C I T Y   O F   Y O R K   C O U N C I L

S U M M O N S

 

All Councillors, relevant Council Officers and other interested parties and residents are formally invited to attend a meeting of the City of York Council at York Racecourse, to consider the business contained in this agenda on the following date and time

 

 

 

Thursday, 15 July 2021 at 6.30 pm

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

A G E N D A

 

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1.         Declarations of Interest 

 

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

 

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2.         Minutes  (Pages 1 - 42)

 

To approve and sign the minutes of the Ordinary Council meeting held on 22 March 2021, the Extraordinary meeting held on 4 May 2021 and the Annual meeting held on 27 May 2021.

 

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3.         Civic Announcements 

 

To consider any announcements made by the Lord Mayor in respect of Civic business.

 

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4.         Public Participation 

 

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on a matter directly relevant to the business of the Council or the City, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 13 July 2021.

 

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 public meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission.  The remote public meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

 

During coronavirus, we've made some changes to how we're running council meetings.  See our coronavirus updates at www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy for more information on meetings and decisions.

 

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5.         Petitions 

 

To consider any petitions received from Members in accordance with Standing Order No.15.  No notice of petitions has been received.

 

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6.         Report of Executive Leader, Questions, and Executive Recommendations  (Pages 43 - 52)

 

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

 

Meeting

Date

Recommendations

 

Executive

 

 

 

24 June 2021

 

 

Minute 13: Capital Programme Outturn 2020/21 and Revisions to the 2021/2- 2025/26 Programme

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7.         Report of Deputy Leader and Questions  (Pages 53 - 54)

 

To receive and consider a written report from the Deputy Leader, and to question the Deputy Leader thereon.

 

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8.         Motions on Notice 

 

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order 22:

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

 

(i)           From Cllr Daubeney

 

A Planning System that Works for Residents

 

“Proposed changes to existing planning legislation risk further reducing the democratic oversight and deregulating the planning process, failing to address the need for a balance in the planning system to maintain heritage and accountability.

 

 

 

Council notes:

·        The significant concerns expressed by residents, Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, CPRE and many professional planning bodies and local government representatives over the Conservative Government’s Planning Reforms.

·        Local resident concerns about their reduced ability to object to building works under Permitted Development Rights which have been extended under this Government.

·        Widespread concerns and condemnation of the Planning White Paper proposals across Local Government, The Planning and Architecture Sector, and organisations concerned with protecting green open spaces and heritage.

·        Government proposals to deregulate planning will remove the rights of residents to influence or object to inappropriate development where they live.

·        Local councils, in consultation with their businesses and residents are best placed to understand the issues in their area and respond with a spatial strategy tailored to that area.

 

Consequently, Council resolves to call on the Government to scrap its Planning White Paper and instead:

·        Undertake a wholesale review of Permitted Development Rights.

·        Make the Planning Inspectorate more accountable to local people.

·        Ensure that local resident engagement is at the heart of planning and any reforms do not threaten the accountability and engagement process and Councillors are able to play their democratic role.

·        Implement reforms that would help local authorities build more social housing, including cheaper loans, access to low-priced public land and the right to keep 100 per cent of the sale price of council homes sold off under Right to Buy scheme to reinvest in new homes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

(ii)         From Cllr Doughty

 

Working Towards Improving Democracy and Services

 

“Council acknowledges the challenges Covid-19 has brought to everyday life of our citizens. Many millions have worked tirelessly and shown resilience without complaint in order to help keep the city and country running. This applies to within the Council organisation and we give grateful thanks to them.

 

Council is pleased the UK vaccination programme has been amongst the most advanced, with a sizeable majority of adults having received their first vaccination and a majority (almost two thirds at time of print) of adults now having had their second jabs. Data shows that despite further new Covid cases, the vaccination programme is breaking the link between cases and the levels of serious hospital admissions previously seen.

 

Now, Council believes more ambition is needed by the Council leadership in restoring basic democracy which has been sidelined and improving basic services our residents expect. The administration has shown no urgency to properly restore the Committee Calendar so elected Councillors (not just the Executive) can have oversight and scrutinise decisions being taken. It remains unacceptable for many meetings taking place ‘informally’ with no minutes publicly available for accountability. Concerning for residents is the continued deterioration in basic services, recently including repeatedly late and in many cases completely uncollected green waste, overgrown vegetation which is once again becoming a problem and deteriorating roads and paths throughout the city.

