Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, 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.

Members were asked to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests, other than those listed on the standing declarations attached to the agenda, that they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Hodgson declared two personal interests, one in Agenda Item 5 (Report-Economic Inclusion and supported employment for people with disabilities in the City of York (Yorkcraft) as a member of the Co-operative Party and as a tenant of the Yorkshire Housing Association (YHA).

Councillor Semlyen declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 6 (Update Report- ‘Reducing the Carbon Footprint in the Privately Rented Sector Scrutiny Review’) as a landlady. As the only recommendation of the report was if Members wished to recommence the review, this interest was not deemed to be prejudicial. However, she left the room for this item and did not take any part in the debate.

Councillor Riches also declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 6 as the Chair of the Task Group that the Committee had established to conduct the review.

No other interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 20 November 2012.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the meeting of the Economic and City Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 20 November 2012 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered their wish to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is Monday 28 January 2013 at 5.00 pm.

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

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

However, the Chair did allow David Smith from York MIND to speak in relation to Agenda Item 5 (Report- Economic Inclusion and supported employment for people with disabilities in the City of York (Yorkcraft)).

David Smith thanked Members for considering a review into the provision of sheltered employment at Yorkcraft. He highlighted that there was an inherent tension between providing long term support for those with disabilities and short term support leading on to permanent secure and paid employment. He said that he could see the attraction of Option 3 set out within  the Officer’s report, of investigating the feasibility of a sustainable social enterprise or a public service mutual taking on the service. However this would mean long term sustainability would need to be guaranteed without withdrawal of future funding or grants.. He suggested that the Committee consider experiences from other organisations which had set up sustainable social enterprises, particularly in relation to funding.

The Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning & Sustainability will update Members of the Committee on the priorities within his portfolio area.

The Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning & Sustainability attended the meeting to update Members on the priorities within his portfolio area.

Discussion between Members and the Cabinet Member focused on;

·        The proposed High Speed 2 (HS2) railway route and its benefits for York.

·        How the announcement of York being the starting point for the second stage of the Tour de France 2014 would affect his portfolio.

·        The enforcement of 20mph speed limits in York’s Residential Areas.

In relation to the route and benefits that HS2 could bring to York, the Cabinet Member felt that it was a significant opportunity for the city for two reasons. Firstly he felt the construction of a spur from the new line on to the East Coast Mainline (ECML) to York would open up closer economic links to the Midlands. Secondly, in his view the HS2 scheme would overcome capacity problems that the ECML would be likely to face in future years.

The Cabinet Member informed the Committee that he intended to use the selection of York as a host town on the second stage of the Tour de France, as an opportunity to;

·        Encourage and ensure cycle training and access to a bike for every child in York.

·        To investigate Yorkshire wide cycle hire.

·        To consider hosting ‘mini Tours’ in Yorkshire.

Regarding the enforcement of the 20mph speed limits in residential areas of York by the Police, the Cabinet Member responded that enforcement would be carried out selectively, where needed.

RESOLVED:       That the update be noted.

REASON:           In order to provide Members with an overview of the Cabinet Member’s priorities within his portfolio area.

This report presents and asks the Committee to consider and comment on a series of options identified by the Yorkcraft Business Model Review Project Board ahead of proposals of a review into the sheltered employment scheme at Yorkcraft being finalised.

Members received a report on Economic Inclusion and supported employment for people with disabilities in the City of York. It  updated them on a review that had been undertaken to analyse the existing business model for the Council’s supported employment service called Yorkcraft.

Officers informed Members that Yorkcraft had been supporting the Council’s move to West Offices through the disposal of confidential waste and archiving. They informed the Committee that they were currently working on a hybrid model, where Yorkcraft would gain work contracts for the Council and also attract contracts from the private sector. It was particularly important to make sure that the service was sustainable, given the nature of contract work.

Comments raised in relation to the report included;

·        That there would always be a core set of people with disabilities who would not be able to easily gain employment outside of Yorkcraft.

·        That investment from Housing Support Services could be used to enable employees from Yorkcraft that had lost their jobs, to take up intermediate posts.

·        That the flexibility of the Yorkcraft workforce was attractive to private companies and helped its promotion to private businesses.

In response to a question about how employees were recruited to Yorkcraft, Officers stated that this was often through referrals from other agencies such as Job Centre Plus and the Shaw Trust. Employees were given posts on a short term basis to develop their skills.

Officers also informed Members that they hoped that even if they could not provide full time employment opportunities through Yorkcraft, that as a service it could provide a preparatory role for those with disabilities to gain sustainable employment outside of support schemes.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the report be noted.

(ii)      That the Scrutiny Committee supports a proposed hybrid model, that Yorkcraft have a sustainable core as part of CYC delivering higher levels of service to the Council and other organisations in the city, and to use its location and develop expertise as an incubator for the development of social enterprises.

REASON:           To gauge the Scrutiny Committee’s opinion of the options presented.

This report gives an update on the currently dormant ‘Reducing the Carbon Footprint in the Privately Rented Sector’ Scrutiny Review. It advises Members what has been happening whilst the review has been on hold and asks that Members indicate whether they still wish to continue with this review.

