Issue - meetings

This report sets out options and proposed actions for sustaining the activities of the City Centre Partnership, following the decision not to proceed with the establishment of a Business Improvement District (BID) at the present time. 

RESOLVED: That the following actions, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report, be approved to sustain the activities of the YCCP:

a)                 To raise with the new single tourism partnership opportunities to link city centre management more closely to visitor management.

b)                 To consider the appropriateness of maintaining the existing YCCP, taking into account its current activities as highlighted in Annex 1 to the report, and explore with partners the opportunity for continued funding to sustain the City Centre Partnership.

c)                  To review the scope for sustaining the current activities of the City Centre Partnership through the Council’s city centre operations team and as part of the process of developing a City Centre action plan under the Local Development Framework.

d)                 To explore the opportunities for engagement with retail businesses through closer working with the Chamber of Commerce.

e)                 To report back to the Executive once the above actions have been pursued.

REASON:      To help shape the effectiveness of future action.

Members considered a report which set out options and proposed actions for sustaining the activities of the York City Centre Partnership (YCCP), following the YCCP Board’s decision not to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) at the present time.  Proposals for reviewing membership and terms of reference for the YCCP had also been considered by the Economic Development Partnership Board at their meeting on 29 November.

A summary of the activities of the YCCP since its establishment in July 2005 was attached as Annex 1 to the report.  This included the achievement of a significant number of actions within the current action plan, which covered the period March 2006 to March 2008.  It was now considered appropriate to review the models of city centre management, as reported to the YCCP, and whether any of these were particularly relevant to York.  Details of these models were attached as Annex 2.  It was noted that a key element would be to confirm the likely funding and support from partners for the YCCP.  The Chamber of Commerce had already indicated a willingness to be involved in further actions to engage with businesses within the city centre.

Recommended actions were set out in paragraph 14 of the report.  As there was currently no budgetary provision to support the YCCP beyond September 2008, any financial implications would be the subject of a further report to Executive.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: That the following actions, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report, be approved to sustain the activities of the YCCP:

a)                 To raise with the new single tourism partnership opportunities to link city centre management more closely to visitor management.¹

b)                 To consider the appropriateness of maintaining the existing YCCP, taking into account its current activities as highlighted in Annex 1 to the report, and explore with partners the opportunity for continued funding to sustain the City Centre Partnership.²

c)                  To review the scope for sustaining the current activities of the City Centre Partnership through the Council’s city centre operations team and as part of the process of developing a City Centre action plan under the Local Development Framework.³

d)                 To explore the opportunities for engagement with retail businesses through closer working with the Chamber of Commerce.⁴

e)                 To report back to the Executive once the above actions have been pursued.⁵

REASON:      To help shape the effectiveness of future action.