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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Economy and Place Policy and Scrutiny Committee |
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Date |
8 March 2023 |
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Present |
Councillors K Taylor (Chair), Cuthbertson [until 19.02], Daubeney [until 19.27], Hook, Pearson, D Taylor and Looker (Substitute for Cllr Kilbane) |
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In Attendance
Apologies |
Andrew Morrison (Chief Executive Officer, York Civic Trust) [until 18.46] Professor Anthony May (Chair of York Civic Trust Transport Advisory Group and Environment Committee) [until 18.46] Tony Clarke (York Central Highway Authority Lead) James Gilchrist (Director of Environment, Transport) Helene Vergereau (Planning, Traffic and Highway Development Manager) Cllr D’Agorne (Executive Member for Transport) Cllr Mason (Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning)
Cllr Kilbane |
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16. Declarations of Interest [17.32]
Members were asked to declare, at this point in the meeting, any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interest that they might have in respect of the business on the agenda. There were none.
17. Minutes [17.33]
Concerning the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2023, under the public participation, a Member confirmed that he would contact the Guildhall regarding problems with access to accessible toilets.
Resolved: That;
i. the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2023 and 30 January 2023 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
ii. the Democracy Officer follow up with the Head of Economy on circulating information to Members on inward investment from the meeting held on 17 January 2023.
18. Public Participation [17.34]
It was reported that there had been two registrations to speak under the Councils Public Participation Scheme.
Flick Williams spoke on agenda items 4 - York Civic Trust 9 Cities and 5 - City Centre Café Licences. She thanked officers for their diligent enforcement of café licence actions. She explained that a number of disabled visitors may not revisit the city. She noted that a lack of parking, accessible seating and accessible toilets remained a barrier to access and she asked what enforcement was in place regarding the A boards. She added that she had counted 18 A boards in the footstreets alone with many situated where it was hazardous. She further added that there was still work to do on this and regarding the York Civic Trust 9 Cities findings she was fearful of the impact on disabled people.
Dave Merrett spoke on agenda item 6 – Highways update. He raised an issue regarding works being prioritised as some sections were severely degraded. He explained that the state of some roads was potentially dangerous for cyclists. In respect of the Lendal gyratory he raised the question of how works were being prioritised. A Member suggested that the points raised by Dave Merrett could be addressed under agenda item 5.
19. York Civic Trust 9 cities [17.42]
In April 2021, York Civic Trust were invited by council officers to research some possible case studies from which the Council might learn in preparing its new Local Transport Plan (LTP4). The Trust selected nine cities from England and continental Europe which share some common characteristics with York in terms of size, geography, economy and history. The overall summary of what the Trust saw as the key messages from the nine case studies was detailed in Section 6 of their Transport Strategy for York, which was included at Annex 1 of the report and the draft case studies are included at Annexes 2-10 of the report.
In attendance at the meeting from York Civic Trust were Andrew Morrison (Chief Executive Officer) and Professor Anthony May (Chair of our Transport Advisory Group and Environment Committee). Professor May thanked the Committee for their invite to the meeting. He explained the case studies noting that the Trust had offered visits and to work up two or three case studies, which had not been taken forward by the council. He noted the strategic messages from the case studies. Andrew Morrison explained that the request for the case studies came from the council Assistant Director Policy and Strategy as it was linked to engagement in using other cities as case studies which was around transport but not principally around engagement.
In response to questions raised by Members, Professor May and Andrew Morrison explained that:
· The research was about looking at participation in the broadest sense, starting with the vision then the strategy. Reference was made to the International Association of Public Participation and the levels of engagement detailed by the Association were explained.
· An integrated approach was needed to all modes of transport and there needed to be a reduction of 15% to be free of congestion and 20% to reduce emissions. This needed to be made attractive and communities needed designing so that there was no need to travel for amenities.
· Some cities used revenue from road pricing to invest in transport. The Trust said it would be a good idea to commission a study on it. The value of looking at case studies was that those cities had been through the changes and offered a valuable way of learning.
· Regarding drawing from successful approaches from the nine cities, the Trust had offered to work up two or three case studies. This involved looking at what did work and analysing it in terms of York.
· Regarding the impact of changes in political administration, an all party informal members group had been formed in 2021 and there would be an election this could be an all party group. It was noted that there were coalitions in European countries and different government structures.
[The Director of Transport, Environment and Planning noted the benefits of getting buy in from residents. He noted the focus on overarching strategy in the transport plan and credited Cllr D’Agorne for setting up the cross party group, which still met. He added that the draft transport strategy was considered by that group before going to Executive].
· There would be a joint strategy for York and North Yorkshire that would need to be signed off by the new Lord Mayor. Regarding rural North Yorkshire and urban York, there was a need to get a balance and there would be areas of conflicting need which would need to be resolved in advance of March 2024.
· The Groves scheme had been beneficial to that community and more of that type of scheme would help produce a 20% reduction in emissions. Enforcement models in different cities was discussed.
Resolved: That it be recommended that the Executive Member for Transport work with York Civic Trust and relevant officers on taking the report forward with two or three case studies and focus on building public buy in into medium and long term traffic strategies.
Reason: To improve public buy in into medium and long term traffic strategies.
