Welcome To Our Website
Posted August 2, 2010 Comments Off

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Welcome to our website. This site will keep you up to date with key issues for the Haxby and Wigginton area and let you know about the work your local Lib Dem Councillors and campaigners are doing on your behalf.

Please do get in contact if you have any questions or issues you would like to raise.

Visit to the Wilberforce Trust
Posted April 26, 2012 * Comments(0)

Last week local Councillor Ian Cuthbertson, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health, Housing and Adult Social Services joined Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Carol Runciman on a visit to the Wilberforce Trust headquarters on North Moor Road, Huntington. They met Rachel Lintott, the Rehabilitation Services Manager who gave them a tour of the newly refitted building and discussed some of the exciting new projects that the Trust is undertaking.

The Trust supports people with visual and other disabilities and has a variety of accommodation services across York and in Tadcaster. Their staff and volunteers place great emphasis on working with service users to maximise their independence as much as possible.

Rachel is currently running courses to help people with a visual impairment to find employment. The Trust is also taking part in the York 800 celebrations this summer. More information about this programme can be found on their website.

Liberal Democrats welcomes salt bin commitment
Posted April 12, 2012 * Comments(0)

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed Labour’s promise that salt bins in Haxby & Wigginton will be retained.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Heworth Without asked the Labour Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion, Cllr Sonja Crisp:

“Will the Cabinet Member confirm that all salt bins currently funded by Ward Committees will now be filled and refilled from the core budget?”

Cllr Crisp answered:

“Certainly, all the salt bins required across all wards will be refilled from the core budget.”

Cllr Ayre said “There has been a lot of concern across York that these salt bins would be lost. In wintry weather they are a lifeline for residents and their removal would be extremely unpopular.

“I am pleased that the Labour Cabinet, after Liberal Democrat pressure, has offered a commitment to funded salt bins and this news has been positively received by local residents I have talked to.

“I hope that Labour will stick to this commitment in the long-term and that their use of the word ‘required ‘ is not an attempt to wriggle out of their commitment to maintaining all salt bins.”

75,000 York Residents receive £220 tax cut thanks to Lib Dem plans in the budget
Thursday, April 12th, 2012 by admin

From next year, the Income Tax threshold will be raised to ensure that no one pays any income tax on the first £9,205 they earn.

In York, that means 6,830 people will be lifted out of paying Income Tax altogether and 76,900 will receive a £220 tax cut. This is on top of tax cuts of £200 last year and a further £130 next month.

Commenting, Lib Dem Group Leader on the City of York Council Carol Runciman said:

“The Chancellor has done the right thing in listening to Liberal Democrat calls for the Income Tax threshold to be raised further.

“As a Liberal Democrat, I want to see a fairer tax system where help is provided for those who need it most and where the richest pay their fair share.

“Raising the Income Tax threshold to £9205 will help average working people in York who have been struggling with bills and higher cost of living.”

Liberal Democrat Councillors attend Royal Maundy
Thursday, April 12th, 2012 by admin

On April 5th all of York’s Liberal Democrat Councillors and many Liberal Democrat Aldermen attended the distribution of the Royal Maundy at York Minster. In a day of glorious Spring sunshine that saw York at its best the Queen gave money to 86 women and 86 men – one for each of the Queen’s 86 years – in recognition of their services to the Church and their communities.

The Councillors and Aldermen, dressed in their civic robes, walked from the Guildhall to the Minster through streets thronged with people who had travelled far and wide for a glimpse of the Queen. It was estimated that 15,000 people descended on the city for the day. York Lib Dem Leader Cllr Carol Runciman said “it was wonderful to see so many people had turned out to welcome the royal party to our city – and also excellent news for local businesses.”

After the service Cllrs Carol Runciman, Keith Hyman and Paul Firth attended a civic lunch with the royal party in the Mansion House. Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion later attended a visit of Her Majesty and Their Royal Highnesses to the new Yorkshire Museum exhibition “1212: The Making of the City.” The new exhibition marks the 800th anniversary of York’s independence and celebrates the people, places and events that have contributed to the city’s medieval heritage.

