Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.  No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 4 December 2007.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Executive meeting held on 4 December 2007 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Executive’s remit can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00 pm on Monday 17 December 2007.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To receive details of those items that are listed on the Executive Forward Plan for the next two meetings.

Members received and noted details of those items that were currently listed on the Executive Forward Plan for the next two meetings of the Executive.

This report presents the minutes of the 25 September meeting of the Economic Development Board and asks Members to consider the advice given by the Board in its capacity as an advisory body to the Executive.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the minutes of the EDPB be noted.

REASON:      In accordance with the requirements of the Council’s Constitution in relation to the role of Working Groups.

                        (ii)        That, with reference to Minute 12 (Development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy), Officers discuss with the voluntary sector, and other partners, options for a pilot project aimed at reducing social exclusion in the worst rated Lower Level Super Output Area as revealed by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007.

REASON:      In response to the comments of the EDPB on this matter and to support the delivery of the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Members considered a report which presented the minutes of the meeting of the Economic Development Partnership Board (EDPB) held on 25 September 2007.

Members’ attention was drawn in particular to the Board’s comments on:

• The Report of the Future York Group (Minute 11)
• The Development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy (Minute 12)
• The Development of a Skills Strategy for York (Minute 13).

With reference to the comments of the Shadow Executive, Members noted that they had already agreed a process to minimise delays in presenting Board and Working Group minutes to the Executive.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the minutes of the EDPB be noted.

REASON:      In accordance with the requirements of the Council’s Constitution in relation to the role of Working Groups.

                        (ii)        That, with reference to Minute 12 (Development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy), Officers discuss with the voluntary sector, and other partners, options for a pilot project aimed at reducing social exclusion in the worst rated Lower Level Super Output Area as revealed by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007.

REASON:      In response to the comments of the EDPB on this matter and to support the delivery of the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

This report reviews the current position on affordable housing policy in York and asks Members to agree that the information contained in the report be fed into the Local Development Forum policy review process.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the findings of the Affordable Housing Policy Review be noted.

                        (ii)        That the view that the most appropriate forum to understand, discuss and revise affordable housing policy in the City is through the LDF programme and, specifically, the preparation of the Core Strategy, be endorsed.

                        (iii)       That the information contained in the Affordable Housing Review report be fed into the LDF policy review process.

                        (iv)       That Officers be requested to arrange meetings at a senior level with developers, Housing Associations, professional agencies, commercial property companies and other relevant stakeholders, including Central Government, to consider how the City can provide more affordable housing for rent, for shared ownership, to buy, and also to explore other methods of delivering social and family housing.

REASON:      To maximise opportunities for providing more affordable, decent homes in York.

Members considered a report which reviewed the current position on affordable housing policy in York.  This review report had been specifically requested by Group Leaders, to examine ‘the availability of affordable and social housing and the effectiveness of the 50% affordability planning rule’.

The report:

• Set out the housing market assessment and strategic context for housing policy in City of York and the wider region;
• Looked at housing need, market demand and future growth in York;
• Reviewed wider initiatives to increase affordable housing supply;
• Tracked the effectiveness of the 50% target, approved in 2005;
• Considered recent and emerging applications for housing in York;
• Compared York’s performance with that of other, similar authorities;
• Discussed the role of the private developer in York;
• Considered the role of the Council and other public sector bodies as landowners;
• Set out the types of affordable housing needed in York;
• Highlighted the current statutory Local Development Framework (LDF) programme and identified this as the most appropriate vehicle to consider and, if necessary progress, any revisions to the policy.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the findings of the Affordable Housing Policy Review be noted.

                        (ii)        That the view that the most appropriate forum to understand, discuss and revise affordable housing policy in the City is through the LDF programme and, specifically, the preparation of the Core Strategy, be endorsed.

                        (iii)       That the information contained in the Affordable Housing Review report be fed into the LDF policy review process.¹

                        (iv)       That Officers be requested to arrange meetings at a senior level with developers, Housing Associations, professional agencies, commercial property companies and other relevant stakeholders, including Central Government, to consider how the City can provide more affordable housing for rent, for shared ownership, to buy, and also to explore other methods of delivering social and family housing.²

REASON:      To maximise opportunities for providing more affordable, decent homes in York.

This report provides an update on the Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan towards a Climate Change Strategy for the City, including additional information requested by the Executive when they endorsed the Strategy in September 2007. 

RESOLVED: (i)         That the report be noted and that it be noted that the Carbon Management Programme Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) will be brought to the Executive in March 2008.

REASON:      So that Members are kept informed of progress on this matter.

                        (ii)        That, in the interim, Officers evaluate and progress the smart metering option offered by the Council’s energy supplier for 30 trial sites across the Council’s property portfolio.

REASON:      To enable the Council effectively to monitor energy performance and achieve efficiency savings.

Members considered a report which provided an update on the Environmental Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan towards a Climate Change Strategy for York.  This update had been requested when the Executive endorsed the Strategy and Action Plan in September 2007.

The report outlined progress made on:

A - activities taking place as part of the Carbon Management Programme, including a list of agreed projects with resources and funding allocated and further options for action with no agreed resources or funding.  The total percentage saving from the committed activities was 26%.

