Agenda and draft minutes

At this point in the meeting, Members and co-opted members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

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.

Cllr Merrett noted that he had non-prejudicial interests relating to agenda items York local Transport Strategy and the Work Plan as he was currently as member of the York Bus Forum, York Cycle Campaign, and Yorkshire Forum for water companies independent group set up by OFWAT.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Economy, Place, Access, and Transport Policy and Scrutiny Committee meetings held on 25 March 2024 and 25 April 2024.

Resolved: The Committee agreed the minutes of the 25 March 2024 and 25 April 2024 meetings be signed as a correct record with grammatical corrections.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. Members of the public may speak on agenda items or on matters within the remit of the Committee.

Please note that our registration deadlines are set as 2 working days before the meeting, in order to facilitate the management of public participation at our meetings. The deadline for registering at this meeting is 5:00pm on Friday 17 May 2024.

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form. If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting, please contact Democratic Services. Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

During coronavirus, we made some changes to how we ran council meetings, including facilitating remote participation by public speakers. See our updates (www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy) for more information on meetings and decisions.

It was reported that there had been three registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Flick Williams raised concerns about bus stop bypasses for disabled and older residents. She also hoped for more disability and inclusive design training for Council officers and noted that the local transport strategy should not further disadvantage disabled individuals who already make less journeys in the city.

Andy D’Agorne stated that the new Executive Member for Transport and Labour York and North Yorkshire Mayor would need to deliver to reach a reduction in car usage by 71%. He noted concern that the Council had been treading water in reaching previously set targets. He also suggested a review of areas such as Tadcaster Road.

Anthony May spoke on behalf of York Civic Trust and welcomed the high level of public support for the 10 policy areas in the Local Transport Strategy consultation. He noted that the Civic trust had updated its best practice case studies. He noted that changes were needed in travel throughout the city not just the city centre.

This paper outlines the principal areas of activity, in the view of officers, which a new Transport Strategy for York should contain.  It is presented to Scrutiny for discussion and comment in advance of Executive in June where more developed proposals will be made. 

Officers introduced the report and provided the Committee with two presentations on Local Transport Strategy Consultation Results and Local Transport Strategy Options.

The Committee welcomed the positive response to the 10 focus areas of the York Transport Strategy from the consultation. The Committee discussed ensuring that action is taken to devise the strategy along the lines proposed. Officers confirmed that work was not starting from scratch and that work continued on the York station frontage, Haxby station, and improvements to park and ride sites. It was also confirmed that the Council would aim to deliver highways improvements when maintenance work would be undertaken. Quick wins were also noted including small changes to traffic light timings in areas such as Blossom Street to make pedestrians journeys safer and faster.

Members enquired about the responses in the Local Transport Strategy consultation about expectations on car dependency. Officers confirmed that the response showed that the expected dependency on car journeys reflected opinion on the current network, therefore, to encourage model change then improvements to other forms of travel would be required throughout the network. The incoming Executive Member for Transport confirmed that the Movement and Place plan would consider and aim to develop healthier and wealthier places and consider how we wish to use those spaces. Members agreed that it was important for the Council to bring people with its plans to change transport in the city and requested that the Council ensure Ward teams, who tackle local transport issues, are engaged with. 

The Committee discussed challenges of reducing car dependency and how people used their cars in and around the city. Members considered the current data for usage of the inner ring road, with particular focus on the use of the “Central Route” though the middle of York – from Micklegate and Rougier Street to Tower Street, crossing the river on Ouse Bridge. Members noted that the aim to meet the Council’s climate change targets required a reduction in car travel but not a complete end to private car usage – with a 20% fall int eh number of car trips implying that 80% of car trips still took place and many journeys would still go ahead for those who needed to make them such a blue badge holders.

Members also discussed alternative forms of transport to car travel and the role of public transport in the strategy. Concerns were raised regarding a reduction in bus services from operators, which would make public transport less effective and could reduce usage. A number of potential improvements and opportunities were discussed relating to bus travel that included the need for plans to tackle congestion in the city centre to speed up bus journeys, a city centre turning circle to allow buses to not be restricted to journeys across the whole network, and changing park and ride sites to become transport hubs for bus travel. Members also expressed hope that the opportunity of greater regional cooperation with the new Mayoralty could improve rural access to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s draft work plan for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The Committee considered its work plan for 2024-25. It was confirmed that the Dial and Ride task and finish group would report back to the Committee’s 25 June 2024 meeting. It was also confirmed that Yorkshire Water had confirmed there attendance for the 25 June 2024 meeting. Members also noted Cllr Steward’s proposal for a task and finish group considering Recycling, Reusing and Reducing (including composting). The Committee agreed to consider the proposed task and finish group at its next meeting once its membership had been confirmed for 2024-25.

Resolved:

                      i.         Noted the Committee work plan.

Reason:     To ensure the Committee maintains a programme of work.