The Chair thanked Andrew Morrison and Professor May for attending the meeting and they left the meeting at 18.46.
20. City Centre Café Licences [18.46]
Members considered a report that provided an update on the current policy of City Centre Café Licences, the number of licences issued, the enforcement approach and future changes once the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill is enacted. The Traffic and Highway Development Manager outlined the report.
The Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning was in attendance to answer Member questions. In response to Member questions, the Traffic and Highway Development Manager and Director of Transport, Environment and Planning explained that:
· Enforcement action around A boards was separate to café licences and officers on visits to the city centre could ask for A boards to be removed.
· The new policy included a width of 1.5m on footways to remain available for people to pass by café areas. Licences taking the whole of the footway would only be allowed if the footway was level with the carriageway in pedestrianised areas. Local guidance followed national guidance. If the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill was not passed before summer the temporary deregulated regime may be given a further extension of a year.
· An online course about counter terrorism awareness was a requirement of a café licence.
· At present café licences were delivered through highways and the temporary legislation removed the requirement for planning permission.
· The reason for the refusal of ten café licence applicationswas because the cafes could not preserve a 1.5m width on the footway. Licence breaches included barriers not being set up correctly and some cafes had been using the area outside their premises without a licence.
[Cllr Cuthbertson left the meeting at 19.02]
· Regarding feedback from businesses regarding the support offered to them, they were appreciative of the team that had been on site to advise them. They also fed back that they needed to provide too much information for their application.
· Regarding staffing, there were two members of staff doing some rounds of visits and Gough and Kelly also check the cafes and provide reports to CYC.
· If there was the same issue following a warning, a second warning would be issued. If it was a new issue, a new warning would be issued. The definition of new issues was detailed in the categories within the policy.
· With reference to the LGA representation on national legislation, seizing furniture would not be good. It was preferable to have the same enforcement powers as in London where fines can be issued for licence breaches.
· The Access Officer was involved in the process and their involvement was explained.
Resolved: That;
i. It be recommended that the Committee consider adding café licences to their workplan for the new municipal year.
ii. Members note the report on the current policy, number of licences issued, enforcement approach at present and future changes once the Levelling up and Regeneration Bill is enacted.
Reason: In order to be updated on café licences.
21. Highways Maintenance, Capital Programme & Major Development Highways Impacts Update, Scheduling & Planning Report [19.13]
The Committee considered a report that provided an update on highways maintenance, the capital programme and major highways developments. It includes an update on major development highways impacts including scheduling and planning. The York Central Highway Authority Lead gave an overview of the report.
The York Central Highway Authority Lead, Director of Environment, Transport and Planning, Traffic and Highway Development Manager and Executive Member for Transport were in attendance to answer questions. Officers were asked and explained that:
· The city had a transport model that covered the whole transport network.
[Cllr Daubeney left the meeting at 19.27]
· The most disruptive elements of the works on Water End, Leeman Road, and York railway station would be timetabled to occur at different times where possible. However, there would be individual elements and projects that would overlap owing to the volume of works occurring in the city over the next few years.
· The management of the station works was explained.
· Regarding the possibility of interim bus stops on Clifford Street due to the closure of Coppergate, work was being undertaken on a review of bus operations and the request would be fed back.
· Further dates on the work for the station frontage could not be given as the contract was not yet in place.
· Work on the A19/A1237 junction was in an application for resurfacing work on the A19. Work on roads in Askham Richard and Moor Lane was a highways maintenance issue.
· Councillors were asked to report their concerns about highways to the council.
· Work on Lendal Bridge would be major and the programming and timing of the work was yet to be determined. As the Highways Authority, the council had the opportunity to be flexible with the timing depending on what the detailed condition survey came back with.
· The Water End closure would affect the no10 bus service and an extra bus service to the city centre, paid for by the York Central developers, was being potentially looked at.
· Bus operators would be notified of temporary traffic orders. Councillors and residents were encouraged to sign up to traffic alerts.
· Regarding residents receiving a hard copy of information on the closure of Water end, they should receive a letter from the developers regarding the activity.
· There had been a media briefing to explain the scale of works planned and how the council will work with the media proactively to disseminate information.. The council would be looking at how Leeds City Council communicated highways work on its website. Information on highways works was also included on road signage.
· Regarding section 278 works on Wigginton Road, which relate to the Nestle South development, there would be a remodel of the junction and a relocation of the bus stops.
· Concerning any associated roadworks with the Haxby station scheme, these were unlikely to have a significant network impact, and would be considered through the planning and streetworks processes.
· Regarding works on the National Railway Museum, from a regulatory point of view the council had an obligation to be reasonable in assisting the delivery of the scheme and would follow the due regulatory processes in accordance with decisions made by Members.
· There was a balance to be struck regarding the timings and impacts of highways works.
Resolved: That it be recommended that the Committee consider adding an quarterly update on highways and regular updates on the highways capital programme to their workplan for the new municipal year.
Reason: In order to be updated on highways.
22. Work Plan [20.01]
Resolved: That it be recommended that the Committee consider adding café licences, a quarterly update on highways and regular updates on the highways capital programme to their workplan for the new municipal year.
Reason: In order to be keep the workplan updated.
Cllr K Taylor, Chair
[The meeting started at 5.32 pm and finished at 8.02 pm].