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City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
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Meeting |
Economy and Place Policy and Scrutiny Committee |
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Date |
26 July 2022 |
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Present |
Councillors K Taylor (Chair), Daubeney (Vice-Chair), Hook, Pearson [from 17:38], Kilbane, Cuthbertson [from 18:03 until 20:09], and D Taylor |
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In Attendance |
Councillor Widdowson (Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change) Tracey Carter (Director for Housing, Economy and Regeneration) Shaun Gibbons (Head of Carbon Reduction) |
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7. Declarations of Interest [17:35]
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. None were declared.
8. Minutes [17:35]
Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 April 2022 be approved subject to the amendment of typos in bullet point three of Quarter 3 Finance Monitor item.
[Cllr Pearson joined the meeting at 17:38]
9. Public Participation [17:38]
Cllr Fitzpatrick referred to the Make it York (MiY) Business Plan. She explained that as Guildhall Ward Councillor, the city centre came within her remit. As part of this she had spoken with the Shambles Market Traders, and she explained their concern regarding the lack of communication from MiY. She noted that they had been having monthly meetings with the Market Manager and the suggested the inclusion of a city market charter.
10. Make it York (MIY) Update [17:44]
Members considered a Report detailing how MiY supported the visitor economy and place making. The MiY Managing Director, MiY Head of Culture and MiY Wellbeing and Senior Marketing and Communications Manager were in attendance to present the report. The MiY Managing Director noted that MiY was a complex organisation covering four areas with 609 members. She outlined of the four key areas from their Service Level Agreement (SLA). She detailed the number of visitors to York and the governance arrangements for MiY.
Members then asked a number of questions in relation to the update to which the MiY officers clarified that:
· They had been looking at funding to put the managed poster sites in place.
· There were 110 traders on the Shambles Market. The York Market Traders Forum met monthly and those meetings were minuted. MiY had worked with food traders (there was 18 food vendors with 17 in operation) as a separate group. They had also provided additional support for marketing at the request of market traders.
· During Q1 in 2019, 19% of visitors to the city had visited Shambles Market and this was 60% in the most recent survey. MiY had been working with NABMA (organisation representing markets across the UK) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the market, and to look at trading on Mondays and Tuesdays when the market was quiet. It was noted that this work could be shared with the scrutiny committee.
· MiY had worked with council officers on the levelling up fund and shared prosperity fund, and it was also in discussion with security and cleansing providers.
· The York Market Traders Federation (YMTF) had 22 members and MiY would consult widely with traders and email all 110 traders with information on the consultation.
· Regarding having traders on the MiY Board, there be issues with confidentiality regarding commercially sensitive information.
· The canopy over the food stalls would be removed and this was an issue for traders, not environmental health.
[Cllr Cuthbertson joined the meeting at 18:03]
· A request for a permanent storage shed at the market had been put to the shared prosperity fund.
· The market strategy would be in development from January 2023 following a health check of the market.
· MiY managed the Market Charter on behalf of the council. The provision of markets would be looked at through the Market Charter.
· Regarding the impact of devolution, MiY was in early discussions with the LEP and DCMS.
· During the pandemic, MiY worked to bring residents into the city centre, had undertaken online work on the cultural sector and worked with businesses to make them covid secure.
· The Visitor Information Centre (VIC) was to be relocated to a more prominent place. MiY had worked with LNER to have a pop up VIC at York Station and VIC volunteers visited different venues in the city.
· MiY was looking at making data more accessible.
· MiY were open to suggestions for pop up VICs.
· MiY were looking at different dates for festivals to avoid them clashing. They would also collaborating with other authorities, for example Leeds LA on the return of Chinese visitors.
· Events throughout the year were being looked at, including another residents festival and improvements to the chocolate festival and food and drink festival. They were also looking at how to engage more with residents on festivals. The ice festival was a good example of residents participating in festivals and MiY was looking at doing a sculpture trail in 2023 that would be year long. They were also looking at creating a York Creates Fund which would involve the auction of the sculptures with 50% going to charity and 50% to the York Creates Fund.
· MiY worked with different groups on accessibility and was open to ideas. They undertook risk assessments for events but not an accessibility audit, which they could look into.
There were no further questions from Members. The Chair thanked MiY for their update and welcomed a further update in 2023.
Resolved: That the MiY update be noted.
Reason: To be kept up to date on the work of MiY.
11. Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change Plans for carbon neutral / carbon zero at York Central [18:28]
The Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change, Director for Housing, Economy and Regeneration and Head of Carbon Reduction were in attendance to give a presentation on York Central Carbon Reduction Principles. The presentation detailed York’s city wide emissions, the York Climate Change Strategy, energy and carbon reduction, building solutions and transport solutions.
Following the presentation, the Executive Member, Director for Housing, Economy and Regeneration and Head of Carbon Reduction were asked and explained that:
· All construction across the UK needed to be net zero.
