Agenda item

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on a matter directly relevant to the business of the Council or the City, may do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 16 September 2025.

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form. If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting please contact Democratic Services. Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this public meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission.  The remote public meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

Peter Rollings spoke on behalf of Rufforth with Knapton Parish Council, expressing concerns relating to Item 10a, Constitutional Changes, the proposed changes to planning committee. He noted his disappointment that parish councils had not been consulted on the proposals and stated that the minimum size of developments to go to planning committee was not appropriate for smaller, rural communities and that this would lead to a lack of public scrutiny.  He asked for the proposals to be rejected or deferred so that consultation with parish councils could be undertaken.

Edward Pearson also spoke in relation to Item 10a, Constitutional Changes, the proposed changes to planning committee, on behalf of Haxby Town Council. He stated that the lack of consultation breached the principles of the Parish Charter and damaged trust. Without consultation, amendments and mitigations to reduce the impact of the changes could not be achieved.

Helen Widdowson spoke on behalf of Spare Handle Co-housing to describe the benefits of co-housing for the city.  She stated that the group could assist the council in achieving its goals in relation to housing. She invited Councillors Pavlovic and Smalley to a meeting so that they could learn more about the initiative.

Jake Furby, Co-Chair of Trustees for York LGBTQ+ forum, spoke to the council’s responsibility to ensure the safety of marginalised communities. He explained that safe and accessible spaces in the city were essential to achieve this. He asked that city councillors commit to working with all marginalised groups to ensure that public and civic spaces were safe.

Michael Kearney, a resident, stated that hate crime was rising, and that the flags recently seen in York symbolised hate and intolerance against migrants and other marginalised groups. He called for safe social spaces for the LGBTQ+ community in York.

Bigby Eris Waterson spoke about venues being unwilling to host events for the transgender and non-binary communities, stating that there was a lack of council and police support for ‘queer folk’ and noting that a safe, affordable space was needed.

Stevastian Hook called on the council to recognise the need for queer safe spaces, identifying a lack of venues, especially in the evening, that were fully inclusive. They also stated that there was no queer art scene in the city.

Heather Disley, a resident, spoke to York’s position as a global city, attractive to international visitors and students and recently identified by the Guardian as one of the country’s happiest places to live. She stated that flags eroded this feeling and were divisive symbols. She called for investment in anti-racism training for CYC staff and tourism businesses.

Ryan Wilson, a resident, stated that residents were feeling frightened and threatened. He asked that the council work with, and build positive links with, communities to show that York is welcoming and inclusive. 

Isabella Langdon, a PHD engineering student, studying in York, stated that there were many recent examples of hate crime in the city but that this shift in attitude was reversible. She emphasised the importance of making visitors to York feel welcome and safe.