greetings

By John Galvin on December 21, 2008 6:27 PM | 0 Comments

May I wish all my readers and all my friends a very
Happy and Safe Christmas

Along with a Prosperous and Happy New Year

John Galvin

Playgroup get new Play Area

By John Galvin on December 19, 2008 10:02 PM | 0 Comments

Following a conversation with one of the trustees of the old St Andrews Church I was able to get the help of York Pride in cutting and clearing overgrown vegetation in the churchyard and also removing Ivy and other vegetation from the memorial stones. Following this work the Playgroup who are situated in the Sports Pavilion in Ferry Lane are now able to use the churchyard as a play area for the children who attend the playgroup.

As can be seen from the photograph very clearly the children enjoy this facility and I am grateful to the York Pride team who made this possible, I owe them a big thank you..

Have You Seen The Planters?

By John Galvin on December 8, 2008 10:38 PM | 0 Comments

Have you seen the planters on the hard standing by the Chapel at the bottom of Sim Balk Lane? Whilst they don't look terribly exciting at present, I understand that in Spring they will be a riot of colour as the Spring Bulbs burst into flower. They were not due to be in place until next Spring but due to a cancelled order I have been able to direct them to Bishopthorpe following the Spring display the planters will be replanted with summer bedding etc.

I do hope that the planters will not be vandalised and that I can obtain a few more for the village. It is time that we tried to brighten up our favourite village!

Gritting by the City Council

By John Galvin on December 8, 2008 10:38 PM | 3 Comments

I have had a number of comments about gritting the roads in Bishopthorpe during this past spell of frosty weather. It is the policy of the Council to grit bus routes and certain roads around schools. Whilst it would certainly be preferred that all roads were gritted in the authority area, the cost of such an exercise would be huge, both in terms of the actual gritting and in buying and maintaining such a large amount of equipment that would be needed to carry out such gritting in the usual timescale.

I am not an apologist for the Council but one has to be realistic, such funding is not available, nor will it, I suspect be available in the near future. I realise that I appear to be negative, but sadly we must live in the real world, better that I report the facts rather than suggest otherwise.

Full Council Meeting

By John Galvin on November 28, 2008 9:41 PM | 0 Comments

Thursday night (27th November) was the full Council Meeting at the Guildhall. The meeting started at 6.30pm and finished at 10.00pm.As usual much hot air was generated with a range of proposals which entailed writing to various Government Ministers on issues ranging from housing to commercial council tax on vacant commercial property. For me the highlight of the meeting was my success in getting a much more robust scrutiny structure agreed by Council, which will be effected in May next year. Scrutiny is a powerful tool in holding the Executive to account, it is also a means of ensuring that the Policies adopted by the Council are working. The process of scrutiny is conducted by those members of the Council who are not members of the Executive, in other words scrutiny is owned by such members and members involved in the scrutiny of any issue are not directed their group to follow a party line. I would hope that as the scrutiny structure is developed a mechanism will be introduced for any resident of York to request an issue to be considered for scrutiny.

Planning

By John Galvin on November 22, 2008 11:20 PM | 0 Comments

This week was the main Planning Committee of which I am a member. The meeting this week was fairly non-controversial. We had three City centre sites that were being re-developed for housing for the elderly, affordable housing and general housing, The sites currently had on the what is known as "Discus Bungalows" which had now come to end of their lives and are to be demolished with existing tenants being re-housed in part of the new build. The thre sites were off Cemetery Road, Heslington Road and on Layerthorpe. A couple of applications for the expansion of the University were also dealt with. All applications were passed. The meeting was on Thursday and it was preceded by site visits on Wednesday which lasted 2 hours, the committee sat for two and a half hours on Thursday. This was one meeting that in general there were no controversial applications unlike most planning meetings.

To consult or not to consult, that is the question.

By John Galvin on November 19, 2008 11:53 AM | 1 Comment

For some time now Councils have been encouraged to consult their residents on a whole range of issues often at quite some expense. The number of responders is generally quite low and in a number cases those that respond use the opportunity to express their displeasure with the council generally, or to promote an issue other than that on which the consultation is based. It also true that much more information is needed before a considered response can be given.

In my opinion we are becoming a society that is overloading with consultation which in itself does nothing to encourage people to respond.I also think that consultation dilutes the responsibility of decision makers and enables them to avoid criticism should things not go well. It is also true that consultees are disappointed when it appears that their opinion seem not to be acted upon.

The Government is shortly to bring forward legislation to ensure that all Councils must set up a consultation process and use that process more often, this also applies to the NHS who also must consult on there services and on priorities.

This week I attended a working group to discuss consultation and how the City Council can make consultation work by way of encouraging people to respond in greater numbers and respond in a thoughtful and informed way.

What would encourage you to respond?
What is your opinion on consultation?
How would you like to be consulted?

Please will you feed back your comments either through this item or via email, acknowledging the fact that discretion to consult is not an option.

A corner of Bishopthorpe to have a Make Over --part two!!

By John Galvin on November 10, 2008 5:17 PM | 0 Comments

Following my story about proposed improvements to the piece of land at the junction of Acaster Lane & Main Street I am given to understand that a number of people are opposed to the installation of a new seat and flower beds. I am led to believe that all that is required is for the old seat to be removed (not the seat provided by the Parish Council) and the area re-grassed either with turf or re-seeded. I would welcome any comments on this subject, so please let me have your comments to enable right decision to be made.