|
City of York Council |
Committee Minutes |
|
|
Meeting |
Decision Session - Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency |
|
|
Date |
15 October 2024 |
|
|
Present
Officers in Attendance |
Councillor Kent (Executive Member)
Matthew Pawson, Environmental Health, and Trading Standards Manager Claire Foale, Interim Director of City Development Paul McCabe, York Green Streets Project Manager |
|
|
|
|
|
5. Declarations of Interest (10:00 am)
At this point in the meeting, the Executive Member was asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests, or other registrable interests, she might have in respect of business on the agenda, if she had not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. None were declared.
6. Minutes (10:00 am)
Resolved: That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 16 July 2024 be approved and signed by the Executive Member as a correct record.
7. Public Participation (10:01 am)
It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the session under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.
Cllr Waller spoke on agenda item 5, York Green Streets - Progress and Next Steps. He discussed suitable locations within his ward, and the Woodland Trust principles of the “right tree in the right place.” He noted that locations and species of trees should be determined following public consultation and he acknowledged that the trees planted should be able to reach mature growth without any intervention.
8. Food Service Plan 2024-2025 (10:05 am)
The Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager provided an update noting that the council was required to produce an annual food service plan to satisfy the statutory requirements within the Food Law Code of Practice which was overseen by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The plan demonstrated how the council would fulfil the duties placed upon it by the Food Law Code of Practice.
In answer to questions raised by the Executive Member, it was confirmed that:
· Officers had seen an increased turnover of business ownership in the food sector, and it was anticipated that this would continue in the year ahead and could place a strain on the team’s resources due to the requirement to undertake inspections of these new premises upon opening.
· The council also offered support and assistance to businesses operating or intending to operate in the City of York area.
· The council’s animal feed inspections were contracted to North Yorkshire Council and within that contract the supplier was asked to demonstrate the ways in which they could contribute towards the council’s commitment to becoming carbon neutral and help tackle wider concerns around modern slavery and organised crime.
The Executive Member thanked the officer for his update and expressed gratitude to his team for ensuring food safety standards were prominent within the food establishments in York, and it was:
Resolved: That the Food Service Plan 2024-25 be approved.
Reason: To provide assurance that the council had a plan to fulfil its obligations under the Food Law Code of Practice.
9. York Green Streets - Progress and Next Steps (10:10 am)
The Executive Member considered a report that set out progress towards finalising City of York Council’s (CYC) tree planting proposals for the 2024/25 tree planting season as part of the York Green Streets (YGS) initiative. The report also asked the Executive Member to consider the risks and opportunities associated with urban tree planting, particularly in relation to sites within a highway setting.
The report sought Executive Member approval to engage the market to help identify likely costs of tree supply, installation, and aftercare and grant delegated authority to the Director of City Development in consultation with the Director of Finance and Director of Governance to award delivery contracts subject to grant funding being secured.
The Interim Director of City Development and the York Green Streets Project Manager highlighted that the Council Plan 2023-2028 set a target to plant 4,000 new trees within York’s urban area as part of a wider aim to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, support nature recovery and improve health and wellbeing outcomes. They also confirmed that the focus was to ensure the right tree species would be planted in the right location and officers had consulted with landscape consultants to assess the sites suggested. Sixty-four feasible planting sites had been identified and the architects also suggested appropriate tree species for each location based on the principle right tree right place.
The Executive Member noted the risks and opportunities and officers confirmed that they had undertaken a detailed consultation process with various teams across the council and with external partners across the region. It was also noted that more localised resident consultation would be undertaken where required.
Officers were thanked for their instrumental work in progressing this forward to deliver within the tight tree planting timetable. The Executive Member also reiterated how tree planting aligned with the city’s climate change objectives and how trees had the potential to provide urban cooling, shading and natural flood resilience whilst also enhancing biodiversity and connectivity to nature.
Resolved:
i) That the categorisation of remaining planting opportunities into distinct planting specification types and a process of market engagement to assess implementation costs – accepting the risks and opportunities associated with planting trees within York’s urban area, particularly on sites within a highway setting, be approved.
Reason: To enable effective market engagement to establish accurate pricing of planting proposals, whilst understanding the risks and opportunities if tree planting within York’s urban area, especially highways settings.
ii) That delegated authority be granted to the Director of City Development in consultation with the Director of Finance and Director of Governance to award delivery contracts subject to grant funding bids being successful.
Reason: So that contract procurement can proceed swiftly following confirmation of grant funding.
Cllr Kent, Executive Member
[The meeting started at 10.00 am and finished at 10.26 am].