Proposals to spend £783,000 on improving planning and environmental services in the city, including a massive extension of the city's kerbside recycling scheme, are being discussed by City of York Council next week (Friday, January 16).

A separate, £375,000 capital projects budget - featuring a major boost for flood prevention at Rawcliffe and a start on £283,000 worth of improvements at York Crematorium - is also due to be discussed next Friday by Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's acting executive member for the environment, and the council's Planning and Environment Advisory Panel.

The main planning and environmental services budget suggests a £250,000 extension of the council's kerbside recycling scheme to an additional 40,000 properties across the city, raising the coverage of the city from a quarter to 75 per cent - or three out of four homes.

And a £60,000 boost for street cleaning outside the city centre, including measures to remove ragwort, is also included alongside a £70,000 programme of improvements, such as refurbishment and increased cleaning, for the city's public toilets - used by hundreds of thousands of people each year.

An additional £21,000 is proposed for the council's flooding emergency fund, which enables the council to respond to activities arising as a consequence of flooding. And £28,000 would be used to prepare an Urban Design Strategy to encourage distinctive urban design, which is appropriate to York's central historic core.

Savings of £115,000 have been identified within the 2003/2004 budget.

They include £55,000 through increased dividends from Yorwaste, City of York and North Yorkshire County Councils' waste disposal company.

Plans to raise £51,000 through an increase in cremation fees are also being proposed but the idea is coupled with a £150,000 allocation from the capital budget to start a three-year, £283,000 programme of improvements at York Crematorium. The plans include updating the chapel, extending the chapel of remembrance and improving access and toilet facilities.

Other increases in service fees are mostly inflation-matching. They include taxi and other licences, most market stall tolls and the removal fee for bulky household waste items - excluding fridges and freezers which is free.

However, the council is reducing fees for disposal of commercial fridges and freezers in the light of lower-than-expected processing costs.

The cost of electronic land searches is also reduced from £110 to £99 to encourage the trend away from over-the-counter searches where the fees will rise from £120 to £125

The capital budget proposals also include £100,000 to help provide a new standby pump at Burdyke Pumping Station at Rawcliffe. The existing pump proved unreliable during the November 2000 floods and the council believes it needs back-up.

Some £40,000 is also being allocated to improve health and safety, security and general conditions at Beckfield Lane and the council's two other existing household waste recycling centres.

Officers are also suggesting that £80,000 is pumped into rolling repairs and restoration of the popular City Walls - ahead of a major new City Walls lighting scheme outlined in a proposed council tourism project earlier this week.

Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, the council's acting member for the environment, said, "This budget underlines our commitment to increasing recycling provision in the city. If the budget is agreed, we will be able to roll-out the service to an additional 40,000 homes.

"We are also aiming to improve the existing street cleansing facilities to enhance the city's environment for both residents and tourists and we are also responding to issues outside the city centre."

The council is currently continuing its consultation process over the new budget. The consultation features a survey of residents on the council's 'people's panel', meetings with representatives of the business community and the city's 'Without Walls' local strategic partnership.

Most local ward committee meetings are also being held this month where budget issues will be listed for discussion.

ENDS