Agenda item

To question the Leader and/or Executive Members in respect of any matter within their portfolio responsibility, in accordance with Standing Order B11.

Members were invited to question the Leader or Executive Members. Questions were received from the floor from the following Members, and replied to as indicated:

Question to Cllr Webb, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education

From Cllr Nelson: How did the decision come to be that Westfield Primary School would be the first school to pilot free school meals, what was taken into account in that decision?

Response: Westfield Primary School is one of York’s largest primary schools and we want to tackle this issue head on.  In this pilot we need to stress test certain things and starting with a large primary school is a good idea. We tasked officers to look at various primary schools in York to identify a primary school that serves the greatest need in our city. In terms of a primary school that serves vulnerable young people, Westfield was an obvious candidate.

Questions to Cllr Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities

From Cllr Orrell: On 14 June finance officers were asked for details of ward schemes to which funding was allocated and not spent. This request was repeated in July and is now subject to an out of time Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Can Cllr Pavlovic clarify what is happening and when we can expect this information?

Response: I can’t respond regarding when the FOI will be responded to as that’s not my area. In respect of the substantive issue, write to me again and I will get an answer. My understanding is, and we can clarify this with the Statutory 151 Officer, that all schemes that were approved and signed off by officers in the last financial year will be honoured.

Response from the Statutory 151 Officer: I haven’t a detailed list of schemes in front of me but my understanding is that those schemes that were agreed by officers to progress would be honoured.

Supplementary from Cllr Orrell: Can the Executive Member find out when the vehicular activated signs (VAS) will be installed on North Lane, Huntington?

Response: I will certainly find out when it’s going to be installed.

From Cllr Melly: What is the Executive Member doing about the increasing problem in the Guildhall Ward with tenants legal rights in the private rental sector that aren’t always upheld. People are being given large renting freezes without the proper legal processes being followed. There are many unlicensed Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), and many people are finding that essential repairs aren’t being made and basic housing standards aren’t being met.

Response: I had my second Decision Session yesterday and at that meeting we agreed to support Justice for Tenants, which is an organisation that the council will work with to support tenants that are living in HMOs that are either unlicensed or that have poor conditions. We hope it will encourage those unlicensed HMO’s to come forward. We believe there could be up to 800 unlicensed HMOs that have not come forward since additional licensing was introduced in April 2023.

Supplementary from Cllr Warters: Have you any update as to the progress of the review of the HMO Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)?

Response: Hopefully the Local Plan will be responded to by the Inspectors in time for November Full Council, and then the SPD’s will be following shortly thereafter. I did speak to the Strategic Planning Team about the HMO SPD and it is progressing.

Question to Cllr Coles, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care

From Cllr Smalley: Please confirm that all York’s public swimming pools will remain open and won’t see any cuts during the length of your administration.

Response: I have had a number of conversations about leisure and cultural activities across the city, including swimming pools, and everything is incredible valued across the city. However, the budgetary situation is that we have a £10m in year shortfall. There has been no decisions made about anything to do with swimming pools. I will happily provide you with more information about the pools in the city. 

Supplementary from Cllr Warters: Can you elaborate on how much improvement they could be to the city’s swimming pools with an extra £900k a year, that is currently going to service the loan on the Guildhall.

Response: That £900k would be extremely welcomed in any of our huge areas of challenge in our budget setting for next year but as it is, we don’t have it.

From Cllr Whitcroft: What work is being undertaken to address the health inequalities across the city?

Response: Health inequalities is at the heart of everything we are trying to do along with environment, affordability, and human rights. Smoking is one of the biggest drivers of health inequalities and I’d like to pay tribute to our Health Trainers who have been out every day to support residents/officers to stop smoking. Local Area Co-Ordinators are also doing some really positive work to reduce health inequalities, and the Council Plan has a core principle around health. We are committed to doing as much as we can as an administration to reduce health inequalities across the city.