Agenda and draft minutes

To receive and note apologies for absence.

No apologies for absence were received.

At this point in the meeting, Members and co-opted members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests they might have in the business on the agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Economy, Place, Access, and Transport Policy and Scrutiny Committee meetings held on 28 January 2025.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the last meeting of the committee held on 28 January 2025 be approved and then signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. Members of the public may speak on agenda items or on matters within the remit of the Committee.

Please note that our registration deadlines are set as 2 working days before the meeting, in order to facilitate the management of public participation at our meetings. The deadline for registering at this meeting is 5:00pm on 2024.

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form. If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting, please contact Democratic Services. Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

During coronavirus, we made some changes to how we ran council meetings, including facilitating remote participation by public speakers. See our updates (www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy) for more information on meetings and decisions.

Written representations in respect of items on this agenda should be submitted to Democratic Services by 5.00pm on

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Gwen Swinburn spoke in relation to Agenda item 6 (Work Plan), calling for urgent scrutiny of the economic strategy, including its interaction with the Combined Authority. She also noted the significance of the Council’s property assets and suggested that any disposal of these should be scrutinised by Members, and that an annual property performance report should be considered.

Report to follow.

The committee considered a report summarising key data published on the gender pay gap in York for City of York Council, other large employers in the city, and through pay data for men and women through the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

The Chief Strategy Officer provided an overview, and in response to members’ questions it was noted that:

·       There was a median gender pay gap of 12.5% across the city; the reasons behind the pay gap were complex and included unfair pay practices, cultural bias, the gendered nature of child and elder care in society, and the impact of part-time employment, of which two-thirds was done by women in York.

·       Of 43 organisations based in York with 250 or more employees who were required to report annually on their gender pay gap, the Council was one of four with a negative gender pay gap, with women’s average pay being higher than men’s.

·       Members questioned the usefulness of the available data, and it was noted that this was a relatively small sample, based on nationally published data; this was only for organisations based in York and so excluded several major employers in the city which were headquartered elsewhere; while UKSPF data focused on workforce rather than pay.

·       It was suggested that collective engagement with large organisations which were not performing well on the gender pay gap would be a positive step, and confirmed that this could be considered as part of work around the upcoming York Human Rights City Network Indicator Report. The Executive Member noted that this would be a crucial piece of work and that there was best practice to share, including from the Council.

·       Information on the impact of protected characteristics on the gender pay gap was not nationally collected but the Human Rights Indicator Report would seek to explore the intersectionality of the pay gap and broader reasons for pay disparity. The report could also inform work around pay determination, and conversations with city partners had already taken place around actions on anti-racist practices. It was also noted by one member that many people with disabilities started their own businesses.

·       There were 9,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in York who form the backbone of the city’s economy but were not obliged to report gender pay data. Officers would look at options to work with small business networks in the city on this issue. It was noted that work was already done through the Good Business Charter to encourage payment of the real living wage.

·       Several employers in the education sector had reported gender pay gaps above the city average; officers would seek further information in relation to the appointment and grading of headteachers, which it was noted would differ between maintained schools and academies.

·       The University of York’s recent report, ‘A New Era for Female Entrepreneurship’, was being used to inform work on the York Central site. The report was supported by the Federation of Small Businesses and the Chamber of Commerce.

·       There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s work plan for the 2024/25 municipal year.

Members considered the committee’s work plan for the remainder of the municipal year. Several issues were raised during the discussion including:

·       An item on Assets of Community Value had been requested and would be considered at the earliest opportunity.

·       It was suggested that an item on the Economy and Access impact of the work being done in relation to the Human Rights Indicator Report could be considered.

·       Several members indicated their interest in scrutinising property issues and the disposal of assets, as raised under the Public Participation item; it was noted that an Asset Management Strategy report had been received last year and the chair and vice-chair would liaise with officers around an update on this. The need for any report to address specific issues, such as ways of making the most of existing assets and how far their use contributed to wider equality aims, was emphasised.

·       It was noted that the range of bus issues listed on the work plan could form the basis of a future meeting, and that an update on the Combined Authority’s direction of travel in relation to transport issues would be of value.

·       It was suggested that proposed items on best practice around tourism levies and an update on EV charging could be brought forward.

·       A report on council-owned businesses, to explore how local authorities could generate income streams and any opportunities for York to do better in this regard, was also suggested.

Resolved: That the chair and vice-chair liaise with officers to consider suitable items for the committee’s upcoming meetings.

Reason:     To keep the committee’s work plan updated.