Issue - meetings

The Director of Transport, Environment & Planning to present a report which seeks approval to continue the shared service approach to emergency planning between City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council that has operated as a pilot scheme since August 2021.

Resolved:  That the continuation of the shared service collaboration between City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council be approved.

Reason:     To provide the most cost-effective use of resources for a resilient Emergency Planning Service.

The Director of Transport, Environment & Planning presented a report which sought approval to continue the shared service approach to emergency planning between City of York Council (CYC) and North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) that had operated as a pilot scheme since August 2021. 

Under the pilot, the council retained the strategic management role of Emergency Planning and was represented at the Local Resilience Forum, and NYCC co-ordinated the response in an emergency.  A decision on the future of the service provision was required no later than 30 September 2022.

Four options were available, as detailed in paragraphs 13-33 of the report and summarised briefly below:

Option a – continue the current agreement, as recommended.  This offered the best balance of resource and resilience whilst retaining the autonomy of the council to make its own decisions.

Option b – move the strategic role to the Shared Service.  Not recommended, as the council would not then have the same level of ownership, responsibility and regional representation.

Option c – terminate the agreement and revert to the council’s substantive emergency planning structure by 31 March 2023.  Not recommended, as it would require staff recruitment at a time when the availability of suitably qualified resources was limited

Option d – terminate the agreement and develop a new, more resilient structure by 31 March 2023.  Not recommended, as it would provide less resilience at a higher cost than Option a.

Resolved:  That the continuation of the shared service collaboration between City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council (Option a) be approved.

Reason:     To provide the most cost-effective use of resources for a resilient Emergency Planning Service.