B – activities by the Local Strategic Partnership and the York Environment Partnership to produce a Climate Change Strategy for the City, including a scope and procedure for preparation of the Strategy agreed by the Without Walls Board on 21 November (attached as Annex A).  Clear identification and implementation of activities would be a matter for individual partnerships. 

The report made some general suggestions, in areas of common interest to all LSP partnerships, on working towards the target of a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.  It was noted that the Strategy should also include well-developed communication activities, to ensure public engagement.

Members expressed their thanks to the two Sustainability Officers, who would shortly be leaving the Council, for their work in advancing the Strategy.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the report be noted and that it be noted that the Carbon Management Programme Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) will be brought to the Executive in March 2008.

REASON:      So that Members are kept informed of progress on this matter.

                        (ii)        That, in the interim, Officers evaluate and progress the smart metering option offered by the Council’s energy supplier for 30 trial sites across the Council’s property portfolio.

REASON:      To enable the Council effectively to monitor energy performance and achieve efficiency savings.

This report outlines the inter-relationships between: managing targets for carbon emissions; energy and water consumption and conservation; sustainability in design and construction, and suggests a funding mechanism for investment in all three of these areas.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the inter-relationships between managing targets for carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, and conservation and sustainability in design and construction be noted.

                        (ii)        That, with regard to management of proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option B be approved; that is, a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.

                        (iii)       That, with regard to funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option 2 be approved; that is, to establish a funding mechanism, within the usual budget disciplines, that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.

REASON:      To ensure an improved and co-ordinated approach to the management of carbon emissions, energy usage and the sustainability of Council buildings.

Members considered a report which outlined the inter-relationships between:

• managing targets for carbon emissions
• energy and water consumption and conservation
• sustainability in design and construction

and suggested a funding mechanism for investment in all three of these areas.

The Council’s Carbon Management Group, Energy and Water Management Group and Sustainability in Design Group had been considering actions to achieve their respective aims, many of which could meet more than one of those aims.  In bringing forward these actions, there was a need to understand the balance between achieving the targets set and the capital and revenue costs of so doing.  Some examples were set out in paragraph 9 of the report and a more detailed comparison of investment proposals was provided in Annex 2.  Savings made through good management and ‘housekeeping’ could also be invested in measures to meet carbon, energy and sustainability targets.  Suggested principles for inclusion in the funding mechanism were set out in paragraph 17 and 18, while Annex 3 illustrated how the mechanism could operate.

The report presented the following options:

For the management of proposals to meet the aims and targets in the three areas referred to:

Option A – Continue to operate separately on each issue.

Option B – Take a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.

For funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability:

Option 1 – Consider each proposal on its own target and financial merits.

Option 2 – Establish a funding mechanism that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.

In each case, the corporate and co-ordinated approach was recommended (i.e. Options B and 2), in order to secure the opportunities, benefits and economies of scale that such an approach would offer.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the inter-relationships between managing targets for carbon emissions, energy and water consumption, and conservation and sustainability in design and construction be noted.

                        (ii)        That, with regard to management of proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option B be approved; that is, a corporate and co-ordinated approach to management, funding and implementation.¹

                        (iii)       That, with regard to funding proposals to meet aims and targets for carbon emissions, energy use and sustainability, Option 2 be approved; that is, to establish a funding mechanism, within the usual budget disciplines, that supports a corporate and co-ordinated approach to the achievement and viable funding of targets.²

REASON:      To ensure an improved and co-ordinated approach to the management of carbon emissions, energy usage and the sustainability of Council buildings.

This report seeks endorsement of a suggested response from the Council to the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS), to be submitted to the Secretary of State by 21^st December.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the draft Council response to the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the RSS, as attached at Annex B to the report, be agreed and approved for submission to Government Office by the deadline of 21 December 2007.

                        (ii)        That authority be delegated to the Director of City Strategy to make any incidental changes to the Council’s response to the Proposed Changes that are necessary as a result of Members considering the report.

REASON:      To ensure that the views of the authority are taken into account before publication of the Regional Spatial Strategy in Spring 2008.

Members considered a report which summarised the key issues regarding the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the Draft Revised Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) and presented a suggested response to the changes.

The Proposed Changes had been subject to wide ranging consultation since their publication in September 2007.  This was the last opportunity to make comments on the RSS before the final version was published.  The key issues for the Council to respond to included: York’s role in the region, the York Green Belt, the Leeds City Region, the York sub area, Housing, Economy, Transport, Environment and Climate Change.  Within these areas, the proposed response, at Annex B to the report, focused particularly on the issues of: housing numbers, affordable housing, mix and type of housing, job growth numbers, climate change, green infrastructure, on-site renewable energy generation and bio-diversity. 

Members commented on the lack of clarity regarding the reasons behind some of the Proposed Changes, particularly those which did not comply with the recommendations arising from the Examination in Public in 2006.  They also stressed the importance of protecting the Green Belt and expressed the hope that decisions on Eco-town developments would not be made without local authority involvement.

