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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning |
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Date |
21 March 2023 |
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Present |
Councillor Mason |
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Officers in attendance |
James Gilchrist, Director of Environment, Transport and Planning Simon Brereton, Head of Economic Growth Helene Vergereau, Traffic and Highway Development Manager |
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24. Declarations of Interest (16:00)
The Executive Member was asked to declare, at this point in the meeting, any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registerable interests he might have in respect of business on the agenda, if he had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. None were declared.
25. Minutes (16:00)
Resolved: That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 January 2023 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Executive Member.
26. Public Participation (16:00)
It was reported that there had been three registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Councillor Mark Warters spoke on agenda item 4 - Hull Road Verges Status. He called for a full appraisal of annex A to be delivered alongside a covering letter to all residents on Hull Road before the decision is made to allow them to consider the implications. He concluded by stating the negative impacts of this decision for residents and requesting that the Executive Member defers this decision.
Gwen Swinburn also spoke on agenda item 4. She asked the Executive Member to defer the decision to allow the Council to receive legal advice and approach landowners on Hull Road to compensate them. She also spoke about private grass areas in the Hull Road ward being cut by public funds.
Ben Rich spoke on agenda item 5 - Inclusive Growth Fund – Final Allocation. He spoke on the ‘Big Tent Ideas and Festival Summit’ and explained its purpose was to stimulate regeneration and support left behind communities through political engagement. He listed the organisations involved in the event and the speakers attending before thanking the Council for considering to support the event.
27. Hull Road Verges Status (16:09)
The Executive Member considered a report which detailed the Planning Authority’s position on the status of the Hull Road verges, located between Nursery Gardens and number 315 Hull Road (to the north of the A1079).
The Traffic and Highway Development Manager detailed the report and explained that the status of the Hull Road verges needed clarifying, with some parts proposed to become adopted highway. She then stated that the Council was also planning on serving notices and writing to residents and that they had a right to object to the process.
In response to questions from the Executive Member, the Traffic and Highway Development Manager and Director of Environment, Transport and Planning stated that:
· The Planning Authority’s position needed clarifying to determine what it would deem the land to be in planning terms, if it was going to be developed. As the land on the verges is not within the curtilage of the dwellings, the use of the verge for parking would be a change of use of the land and would require planning permission.
· If residents objected to the process, it would then be independently looked at and the Council could take the decision further if necessary or negotiate with landowners.
The Executive Member requested that, outside of serving notices, Officers engage with residents further so that they were fully informed of the decision, which they agreed to do.
Resolved:
i. That the Planning Authority’s position on the status of the Hull Road verges, located between Nursery Gardens and number 315 Hull Road (to the north of the A1079), subject to any valid objection received in relation to the adoption process pursuant to Section 228 Highways Act 1980, be approved.
Reason: To provide clarity to existing and future landowners.
ii. That the attached draft Director Decision presenting the proposed approach to the adoption of part of the verges as highway maintainable at the public expense pursuant to Section 228 Highways Act 1980, be noted.
Reason: To protect the rights of highway users and provide clarity to existing and future landowners.
28. Inclusive Growth Fund – Final Allocation (16:16)
The Executive Member considered a report which provided a final update on the actions set out in the Inclusive Growth Fund.
The Head of Economic Growth presented the report and detailed the eight inclusive growth fund projects across the city alongside the work they completed and the benefits they brought.
He concluded by explaining that £50k of the ‘Greening our Retail Estate’ funding remained unallocated and that there was sufficient funding to provide a grant of £30k be provided to support the York ‘Big Tent Ideas and Festival Summit’ in June 2023, should the Executive Member be minded to do so. He noted that the balance of unallocated funding would be used to support pressures elsewhere in the Council budget.
The Executive Member praised the progress made and;
Resolved:
i. That the progress that has been made on the agreed Inclusive Growth Fund projects be noted.
Reason: So that the Council nurtures a pipeline of projects that positively address inclusive growth in the City of York.
ii. That a final allocation of £30k from the inclusive growth fund to support inclusive growth aspects of the Big Tent Festival be made.
Reason: To support inclusive growth in the City of York.
Councillor Mason, Executive Member
[The meeting started at 4.00 pm and finished at 4.23 pm].