Issue - meetings

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Executive’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is 10:00 am on Monday 24 July 2006.

It was reported that there had been three registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.  Each was invited to speak for three minutes, in accordance with the scheme.

Gary Miller spoke in relation to agenda item 6 (Relocation of Peasholme Centre – Site Analysis), as the landlord of the Masons Arms next door to the potential relocation site at 4 Fishergate.  He raised questions about the space required for Council office accommodation on the Hungate site and the Council’s ability to afford this development and indicated that he had contacted Hugh Bayley and the Ombudsman with a view to preventing the Centre being relocated to 4 Fishergate.

Allan Hymer also spoke in relation to item 6, on behalf of residents living near to the 4 Fishergate site.  He expressed strong opposition to the Peaseholme Centre being relocated to this site, stating that it would attract an undesirable element and have an adverse effect on house values in the area.  He criticised the organisation and recording of the public meeting held on 14 July and requested that a further meeting be arranged to which residents be invited by post.  He expressed the view that 4 Fishergate had been “earmarked” from the start as the preferred site as the Council did not want the Peasholme Centre on the same site as their new offices.

With the consent of the Chair, Cllr D’Agorne addressed the meeting in respect of item 6, as Ward Member for Fishergate ward.  He expressed support for the work carried out by the Peasholme Centre but was concerned that the reasons for the proposed relocation had not been made clear to local residents.  In particular, the minutes of the Executive meeting on 22 November 2005, when options for the new Council accommodation were discussed, had not been made available at the public meeting.  A more suitable relocation site on Piccadilly had already been ruled out for financial reasons during previous discussions on the Arc Light relocation.  It was important to the long term success of the Centre to involve local residents in the decision and ensure that community needs were met.

Christopher Hartley spoke regarding agenda item 10 (Lendal Bridge Sub-Station, Wellington Row), as the lessee of a nearby building on Lendal Bridge.  He expressed support for the idea of converting the premises for use as a cycle store and suggested that this would also enable the roof space to be let as a separate area.

Note:               Cllrs Reid and Jamieson-Ball left the room for the duration of the comments on agenda item 6, returning to hear the comments on agenda item 10..