With reference to the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was noted that the ‘further comments’ referred to therein had not been received.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the draft Council response to the Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes to the RSS, as attached at Annex B to the report, be agreed and approved for submission to Government Office by the deadline of 21 December 2007.¹

                        (ii)        That authority be delegated to the Director of City Strategy to make any incidental changes to the Council’s response to the Proposed Changes that are necessary as a result of Members considering the report.²

REASON:      To ensure that the views of the authority are taken into account before publication of the Regional Spatial Strategy in Spring 2008.

This report sets out options and proposed actions for sustaining the activities of the City Centre Partnership, following the decision not to proceed with the establishment of a Business Improvement District (BID) at the present time. 

RESOLVED: That the following actions, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report, be approved to sustain the activities of the YCCP:

a)                 To raise with the new single tourism partnership opportunities to link city centre management more closely to visitor management.

b)                 To consider the appropriateness of maintaining the existing YCCP, taking into account its current activities as highlighted in Annex 1 to the report, and explore with partners the opportunity for continued funding to sustain the City Centre Partnership.

c)                  To review the scope for sustaining the current activities of the City Centre Partnership through the Council’s city centre operations team and as part of the process of developing a City Centre action plan under the Local Development Framework.

d)                 To explore the opportunities for engagement with retail businesses through closer working with the Chamber of Commerce.

e)                 To report back to the Executive once the above actions have been pursued.

REASON:      To help shape the effectiveness of future action.

Members considered a report which set out options and proposed actions for sustaining the activities of the York City Centre Partnership (YCCP), following the YCCP Board’s decision not to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) at the present time.  Proposals for reviewing membership and terms of reference for the YCCP had also been considered by the Economic Development Partnership Board at their meeting on 29 November.

A summary of the activities of the YCCP since its establishment in July 2005 was attached as Annex 1 to the report.  This included the achievement of a significant number of actions within the current action plan, which covered the period March 2006 to March 2008.  It was now considered appropriate to review the models of city centre management, as reported to the YCCP, and whether any of these were particularly relevant to York.  Details of these models were attached as Annex 2.  It was noted that a key element would be to confirm the likely funding and support from partners for the YCCP.  The Chamber of Commerce had already indicated a willingness to be involved in further actions to engage with businesses within the city centre.

Recommended actions were set out in paragraph 14 of the report.  As there was currently no budgetary provision to support the YCCP beyond September 2008, any financial implications would be the subject of a further report to Executive.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: That the following actions, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report, be approved to sustain the activities of the YCCP:

a)                 To raise with the new single tourism partnership opportunities to link city centre management more closely to visitor management.¹

b)                 To consider the appropriateness of maintaining the existing YCCP, taking into account its current activities as highlighted in Annex 1 to the report, and explore with partners the opportunity for continued funding to sustain the City Centre Partnership.²

c)                  To review the scope for sustaining the current activities of the City Centre Partnership through the Council’s city centre operations team and as part of the process of developing a City Centre action plan under the Local Development Framework.³

d)                 To explore the opportunities for engagement with retail businesses through closer working with the Chamber of Commerce.⁴

e)                 To report back to the Executive once the above actions have been pursued.⁵

REASON:      To help shape the effectiveness of future action.

This report seeks Member approval for the terms of a Service Level Agreement between the City of York Council and the new Single Tourism Organisation (working title: ‘Visit York’), setting out the Council’s priorities for action and committing resources to the new company.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the principles of the Service Level Agreement be endorsed, acknowledging that the financial terms will be subject to confirmation during the Council’s budget-setting process.

                        (ii)        That Officers provide further information on the proposed performance indicators and targets that the new organisation will be expected to deliver.

REASON:      To confirm formally the Council’s endorsement for the Single Tourism Organisation, whilst identifying clear parameters for this support.

Members considered a report which sought their approval for the terms of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the Council and the new Single Tourism Organisation (working title: ‘Visit York’).  The SLA set out the Council’s priorities for action and committed resources to the new company.

The establishment of Visit York had resulted from a review of the organisation and management of tourism in York, as reported to the Economic Development Partnership Board on 29 November.  The principle of a single tourism organisation had been endorsed by the City Strategy EMAP in July and the report explained how this aim would be achieved.  Visit York would be a public-private sector company limited by guarantee and responsible for leading the continued development of tourism in York.  Its Board would comprise the Chair, John Yeomans, three nominees each from the current Bureau Board and from the Council (Cllrs Hogg, King and Gillies) and the Chief Executive.

It was proposed to establish a rolling three-year agreement to cover financial and staffing support for Visit York, the exact financial terms being subject to approval through the Council’s budget programme.  In return, an SLA was proposed, setting out the company’s main activities and how these would be monitored.  The draft SLA was attached as Annex 1 to the report.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the principles of the Service Level Agreement be endorsed, acknowledging that the financial terms will be subject to confirmation during the Council’s budget-setting process.

                        (ii)        That Officers provide further information on the proposed performance indicators and targets that the new organisation will be expected to deliver.

REASON:      To confirm formally the Council’s endorsement for the Single Tourism Organisation, whilst identifying clear parameters for this support.