 

Therefore, Council asks that the current administration commits to:

·        Return to work at West Offices of all Directors and Senior management. While working at home might be possible for some tasks sometimes, after 16+ months, a focus on leadership is needed to address some of the service issues experienced here in York.

·        A report to Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee on actions and mitigations taken to save taxpayer money in York. This in light of claims of a £6M funding shortfall in York due to Covid despite record national spending by Government. The report should detail how savings have, are and will be made and also indicate how the Council ensures the upto 20 likely redundancies indicated in local media recently are not amongst frontline key workers directly providing the services that residents value.

·        A commitment to review the Council Committee Calendar in the coming weeks to enable a return to as normal as possible a Calendar.

·        A commitment that Council meetings are held at West Offices where possible, or similar prominent city buildings (ensuring sensible cost) if they have a greater capacity.   It would be hoped that educational establishments such as the universities and Community stadium management etc. would be cognisant that their institutions have already received huge financial assistance (and otherwise) from the taxpayer, directly or via the Council.

·        Risk assessments for possible meeting venues to be shared with all Councillors especially in light of concern that a large City venue, which despite being open to the general public (in large numbers at times) appeared to be discounted for meetings by CYC, on health grounds for CYC staff and Councillors.”

 

(iii)        From Cllr Runciman

 

Fixing Social Care

 

“The past year has further underlined the vital role that our social care services play in supporting our communities. The pandemic has exposed the fragility of those services and amplified the workforce, funding and sustainability challenges.

 

Council notes:

·        Our thanks to all those who work in social care systems, from carers to cleaners and caterers, to those working in care homes and domiciliary care, and those who provide so much care for friends and family, expecting nothing in return.

·        Despite years of promises, the Government has failed to outline a feasible plan which would fix the long term funding issues in social care.

·        Social care must be a full and equal partner with the NHS in enabling more people to remain independent, living in their own home or in their community.

·        Using adult social care precept to fund social care is unsustainable; depending on unfair council tax is not the solution.

·        Social care costs for over-65s have increased in recent years in York as well as the rest of the UK.

 

Consequently, Council resolves:

·        To have all Group leaders jointly call on the new Health and Social Care Secretary to urgently begin cross-party discussions to enable Ministers to bring forward comprehensive plans that would address short and long term funding needs of the care sector.

·        Such proposals should set out:

o   Funding for short-term stabilisation, addressing short-term funding challenges, which have been worsened by Covid, to prevent further deterioration in the access to and quality of care.

o   A long-term plan for social care that sets the priorities for investment and transformation of services and systematically addresses the workforce challenges;

o   A funding settlement that provides local government with the necessary finance to implement the long term plan over the next five years; and

o   Arrangements to protect people from incurring catastrophic care costs by pooling the risk and making the current means-test more comprehensive.”

 

(iv)        From Cllr Melly

 

Ensuring Access for All

 

Council notes:

·        that York is a Human Rights City;

·        that every local authority has a duty under the Equalities Act to enable people to get as close as reasonably possible to where they need to get to;

 

·        that disabled people are not a single homogenous group and therefore a raft of measures may be required in order to make the city centre fully accessible and to appropriately mitigate any reduced vehicular access;

·        that having alternative provision of services - eg online services - is not a substitute for access;

·        the significant numbers of complaints made by Blue Badge holders who feel excluded from the city centre following recent extensions to the pedestrianised footstreets area;

·        that even before the Covid19 access changes, accessibility to York city centre was poor for many residents;

·        the “Healthier, Greener York” motion passed by Council in December 2019 calling for a city-wide approach to reducing car-dependency, which drew a clear distinction between essential and non-essential journeys and which specifically requested that the Executive Member for Transport “works closely with disability advocacy groups and Blue Badge Holders to ensure that access to the city centre is maintained and improved for people with mobility difficulties or who are otherwise unable to use public transport”.

