Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: St Thomas' in the Groves

Contact: Shiona Marsh  Community Officer

Items
No. Item

1.

Community Information Fair

What’s On locally, council services and access to support in your community

Minutes:

o   What’s On locally, council services and access to support in your community

o   Health Trainers

o   Edible York

o   Transport and Buses consultation

o   Council information and printed resources

 

2.

Ward Budgets 2024-2025: Projects funded last year pdf icon PDF 282 KB

Minutes:

Presentation showed on screen and on A3 printed handouts (see attachment)

Update from Groves Association for funding received

·      People have been appreciating the improved green spaces and plants

·      The area is now much nicer, brighter and fresher looking.

·      Pollinator-friendly and drought-resistant plants were chosen

·      Some were donated plants, used to fill up the space

Update from FOGGEY

·      Seed swaps and shares.

·      Helping those who do not have gardens to grow easy indoor edible plants such as salad crops, which also show results soon

·      Provision of compost and seeds

·      Had a seed swap engagement event at Groves Repair Café and had 20 people attend

·      Had a seed swap event at Springfield garden and had 8 people attend

·      Had another at Red Tower and had 12 people attend

·      Beginner-friendly plants were encouraged and seeds given out included: spring onions, cress, radishes and lettuce

·      2 more events to go for the project – 7th May 12-1pm at planter at Peasholme green near Black Swan pub. The other will be 12th May at Red Tower 10am – 11:30am

·      Surplus seeds are welcome if any residents or groups have extras and can donate, or want to attend a seed swap.

Update from Environment and Community Team

·      Ward funding allocated to some more plants and shrubs for Clarence gardens

·      Local volunteering takes place there such as with York Cares and employee volunteering and local volunteers.

·      Other volunteering opportunities available such as Bootham Rest Garden and Lord Mayor’s Walk, Tower Gardens, Foss Islands walkway. As well as volunteering schemes with all training and equipment provided: Leaf Clearer (mainly for Autumn), Litter Picking (year-round), Snow Warden (mainly Winter time).

·      Contact environmentandcommunity@york.gov.uk for more information or pick up a volunteering booklet.

Update from the Belfrey new youth project

·      New project for a mobile youth bus in the Guildhall Ward, planning to move the youth van to where the need is.

·      Due to start soon as a pilot project.

·      A new project that will change locations and go where there isn’t a youth service nearby, e.g. under-served areas

·      They will have videogames, laptops, homework help and tutor, and offer all-rounder youth activities

Update from Door 84

·      Youth sessions three times a week

·      targeted youth work

·      Series of activities such as Get Active, Get Cooking, Get Creative

·      Boys and girls into the activities

·      Running Family events and sessions

·      Wednesday community café with foodbank 2-4pm

·      Been running the community pantry for 1 1/2 years

·      They ‘purchase’ food every week through Fare Share subscription and sell on the food at 70% price discount.

·      This reduces costs for local people and the subscription to Fare Share was ward-funded and cost £750 for one year.

·      All residents are welcome to come along, for tea and coffee, social time, help and advice, they welcome more residents and thanked the council for the funding and support.

Update about York City Knights foundation

·      Activities and food with February half term sessions for children and young people at Park Grove school’s playing fields

Update about Shared Story  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Ward Budgets 2025-2026

Funding available for this year

Local Funding and support for community projects in the Guildhall Ward

 

Minutes:

Introduced new funding pot and explained how to apply, what’s needed and where. Outlined the three funding windows which will be April - 31st May, June – 30th September and November - 31st Jan 2026. Outlined that a portion of the ward budget will be retained for ward costs and for commissioning

Funding available for this year is £17,730

Local Funding and support for community projects in the Guildhall Ward:

Ward Priorities to stay as they are for this funding window.

Current funding window will have 31st May deadline for applications

Advised to contact Michal Czekajlo for any queries as to the process or if you have an idea and need support to submit an application. You can also discuss ward funding at the Councillor surgeries (poster printed out)

 

4.

Clarence Gardens pdf icon PDF 431 KB

An Update from Guildhall Ward Councillors

Minutes:

Clarence Gardens pavilion – closed off area, council building but not used by public

Survey to get views – main result is that people do want to use it.