· The council had statutory functions but owned little of the York Central site, and it was working with its partners (Homes England and Network Rail) to promote its ambitions. Homes England and Network Rail were out to appoint a developer and the council had done an initial design for work on the residential homes on the site, which would be a passivhaus standards. It would also be working with partners on the first phase of the commercial on site to meet BREAMM excellent. There was investment heavily on electricity on the site and there was a need to look at the heating strategy for the site as the heating solutions would change as technology developed. It was noted that Homes England and Network Rail were in support of this as was the National Railway Museum. The council could not make an assessment regarding net zero as it didn’t own all of the site.
· Regarding the council being responsible for 4% of emissions in the city, the reduction in emissions was included in the climate strategy and the council would work to influence business developers and transport. Regarding other large organisations, the NHS was doing work on the hospital and Nestle were doing work on reducing logistics miles.
· The council had wider influence as the Planning Authority and Highways Authority for York Central. The establishment of the Climate Commission was noted. The commission included York University, Nestle, the hospital and York Minster in taking positive action to reduce emissions.
· Regarding the economics of water source heat pumps, energy prices had changed and it would be interesting to look at the impact of this. There was an underground water source on the York Central site that needed further investigation.
· District heat pump network viability depended on cashflow and capital. The business case needed a mechanism for claiming back up front capital.
· Non-residential buildings would be BREAMM excellent. There would be different methodologies for residential and non-residential buildings.
· Concerning managing the carbon impact now, archaeological and demolition surveys were currently being undertaken. As much demotion material as possible would be retained on site.
· A fundamental principle was not to encourage traffic through the site and encourage the use of public transport, walking and cycling first. Parking was limited and there was a one way system through the site.
· The Executive Member did not have information on the building of the arterial road or the specific details of the NRM planning application.
· The NRM stated need was not part of the planning application for the NRM.
· It was clarified that Leeman Road would be diverted.
· Parking at the NRM and multi storey car park would come forward as part of a reserved matters planning application.
· Regeneration of a brownfield site could not all be done at once and it was for the Planning Committee to determine reserved maters applications coming forward.
· There were new active travel opportunities through the site. Reference was made to the NRM Central Hall Sustainability Statement.
· Meeting with key York Central developers was considered by the strategic committee
· The council housing delivery programme on York Central costs were rising and these costs would need to be considered.
Resolved: That the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change Plans for carbon neutral / carbon zero at York Central be noted.
Reason: To be kept up to date on the plans for carbon neutral / carbon zero at York Central be noted.
[The meeting adjourned from 19:20 to 19:27]
12. York BID 5 Year Plan Update [19:27]
The Executive Director of YorkBID was in attendance to give an
update on the YorkBID 5 year plan. The YorkBID Annual Review 2021-22 had circulated with the meeting papers. The Executive Director detailed the challenges coming out of lockdown over the past 12 months and work undertaken in the city including the York gift card scheme, York restaurant week (twice per year) and animating the city, which included the ghost sculptures in the Museum Gardens. He also noted he work undertaken as part of the Jubilee and detailed the footfall data.
In response to Member questions, the Executive Director explained that:
· The footfall data was done on rolling averages on a monthly basis.
· 24% of visitors were from York and there was strong support from its neighbouring districts.
· The spend by sector was based on visa merchant data.
· Regarding the year ahead, the BID was getting feedback regarding concerns from business about inflation and higher food bills.
· Concerning training and development, the BID was working with York St John University on a training academy.
· The overarching support of businesses was to continue to allow them to trade to the best of their ability. There was a need to support the business community as it had done over the last 2-3 years and businesses were realistic about going into a difficult trading period if there were no reductions in rents and the ending of grants from the council.
· There was a need to find balance in the growth of the independent sector.
· The Christmas lights had come to the end of the 4 year scheme and as part of the new scheme the tender included Castlegate and Coppergate. These would be called the winter lights as they would last into winter.
[A Member requested that the winter lights continue in all of Walmgate and that the BID make accessibility training available to all businesses.]
· The BID had invested in a deep cleaning van and would try and work its way through the city centre. They worked closely with the council street cleaning scheme and were happy to develop plans on street cleaning with the council.
· Regarding enhancements to the public realm, the BID would continue with temporary seating. There was a need to continue and improve in discussion with access groups.
[Cllr Pearson left the meeting at 20:09]
· Regarding opportunities for more businesses to trade the Bid could bring businesses together over common themes.
· Concerning foot streets, the BID was conscious that businesses wanted one thing and blue badge holders wanted something different. The proposed reduction in foot street hours was complicated and going back to 5pm did not align with a number of strategies.
The Chair thanked the Executive Director for his update.
Resolved: That the York BID update be noted.
Reason: To be kept up to date on the work of York BID.
13. Work Plan
A Member asked if electric vehicle charging points could be added into the work plan. The Chair agreed to try and include this in the workplan. In response to a Member question regarding York Civic Trust work on 9 cities, the Chair clarified what this was.
Resolved: That the workplan be agreed as per the version circulated with the meeting papers.
Reason: To keep the workplan up to date.
Cllr K Taylor, Chair
[The meeting started at 17:30 and finished at 20:20].