 

Council believes:

·        that there are many benefits to extending the pedestrianised footstreets area for residents, businesses and visitors, including disabled and non-disabled people;

·        that increasing city centre access for some should not come at the cost of creating barriers for others;

·        that accessibility is about meeting the needs of all residents visiting the city centre as opposed to merely ensuring access to the edge of the city’s historic core;

·        that ensuring accessibility includes ensuring sufficient provision of appropriately located seating, toilets, changing places, baby change facilities, cycle racks and Blue Badge parking;

·        that whilst at times the different needs of different disability groups may conflict with one another, City of York Council must not privilege one group over another, nor pit the needs of one group against another;

·        that City of York Council has not yet done enough to ensure the city centre is accessible to all residents.

 

Council resolves to request that the Executive and relevant Executive Member:

·        undertake a review of city centre seating, working closely with older adult and disability advocacy groups, to ensure sufficient ‘rest-stops’ are available throughout the pedestrianised footstreets area;

·        ensure that all new benches installed across York are age and disability friendly, with appropriate backs and arm rests;

·        ensure sufficient provision of fully accessible toilets, baby-changing facilities and changing places that are open at appropriate times and that are well-signposted;

·        undertake a review of cycle rack provision to ensure secure parking is available for the full range of cycles, including mobility aids and trailers;

·        explore options for a frequent shuttle ‘train’/bus that is fully accessible, not limited to Blue Badge Holders, not stigmatising and that enables people to get to and from a range of places within the pedestrianised footstreets area that they need access to;

·        review the provision of charging points for mobility aids such that those who wish to access the city centre via this method can be confident that they will not get stuck and be forced into embarrassing or stressful situations;

·        direct council officers to work with partners, through the Quality Bus Partnership, to work collaboratively with local disability representative groups to review how drivers prioritise wheelchair users’ access and makes Class 3 access training available in York;

·        in conjunction with Age Friendly York, local disability representative groups and Quality Bus Partnership, develop agreed criteria for accessible bus stops;

·        review the policy around choice of road and pavement surfaces city-wide, to ensure that aesthetic and financial considerations are not prioritised over ergonomics or accessibility, and that a consistent approach is taken to tactile paving city-wide;

·        ensure that an easily accessible, up-to-date map of Blue Badge parking is available to residents online and in hard copy upon request;

·        review and consider national best practice examples for pedestrian core accessibility such as Chester and Leicester, and implements measures that improve pre-existing access such that City of York Council meets its obligation to ensure equality of city centre access for all York residents.”

 

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9.         Questions to the Leader or Executive Members 

 

To question the Leader and/or Executive Members in respect of any matter within their portfolio responsibility, in accordance with Standing Order 20.

 

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10.      Report of Executive Member  (Pages 55 - 60)

 

To receive a written report from the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change and to question the Executive Member thereon, in accordance with Standing Order 19.

 

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11.      Scrutiny - Report of the Chair of the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee 

 

To receive a report from Councillor Crawshaw, Chair of the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee, on the work of the Committee (to follow).

 

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12.      Pay Policy 2021/2022 Update  (Pages 61 - 86)

 

To receive for approval the Pay Policy Statement for 2021/2022, which has been updated since the report to Council on 22 March 2021 to reflect changes to the Chief Officer Structure.

 

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13.      Adoption of the LGA Model Code of Conduct for Elected Members 2020  (Pages 87 - 112)

 

To consider a report requesting Council to adopt the LGA Model Code of Conduct for immediate implementation across City of York Councillors and recommend the adoption of the Model Code by Parish Councils.

 

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14.      Update on Allocation of Seats and Appointments to the Council Structure for 2021/22  (Pages 113 - 116)

 

To consider a report which invites Council to make decisions in respect of the allocation of seats and appointments deferred from the Annual Council meeting on 27 May.

 

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15.      Appointments and Changes to Membership  (Pages 117 - 118)

 

To consider the appointments and changes to membership of committees and outside bodies set out on the list attached to this summons.

 

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16.      Urgent Business 

 

Any other business which the Chair considers urgent under the Local Government Act 1972.

 

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Democracy Officer

 

Fiona Young

Contact details:

·        Telephone – (01904) 552030

·        Email fiona.young@york.gov.uk

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For more information about any of the following please contact the Democratic Services Officer responsible for servicing this meeting:

·        Registering to speak

·        Business of the meeting

·        Any special arrangements

·        Copies of reports and

·        For receiving reports in other formats

Contact details are set out above.

 

 

 

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