Executive
Set out below is a summary of the decisions taken at the Executive meeting held on Thursday, 15 December 2022. The wording used does not necessarily reflect the actual wording that will appear in the minutes.
Members are reminded that, should they wish to call in a decision, notice must be given to Democracy Services no later than 4pm on Monday 19 December 2022.
If you have any queries about any matters referred to in this decision sheet please contact Robert Flintoft.
5. York 2032: The 10-Year Plan
Recommended: That Council approve and adopt the York 2032: 10-Year Plan on behalf of the city.
Reason: To engage partners, city leaders, businesses, stakeholders and residents to work together on key agreed priority areas and actions that aim to actively improve the quality of life for all York’s residents.
6. Financial Strategy 2023/24 to 2027/28
Resolved:
i. That the financial challenges being faced by the council, and the high-level financial assumptions that feed into the forecast budget gap, be noted.
ii. That the budget consultation process, as outlined in paragraphs 20 to 28 of the report, be noted.
iii. That the decision-making process and timeline outlined in the report be noted.
Reason: To ensure that the Council has a robust, balanced budget.
7. 2023-2028 Housing Asset Management and Energy Efficiency Retrofit Plan
Resolved:
i. That the Housing Asset Management approach for 2023-28, as outlined in the report, be approved, ensuring that the council invests well in its housing stock in order to provide safe, sustainable, affordable and good quality homes by:
a. continuing to deliver to the government’s Decent Home Standard;
b. adopting the enhanced York Standard;
c. continuing to identify and work to deal with damp and mould in homes;
d. adapting more homes to meet the needs of people with mobility difficulties, older and disabled people, including children with long term illnesses and complex conditions;
e. delivering homes for older people that support and enhance independence, safety and care; and
f. building new homes to a high standard to meet the growing and changing needs of the city’s residents.
ii. That the expected HRA business plan investment of around £53m over the next 5 years into the repair, modernisation and improvement of existing properties, with the ambition to increase this sum via the award of government grant and other funds to drive forward energy efficiency retrofit, be noted.
iii. That the Retrofit Action Plan at Annex A to the report, which provides a strategic framework to improving the energy efficiency and the thermal performance of both council houses and those in the private sector, be approved.
iv. That an annual report be brought to the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods describing performance against the ambitions of the Asset Management and Retrofit objectives outlined in the report, providing increased oversight and transparency for council house residents.
Reason: To provide a robust asset management approach to the council’s capital investments, ensuring council homes are safe, sustainable, affordable and good quality.
8. City of York Planning Policy Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP) Update and Local Development Scheme (LDS) Update
Resolved:
i. That the update to the Housing Delivery Action Plan at Annexes A and B be approved, and that the continued implementation of the Plan across corporate teams be supported.
Reason: To ensure that the council complies with its duties within the NPPF and PPG (setting out appropriate actions for the council to consider and explore in the short, medium and long term in an attempt to increase housing supply and delivery), and to fulfil the council’s commitment within the 2019-2023 Council Plan to ‘creating homes and world-class infrastructure’.
ii. That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to include within the Housing Delivery Action Plan the motion approved by Council on 22 October 2022 calling on Executive to action work concerning ‘controlling the concentration of short term and holiday lets’.
Reason: To acknowledge and reflect this stream of work in the Housing Delivery Action Plan.
iii. That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place to sign off the publication version of the HDAP.
Reason: To agree the presentation of the publication version of the HDAP.
iv. That the Local Development Scheme Update at Annex C be approved.
Reason: To ensure that the Council Complies with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011).
9. Germany Beck Flood Alleviation Scheme Update
Resolved:
i. That the contents of the report, and the progress of the scheme to date, be noted.
ii. That approval be given to submit a planning approval application for the project and commence all further approvals based on work developed to date.
iii. That approval be given to undertake a procurement process to procure a contractor to carry out the construction phase and that authority be delegated to the Director of Place (in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment & Climate Change, the Chief Finance Officer and the Director of Governance or their delegated officers) to take such steps as are necessary to procure, award and enter into the resulting contract, subject to the winning bid being within the budget set out in paragraph 37 of the report.
iv. That, in the event that the winning bid is in excess of the budget set out in paragraph 37 of the report, a further report be brought to Executive to seek approval to award the contract to the winning bidder.
Reason: To ensure that the flood alleviation scheme in Fulford can be delivered.
10. Bus Network Review
Resolved:
i. That the principle that maintaining the extent of the bus network is the key priority within the budgets available be agreed, and that preserving the routes takes priority over preserving bus frequency, to the extent that the council won’t fund current commercial services where a reduction in frequency is an option for the operator without significant impact on communities.
Reason: Keeping the bus network, even with a reduced frequency if necessary, gives a better basis to build back in the future. There is limited funding to deliver bus subsidy.
ii. That authority be delegated to the Director of Transport, Environment & Planning (in consultation with the Leader of the Council, Executive Member for Transport and the Director of Governance, Section 151 Officer or their delegated officers) to:
a. work with the Enhanced Bus Partnership to deliver bus support funding through the BSIP allocation;
b. reduce bus frequency requirements of subsidised bus services to maintain the network if the overall bus subsidy is greater than the budget;
c. work with all partners, Bus Operators, North Yorkshire County Council and the YNYLEP to identify ways of encouraging recruitment and driver training;
d. work with the Park and Ride Operator towards reopening Poppleton Bar Park and Ride and returning all other Park and Ride sites to pre-pandemic levels of service by Easter 2023.
Reason: To give officers the flexibility to act at pace and ensure the services are maintained.
iii. That the removal of the bus subsidy criteria for a period of one year be approve.
Reason: To give officers the flexibility to maintain services within the budget.
iv. That a report be brought to Executive in the summer providing an update on the Government funding situation, the current levels of bus usage, the progress of action identified in the current report and the impact on bus services.
Reason: To enable Executive to have oversight and to review the options and next steps.