Agenda item

 To receive and consider a written report from the Leader and ask questions on the work of the Executive, and to consider the Executive recommendations for approval, as set out below:

A written report was received from the Executive Leader, Cllr Douglas, on the work of the Executive.

Members were then invited to question the Leader on her report. Questions were received from the floor from the following Members in relation to the subjects listed and replied to as indicated:

Free School Meals

From Cllr Fenton: Under the approach being pursued by the administration, can you please confirm your latest estimate when the rest of York’s primary schools can expect free school meals to be offered to all pupils?

Response: It’s been really heartening to work with the steering group and the front faces of the campaign, the Archbishop of York and the Captain of the York Valkyries, to help us to get going with the fund raising. We are in the process of going out to the high value donors within the city who can really start to bring in some substantial funding alongside smaller amounts that we will go live with later in the year. As far as a timeline goes, we will move towards getting the meals out to other schools. We are first of all putting it into areas of disadvantage and deprivation, so Westfield and Clifton, who are very much in need of free school meals. We are testing out what works. It’s been interesting to look at the differences between free school lunches and breakfasts. So far headteachers have been very supportive of the breakfast idea. Bringing children into school early to eat together in a calm environment, we have persistent absentees back in school.

Supplementary from Cllr Fenton: In terms of the fund raising efforts as they stand, can you give us a quick update on where you are at the moment in terms of the level of funding that has been secured?

Supplementary Response: The work of the steering group has been requested to go to scrutiny later in the year. Budget funding from the council is enough to provide breakfasts at Burton Green and we also recently secured a commitment from our public health partners. We are moving into the next stage. I have been speaking to a fund raiser who has a great deal of contacts within the city on the high net worth elements, so we hope to accelerate that but we are doing it in a financially responsible way.

Supplementary from Cllr Warters: Is the council funding being supported by third-party contributions, and if so, by how much?

Supplementary Response: As far as the businesses and community fund raising goes, we wanted to bring in the amount to get the pilot going. That has been done and funding has been secured for two years at Burton Green Primary School, which is around £40,000. We also have the funding for Westfield Primary School as well, which is ongoing, and committed to through the medium term financial strategy for the period of our administration. The health funding is for a period of one year at this point in time. We are doing silent fund raising from the community at University of York. We are starting in a proper and appropriate way.  It’s looking very positive but it’s not easy. It’s a city wide approach and our partners in the University of York and University of Leeds are looking at the different models, the lunches versus the breakfasts, how it works and the best approach to take, so we can move forward in a measured way.

Security Barriers

From Cllr Rowley: The security barrier placed on the main arterial route of Spurriergate to Low Ousegate has not functioned at all for the last 6-8 weeks. When will that be working and how serviceable are the other barriers we have in the city?

Response: It has been rather disappointing and frustrating for all of us to see that they are not working quite as well as we would have been expecting. My understanding is that they work as a system and not all of them are connected up yet. Not until that is done can they all work independently. Cllr Kilbane tells me that it is in process but at this point in time we don’t have a definitive date. We can get you more information on that. 

B – Executive Recommendation

Cllr Douglas moved, and Cllr Kilbane seconded, the following recommendation contained in Minute 101 of the Executive meeting held on 20 February 2024.

Minute 101 York Tourism Strategy

Recommended:

 i.    Thanked the Tourist Advisory Board (TAB) for their work in preparing a new York Tourism Strategy and recommended the strategy to Full Council so that it can be adopted on behalf of the city.¹

Reason: To recognise the work undertaken by TAB and industry partners in preparing the strategy, and to support the growth of the York economy and the Council’s priorities of affordability, environment, equalities and human rights, and health and wellbeing.

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED, and it was

Resolved:  That the above recommendation be approved.¹

[An adjournment took place between 8:08 pm and 8:26 pm]