Andy D'Agorne

York Green councillors have revealed some details of their budget amendment for the council meeting on Thursday, which they say would boost sustainable travel and enhance the councils response to climate change. The Greens would reinstate the 'smart travel' budget to promote green travel options and help individuals to plan journeys. They would create a specific transport planning post of Cycling and Walking Officer with a remit to work on bids for funds such as Cycling Demonstration Town as well as taking forward the city's cycling strategy. They would establish a Cycle Forum to enable the council to take account of the views of a cross section of the city's cyclists and they would block a planned 20 - 25 % increase in the charges for child cycle training in local schools. They would also earmark funding for taking forward the recommendations of the Traffic Congestion Scrutiny report which might include modelling of congestion charging and low emission zone options for the city. They would also set aside some additional money to provide a recycling collection service from Day 1 for all newly occupied flats in the city and for partnership working with the energy efficiency office to tackle insulation needs of older privately owned properties.  

 To pay for these measures the Greens would scrap the use of recruitment consultants saving £20,000pa and gain an extra £40,000 by including residents in 10p per hour increase in parking charges at standard stay car parks (due to be raised by 20p per hour for visitors, the first increase since 2004/05) and a further £30,000 would be raised by axing the council contribution to york.england.com . However the Greens would remove the proposed 2.3% increase in respark permit charges for the first car and cut the cost of a visitors permit from £1 to 50p. They would also bring in an annual charge for councillors free parking passes, although the councillors would be able to claim an element of this back when they were using their car on council business.

The Greens support measures proposed by the ruling group to address flooding, energy efficiency in council buildings and greater recycling but oppose the plans to use PFI partnerships with the private sector to maintain the Highways and build new waste treatment plants.   Cllr Andy D'Agorne for the Greens said "The budget situation is tight and is going to get tighter once we start paying for the waste plant, but we believe these measures are essential to tackle climate change, while at the same time trying to enhance the quality of life for people living in the City of York."