Suggestions include

·      Bringing it back as a Bowls pavilion for a Bowls Club (there were originally 3 bowling greens in use at Clarence Gardens)

·      To have an ‘open house’ event for people to see inside the pavilion

·      Café

·      School uniform swap shop

·      Foodbank

·      Pay As You Feel café

·      Groves history exhibit

·      Games (hire)

·      Pizza restaurant

·      Gym/exercise space

·      Croquet

·      Table tennis

·      Sports court

·      Planting/potting shed

·      Sensory orchard

The site would need to have running water and electricity secured and checked if it’s going to be used.

Topic of dog-friendliness discussed in survey

As well as the above suggestions, more ideas were suggested in the survey for improvements to Clarence Gardens such as litter bins, dog poo bag dispenser, more benches, anti-loneliness/happy-to-chat benches, picnic benches, toilets, summer fair/Christmas fair, community events.

Concerns were also raised about: crime, ASB, drugs, vandalism, lighting, busy road to cross, noise nuisances

Cllrs opened the floor for residents to share their thoughts or ask questions

Resident asked about any budget or target.

Response - Would need to look at options, application process, possibly section 106 funding (money from developers), council parks investment fund, building as an asset transfer or as free/rentable

Resident asked about a timeline as building condition and value would depreciate.

Response - Cllrs explained the process and discussion ongoing and timeline important.

Resident asked about involvement of Park Grove – could there be an informal arrangement to use the park grounds as felt that’s better park than Clarence Gardens – safer, quieter. Felt that Clarence Gardens is useless, with it being leftover land so the layout is bad.

Response – Cllrs can look into use of Park Grove – but as it is an academy and a school, the site is closed/ more limited to the public.

Resident asked about hospital as some use it for their lunches/breaks – could NHS be approached about ideas or funding for the space

         Response – Cllrs can look into this

 

5.

Have Your Say - Your Voice Matters

Minutes:

Item: Bus travel consultation – Guy Wallbanks and Shimin Ruan

·      Interested in people’s thoughts, experiences, can fill in survey, email comments, leaflet and info available.

·      Cycle route map also available

·      Research about women’s bus travel and safety

·      Bus shelters – too dark/ too wet

·      What put people off from using buses

·      What makes buses more accessible

·      Asking women to share their experiences

Resident asked if this is part of the Bus Forum

Response – manager attends those meetings and will be reporting all comments to CYC and top issues to the bus companies

Council bus service improvement plan is about making the improvements people want to see happen.

Resident asked about Clarence Gardens – what are next steps? 200 people responded, could have working group?

Response –  will be contacting local groups and active people. Those who filled in survey could give email address for updates. Next steps will be about involvement, experts, experiences (other examples etc)

Resident asked about bus shelters and the contract – would they be replaced and removed, as if bus shelters disappear, communities would be without.

Response – JC Decaux has the contract for bus shelters. They were contracted and responsible for maintaining bus shelters and used them for advertising. That contract ended recently and the contract went out to tender and now a different company has won the contract.

Resident asked about corporate magnets and will flimsy existing bus shelters be retained, as feels community needs more bus shelters and more rain shelters.

Response – CYC used to provide the bus shelters, then JC Decaux took over (the contract). They had to replace and fix any broken shelters and they owned all the shelters. This will now be a new contract with a new company, there could be new shelters.

Resident – how to get a new shelter put in or an extra shelter

Response – CYC review of all existing bus stops and shelters, including CYC-provided bus shelters and stops. All shelters will now be included in the general contract. We will look into this more and follow it up and pursue an update and resolution.

Resident – Thanked the council for Huntington Road disabled bus access. Asked for electronic bus signs (that list the next bus) on stops without shelters. Also asked how electronic bus service info signs are prioritised

Response – CYC and the bus services monitor and report info. The most-used stops tend to get shelter. Then, in general, city centre is prioritised for electronic signs and then higher-usage stops come next. They also consult with Bus Forum and Park and Ride services with real-time displays.

Resident - Closure of Huntington Rd and Haxby Rd is a rat-run – turn right and can’t see, had an accident, and near the flowerpots on Stanley Street. What are you doing about this?

Response – we know this is an ongoing concern. We were elected in May 2023 and we know residents have shared this concern with us. We can raise it again  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Guildhall Ward Committee Poster 22nd April 2025 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

 

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