Members received a report which updated them on the currently dormant ‘Reducing the Carbon Footprint in the Privately Rented Sector’ Scrutiny Review. The report asked Members whether they wished to continue with the review.

Officers informed the Committee that further information about a model for delivery for Green Deal packages across the Leeds City Region (LCR) area was still to be finalised and agreed by Leaders across the region.

In response to a question about what work had taken place with private landlords, since the last update to the Committee, to take up reduction schemes, it was noted that the Yorkshire Energy Partnership would be responsible for working with private landlords. It was also noted that Officers had recently purchased information from the Energy Savings Trust on solid wall insulation which would allow them to identify areas where greater support for residents was needed.

Extensive work had been going on as is detailed in the Officers’ report and it was therefore recommended that review not be continued.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the report be noted.

(ii)      That no further work need to  be carried out by the Committee on this review and the review not be continued.

REASON:           To update the Committee of work undertaken to this date on the Scrutiny Review.

This report presents the Economic and City Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee (ECDOSC) with an update on the work undertaken to date by the Task Group appointed to this review, including a draft remit for the review. The Committee are asked to agree the remit in order that work can commence on this review.

Members received a report which provided them with an update on the work undertaken by the Task Group appointed to this review. The report included a draft remit for the review, for the Committee to agree to in order for work to commence. Members and Officers welcomed the suggested remit and work that would be carried out by the Task Group.

Some Members felt that the second key objective in the remit “(To assess what resources are available to City of York Council (CYC) to effectively identify and successfully secure funding)” should be amended to say “including additional or temporary staff” when looking at resources.

Members felt that the fourth key objective, as detailed in the report, to “investigate what models are available to identify return on investment” should be removed from the remit, as it was deemed to be too wide ranging.

Discussion then took place on some unused money in the scrutiny budget which could potentially finance research/evidence gathering for this review. The Scrutiny Officer informed the Committee that there were rules which governed what this could be spent on.

The Committee asked the Task Group to look at whether there was a need for any funds to support this review and if so to identify what these were and report back to them at a future meeting.

In addition to this the Chair of the Committee suggested that a question/challenge be posted to the GeniUS website in order to gather ideas from members of the public around ways of attracting external funding. The Committee agreed that this was a good idea and should be based around the overall aim set for this review.

Councillor D’Agorne also expressed his wish to be part of the Task Group.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the report be noted.

(ii)      That the remit of the review be agreed and key objective (ii) be amended to read;

          “Assess what resources are available to City of York Council (CYC) to effectively identify and successfully secure funding (resources in this instance including CYC staff, additional or temporary staff, partnership staff, ability to provide match funding, up-skilling and training).

(iii)     That a question/challenge phrased around the overall aim of the review be added to the GeniUS website to assist in gathering evidence for this review.

(iv)    That the membership of the Task Group be widened to include Councillor D’Agorne.

REASON:           To enable the Task Group to commence this review.

Members are asked to consider the draft final report and its associated recommendations and indicate any amendments they may wish to make prior to them being submitted to Cabinet for consideration.

Members received a report which asked them to consider the draft final report of the Out of Hours Childcare Scrutiny Review and its associated recommendations, prior to its consideration by the Cabinet.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the report be noted.

(ii)      That the recommendations as listed in the Officer’s report be approved by this Committee in order that they can be presented at a future Cabinet meeting for consideration.

REASON:           To complete this scrutiny review.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s updated workplan for the municipal year 2012/2013.

Members considered the Committee’s updated work plan for the municipal year 2012-13.

Some Members felt that the Scoping Reports on Housing Stock and on Local Shopping Centres should be removed from the work plan, as it was a core part of the Local Plan. As a result of this the Local Plan Working Group would carry out work on this. However, these could be looked at again in the new municipal year and if it was felt that they were suitable topics for review could be reinstated into next municipal year’s work plan.

It was also suggested that the update report on the recommendations arising from the Water End Councillor Call for Action and the Six Monthly Update Report on Major Transport initiatives be slipped until the Committee’s April meeting.

An update was given to Members in relation to the Final Report of the E-Planning scrutiny review. It was noted that the Cabinet had deferred making the decision to the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability. The next public decision session would take place on 13 March 2013.

The Chair suggested that for the next municipal year that all meetings of the Committee should start at 5 pm.

RESOLVED:      (i)       That the work plan be noted subject to the following changes;

·        The removal of the Scoping Report on -Housing Stock- How is it Meeting the Changing Needs of a Growing Population

·        The removal of the Scoping Report on how local shopping centres contribute to the wider economic wellbeing of their community.

·        That the Update report on the implementations of the recommendations arising from the Water End Councillor Call for Action be considered in April.

·        That the Six Monthly Update Report on Major Transport Initiatives also be considered in April.

·        That a report of the External Funding Task Group be considered in March (as referenced in item 42 of these minutes).

(ii)      That meetings of the Committee be scheduled to start at 5 pm for the municipal year 2013-14.

REASON:           To progress the work of the Committee.