Agenda item

Update from Clifton Residents Association
The CRA has a budget, we meet to decide what to spend this on. We have more noticeboards than any other ward. We are entirely voluntary – everything we do is done by volunteers, including managing the noticeboards.  A noticeboard near the hospital has recently been damaged. We would be grateful if anyone witnessing any damage to the noticeboards would report it.

We’ve secured funds for several projects: for planting more trees, for painting in the park (sponsored by Aviva), and for benches on Kingsway. But we have less money coming in now. We also no longer receive administrative support from CYC, so we are looking for a secretary to produce letters, and for volunteers. Our AGM is 22 September 18:30 at Burton Community Centre, we invite everyone to attend.

Floor: has the CRA area been extended?

Margaret Sharp: No, our area ends at Kingsway, it doesn’t extend to Clifton Green.

Cllr Myers: The CYC funding that that goes to CRA comes from the Estate Improvement Grant which restricts the area in which it can be spent. The work of the CRA over the years has been brilliant and it helps to keep funding coming into the area – whilst we have an active CRA we can argue for the continuation of the Estate Improvement Grant.

Margaret Sharp: We know Clifton very well, so supporting the CRA ensures that money is spent well in the area.

Floor: Wonderful trees along Kingsway

Cllr Myers: Thanks to the CRA

European Community Growth Funding

CYC is putting a bid together for ECG Funding. This is a substantial fund which will make a difference in this ward if we get it. It is volunteer led - less public sector, more third sector, with a focus on deprived areas. There is a pre-submission event tomorrow at West Offices. Please take a form from the back of the room and join in.

Thanks to Phil from York City Football Club (in attendance), he’s providing coaching for kids in Clifton.

Floor: The theme of the meeting has been that you will listen to us, if we ask. But regarding the Clifton Green notice boards nothing seems to happen.

Cllr Myers: We are doing what we can but we are struggling to get some things through the council, for instance with the Clifton Bridge Plaque – this has been going on for more than two years – we’ve done all the leg work and secured the funding, the bottleneck is that there is only one person in the council responsible for bridges and their workload is such that they need to prioritise the safety of the bridges and getting the plaque up just hasn’t been a priority.

Floor: We could suggest that we will take direct action – get a private contractor to put it up then get permission after the fact?

Cllr Myers: We have suggested this and it did get a response - the council asked us to give them a couple of months and they will get it done. We are being more conciliatory at the moment, but we will consider more resident-led initiatives if it doesn’t happen.

Thanks to all attending. Meeting ends.