Haxby & Wigginton Street Lights Replacement
Posted March 19, 2012 * Comments(0)

The Council have finally announced the timetable for replacing the lampposts which were removed last year. Following the lack of communication with residents, we have been keeping up the pressure on council officers to ensure street lights in Haxby & Wigginton were replaced and switched on as soon as possible. 

For the full street light programme in Haxby & Wigginton click HERE.

The Credit Union – there to help
Posted March 18, 2012 * Comments(0)

The Credit Union here in York offers a service to those who want to save and those who want to borrow safely.  It enables people to get small loans at reasonable rates of interest without getting into the hands of loan sharks, who charges can be exorbitant.  

Ian is their Honorary Treasurer and gave his report at the North Yorkshire CU’s recent well-attended AGM.  He was able to update members with a report of the activities of the CU during the last year and then answered questions from the floor.    He also talked to members afterwards to respond to individual queries.

Ian said ‘The work of the Credit Union is even more important now than it ever was and it is good to know that people can get help when they really need it and when it may not be available to them in any other way’. 

If you’d like more information – go to www.nycu.org.uk

York’s young people go for Gold, Silver and Bronze
Posted March 16, 2012 * Comments(0)

The Awards evening for York’s Duke of Edinburgh Scheme was held last week.  About 300 young people from across the city, including some from our area, achieved their D of E. The Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards were presented by the Deputy Lord Mayor.

Some of the young people who had reached Gold described what had happened on their expeditions.  Ian said ‘Having been to the awards evenings before, I know that this can be very interesting and revealing – things do not always go as planned!  This year was no exception and the trials and tribulations of kayaking, camping and tramping round the countryside were well described’.

They had all worked hard and it was good to see their achievements recognised in this way.

University to join Russell Group
Wednesday, March 14th, 2012 by admin

York’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed the news that the University of York has has accepted an invitation to join the prestigious Russell Group of the United Kingdom’s leading research universities.

Councillor Carol Runciman, the Group Leader said “As a member of the University Court I have seen for myself the hard work of students and staff that has led to this invitation being made. The last Liberal Democrat administration supported the expansion of the University and we are delighted that the institution continues to go from strength to strength.”

Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson, who studied Politics with Education at York has added his congratulations, saying “In less than fifty years the University has earned itself a worldwide reputation for excellent teaching, research and learning facilities. I am confident that the whole city can continue to be proud of it.”

Lib Dem plan to reverse £2m of Labour cuts rejected
Friday, February 24th, 2012 by admin

Liberal Democrat Councillors were disappointed last night when their plans to amend the ruling Labour Cabinet’s budget plans were blocked. The plans would have seen over £2m of the cuts Labour have planned for frontline services reversed, paid for by cutting the Labour leader’s planned £1m ‘Delivery and Innovation Fund’ and reducing council borrowing.

Just some of the plans included in the Liberal Democrat Amendment are:

Reversing Labour’s planned cuts to voluntary sector organisations (including York CVS and the Salvation Army)
Reversing Labour’s  cuts and more investment into Youth Services £50k
Cutting the planned £1m ‘Delivery and Innovation’ fund
Introducing living wage of £6.83ph for council workers
Freezing council tax
Reversing £895k of road maintenance cuts
Reducing borrowing by £1.5m this year (which saves £135k in interest payments this year alone)
Reversing local Ward Committee funding cuts
Reversing cuts to the target hardening fund to combats anti-social behaviour
Keeping Beckfield Lane Recycling Centre open

Councillor Carol Runciman, the Lib Dem leader who proposed the amendment, said “Our amendment would make the proposed budget fairer for York’s residents, in particular the most vulnerable.”

She added: “I was very disappointed that the Labour and Conservative groups did not support our proposals to reverse cuts to vital services and support the most vulnerable in our city.”

For further details of our budget proposals please view http://yorklibdems.org.uk/en/page/news

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