Issue - meetings

The Executive Member will consider a report which will provide him with a quarterly economic update.

Resolved:

i.             That the contents of the report be noted.

Reason: To support York’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic,

The Executive Member considered a report which provided him with a quarterly economic update. The Head of Economic Growth was in attendance to present the report and respond to questions.

Key points raised during the presentation of the report included:

·        That York had seen a strong summer in trading terms and was one of the best economically performing local authorities in the UK.

·        At the end of August, there were around 3,000 employees still furloughed.

·        There were almost 3,500 job vacancies within 5 miles of the city centre, of which 1/3 were in the hospitality sector.

·        A sector based work academy had been launched with the hospitality sector in order to support those who wish to enter that industry.

·        Many businesses were facing significant challenges in recruiting staff and in the supply chain, with officers observing a high level of volatility in prices of various goods.

·        There was some concern about the level of Covid-19 infections in the city and the importance of refining messaging around mask wearing and hand washing was emphasised as important for maintaining customer confidence.

·        The Business Week organised by the Council’s Economic Growth team was discussed, which had sessions on sustainable buildings, skills, mental health and decarbonising business.

·        Certification for York’s Good Business Charter, which the Council had signed up to in the summer had been received.

The Executive Member noted that:

·        Information on city centre footfall during the York Food and Drink Festival had justified the Additional Restriction Grant funding invested to ensure it went ahead.

·        Not all anticipated changes at the end of furlough had yet come about, but he thanked officers for the work done on the Jobs Fair, and spoke on the importance of making jobs more flexible and easing the transition from unemployment to filling available jobs.

·        York’s economic information should be collated and used to lobby for changes to government schemes.

·        Work was being done to retain graduates from York’s universities, for example investments from ETAS, a subsidiary of Bosch.

·        LNER were developing messaging for Covid-19 etiquette on their train services.

·        He considered York to be the ideal location for Great British Railways and thanked officers for their work on the city’s bid.

·        It was important to ensure that York gets its share of green jobs.

·        The effects of the UK’s exit from the European Union were still being felt.

Resolved:

i.             That the contents of the report be noted.

Reason: To support York’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.