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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Decision Session - Combined Executive Member Decision Session |
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Date |
5 August 2025 |
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Present |
Councillor Lomas (Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights Equality, and Inclusion Councillor Kilbane (Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture) Councillor Steels-Walshaw (Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care |
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In Attendance
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Jonathan Byrne (Head of City Strategy and Partnerships) Nick Collins (Head of Property Services) Graham Hogben (Asset Manager) Garry Taylor (Director of City Development) |
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18. Appointing a Chair (10.04am)
The Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights Equality, and Inclusion opened the Decision Session. She explained that she would Chair the Decision Session until Agenda Item 6 - Application for Community Right to Bid under the Localism Act 2011 (The Fox Inn, Stockton on the Forest), after which the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture would then take over as Chair for Agenda item 7 – York Economic Inactivity Trailblazer and Agenda Item 8 – Urgent Business.
19. Apologies for Absence (10.05am)
Apologies for absence were received and noted for Cllr Fisher, who had been registered to speak at the Decision Session.
20. Declarations of Interest (10.05am)
The Executive Members were invited to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests, or any disclosable pecuniary interests that they might have in respect of business on the agenda. There were none.
21. Minutes (10.05am)
Resolved: That the minutes of the Environment and Climate Emergency Executive Decision Session held on 20 May 2025 and the Minutes of the Combined Executive Member Decision Session held on 1 June 2025 approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
22. Public Participation (10.06am)
It was noted that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme. Flick Williams spoke on Agenda item 7 – York Economic Inactivity Trailblazer. She explained that long term absence was complicated. She made a number of comments in relation to the barriers to work faced by different groups of people the trailblazer was intended to support. The Chair thanked her for her comments.
23. Application for Community Right to Bid under the Localism Act 2011 (10.06am)
The Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion considered a report detailing an application to list The Fox Inn, 90 The Village, Stockton on the Forest, York, as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
The Head of Property Services outlined the report and confirmed that the property met the eligible criteria for the ACV listing. The Asset Manager noted that the new owners of the pub supported the application and he listed the community events that took place at the pub. He added that Cllr Fisher was fully supportive of the application. It was then;
Resolved: That the Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion approves the listing of The Fox Inn, 90 The Village, Stockton on Forest, York, YO32 9UW, as an Asset of Community Value (ACV).
Reason: To ensure the Council meets its legislative obligations (pursuant to the Localism Act 2011 and the Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations 2012) and promotes community access to community facilities.
[The Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for
Economy and Culture took the Chair for the remainder of the
Decision Session at 10.12am].
24. York Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (10.12am)
The Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture considered a report that requested acceptance of York-specific funding agreed as part of the £10m Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, awarded to York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority as part of the government’s Get Britain Working programme. The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care was also in attendance for the item.
The Director of City Development thanked the Executive Members for accepting the report. He explained that the York specific was worth £1,038,250 from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA), under the Government’s Get Britain Working programme (which was is part of a £10m fund overall). He explained that funding would enable the Council to deliver and/or commission a broad range of schemes targeted at supporting residents currently economically inactive, particularly those experiencing ill health, disability, or caring responsibilities, into good jobs, volunteering opportunities, and other forms of positive economic activity.
He explained that the suite of schemes had been developed rapidly and in close partnership with our voluntary sector, health partners, and other local authorities, and was designed to deliver maximum benefit in a single financial year. He added that the schemes were pragmatic, targeted, and focused on those with the greatest barriers to employment. He detailed the delivery risks and mitigation measures to address them. He explained how the programme would meet the Council’s strategies and Council Plan.
The Director of City Development then noted the updated recommendation for approval, which was to:
1. Accept funding worth £1,038,250 from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) to deliver and/or commission the individual projects and schemes set out in this paper as part of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme.
2. Approve that City of York Council (CYC) enters into a Grant Agreement with YNYCA for the above funding.
3. Delegate authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Director of Governance, to:
· Negotiate and conclude the Grant Agreement and any modifications/extensions.
· Commence and conclude any compliant procurement processes in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and the Procurement Act 2023.
· Negotiate and agree any onward grant agreements or financial assistance to third parties, ensuring compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
The reasons for the recommendation were to:
· To support economically inactive residents back into employment, improve public health, reduce inequality, and enhance affordability.
· To ensure compliance with the relevant legal frameworks: Subsidy Control Act 2022, Procurement Act 2023, and the Council’s own Financial and Contract Procedure Rules.
· To enable timely and effective delivery of schemes within the single-year funding timeframe.
The Director of City Development noted that the intention was to focus on good jobs. He added that because of the timeframe, the programme had to align with current programmes. He noted that the programme allowed scope for codesigning across sectors.
The Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care noted that the Trailblazer funding would support people to be independent. She noted that she knew the challenges faced by people and that with the right support they could thrive. She added that he schemes could be tailored to support people’s needs and she was looking forward to how the programme and initiatives would be used across the city.
The Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture thanked officers, noting that the turnaround for the Trailblazer would be quick. He noted that it would be fair to ask how the money would be spent and he noted that the money would be spent sticking to the social model of disability. It was then;
Resolved: That the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture gave approval:
1. To accept funding worth £1,038,250 from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) to deliver and/or commission the individual projects and schemes set out in the published report as part of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme.
2. For the City of York Council (CYC) to enter into a Grant Agreement with YNYCA for the above funding.
3. To the delegation of authority to the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Director of Governance, to:
· Negotiate and conclude the Grant Agreement and any modifications/extensions.
· Commence and conclude any compliant procurement processes in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and the Procurement Act 2023.
· Negotiate and agree any onward grant agreements or financial assistance to third parties, ensuring compliance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
Reasons:
1. To support economically inactive residents back into employment, improve public health, reduce inequality, and enhance affordability.
2. To ensure compliance with the relevant legal frameworks: Subsidy Control Act 2022, Procurement Act 2023, and the Council’s own Financial and Contract Procedure Rules.
3. To enable timely and effective delivery of schemes within the single-year funding timeframe.
Cllr Lomas, Chair
[The meeting started at 10:00am and finished at 10:24am].