Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Waller called on the city council to be more transparent in its spending on estate improvements, claiming a “behind closed doors decision” led to a £100,000 investment in just one ward, whilst a further £157,000 went unspent.
Cllr Waller said Westfield ward has the highest number of council homes in the city and figures produced in a July 15 meeting of the council’s Executive showed that none of the council’s Housing Environmental Improvement Programme (HEIP) funding in 2024/25 was allocated to the ward he represents.
He said the figures showed the Labour administration made the £100,000 investment in the Holgate ward, while the Lib Dem group claims the council is struggling with basic estate maintenance elsewhere.
But City of York Council’s head of environmental services said teams are scheduled to work on maintenance in Westfield over the coming days, whilst the council’s executive member for housing said Mr Waller has “previously acknowledged” that HEIP funding is “flawed”, and the system is being changed.
Cllr Waller said for the second year running, City of York Council has struggled to keep on top of the maintenance around blocks of flats around Ascot Way.
A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “In previous years, tenants and councillors have been able to work together to decide how this budget can be best spent, but it has now come to light that in 2024/25, the Labour administration spent only £100,000 of the funds available, and all of the money was spent in just one ward, Holgate.”
Cllr Waller said: “There seems to have been a ‘behind closed doors’ decision to invest in just one ward, with £75,000 siphoned off for the neighbourhood caretaker initiative and £157,000 left entirely unspent.
“I’m pleased that tenants in Holgate ward benefitted, but those in Westfield and across the city deserve much better treatment than this.”
The York Liberal Democrats spokesperson claimed the council had struggled to keep on top of basic maintenance, leading to some hedges becoming overgrown.
“In nearby Lowfields Drive, tenants are struggling to be able to use a communal drying area due to it being choked with weeds,” the spokesperson added.
Cllr Waller said: “Tenants have a right to expect that the council will maintain communal areas to a decent standard, but this simply isn’t happening.”
“One tenant with mobility problems contacted me and the overgrown hedges are a real issue for them.
“Frontline council staff do a fantastic job in difficult circumstances but there is only so much they can do.
“I’m happy to get my garden shears out, as I did last year, but it’s no substitute for a regular cycle of maintenance of communal areas.”
Cllr Michael Pavlovic, the council’s spokesperson for housing and stronger communities, said: “The previous system for allocating and spending HEIP funding was flawed, with funds often going unspent for years, as Cllr Waller himself has previously acknowledged.
“This is why we are changing the system so funding will be focussed on more significant and meaningful improvements to our council estates.
“Funding under this new system allocated to Westfield will see ward councillors and residents help decide the ward’s priorities.
“For other identified needs, wards can apply for capital funding for estate improvements that contribute to the pride in place we want to see across all our neighbourhoods, something our new neighbourhood caretakers team will make a significant contribution towards, starting from September.”
Last week, Ian Hoult, City of York Council’s head of environmental services, said: “Our teams work hard to maintain a wide range of environmental areas across the city, and during the summer months we experience significant levels of demand for these services.
“We appreciate the understanding and support of residents whilst we work as quickly and efficiently as we can.
“In line with our schedule, teams are working in this area this week and next week.”
