Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda.

Councillor Potter declared a personal non prejudicial interest in relation to the called-in item:A Congestion Commission for York, as Manager of York Wheels, in terms of congestion on Tadcaster Road.

Councillor D’Agorne declared a personal non prejudicial interest in relation to the called-in item:A Congestion Commission for York, as a member of the Cyclists’ Touring Club.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 20 February 2015.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Paul Hepworth spoke on behalf of the Cyclists Touring Club, asking Members to reject the call-in and support a Congestion Commission with cross party membership to pursue the goal of York’s current Transport Plan.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 19 January 2015.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 19 January 2015 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

To consider the decisions made by the Cabinet at their meeting held on 10 February 2015 in relation to the above item, which has been called in firstly by Councillors Richardson, Healey and Doughty and secondly by Councillors Aspden, King and Watson in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.  A cover report is attached setting out the reasons for the call-in and the remit and powers of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling-In) in relation to the call-in, together with the original report and the decisions of Cabinet.

Members received a report which asked them to consider the decision made by the Cabinet on 10 February 2015, in relation to the establishment of a Congestion Commission for York. Proposals for a city-wide conversation building on known expertise in the field had also been proposed in an effort to bring forward strategic recommendations for Council to consider.

Details of the Cabinet’s decision were attached at Annex A to the report and the original report of the Director of City and Environmental Services to the Cabinet, attached at Annex B.

The original decision had firstly been called in by Councillors Richardson, Healey and Doughty on the following grounds:

·        It is difficult to see how such a large new look at congestion can be embarked upon given the refusal of the cabinet to look into lessons learned from the Lendal Bridge trial;

·        It is wrong for the council to commit to fund a major committee, select its members, including paid independent experts, and set out the committee’s operating criteria and timeline three months prior to local council elections, which may well result in a change in the priorities of the council;

·        There is an issue of democratic accountability and it lessens the chance of having an outcome which will realistically be implemented, that the panel will have more non-elected than elected members;

·        It is naive to suggest that such decisions could possibly be made without taking into account the political calculations of all members of the council, which this close to an election would not necessarily be conductive to creating an independent committee seeking long-term solutions;

·         The costs of the proposed committee are well beyond the budget set for internal scrutiny committees and too high given the other pressures on council funds.    

The original decision had secondly been called in by Councillors Aspden, King and Watson on the following grounds:

·     These proposals involve spending £135,000 - mostly on expensive external consultants – but fail to demonstrate that this expenditure offers value-for-money for residents.

·     The report says that “officers have reviewed a range of such bodies” but these options on the size/structure/cost of the committee have not been presented to opposition members.

·     Appointments (including the Chair) and various approaches have been made without any reference to the views of opposition members.

·     The report does not specify direct resident and business involvement on the committee only the creation of a vague sounding Citizen’s Jury.

·     The report does not properly show how existing council staff/resources/previous studies will be properly utilised. 

·     The report fails to give a clear commitment to an achievable timeframe or tangible, realistic and cost-effective outcomes.

Councillor Richardson addressed the meeting on behalf of the first group of Calling In members. He highlighted their principle concerns as the timing of the Commission, and the commitment to funding, prior to the election in May. He also referred to signage in the city which he felt was not user friendly and requested that work was undertaken to resolve this issue prior to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.