Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests 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 any of the business on the agenda.

Councillor Fraser declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Executive item 8 (Health & Safety Resources) as a retired member of Unison.

Councillor Merrett declared a personal non-prejudicial interest in Executive item 10 (Lendal Bridge Sub-Station Secure Cycle Park Feasibility Study Outcome) as an honorary member of the Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) and a member of Cycling England.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Shadow Executive meeting held on 4 October 2006.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting of the Shadow Executive held on 4 October 2006 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Shadow Executive’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is Tuesday 17 October 2006, at 10.00 am.

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

RESOLVED:             That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Annex B to Executive item 10 (Lendal Bridge Sub-Station Secure Cycle Park Feasibility Study Outcome), on the grounds that it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person, which was classed as exempt under Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

To consider the items on the agenda for the Executive meeting to be held on 24 October 2006, and to take a decision on whether to call-in any of these items.

Please note that the reports relating to these items will be published on the Council’s website on 13 October 2006. The website address is www.york.gov.uk  Copies of the Executive agenda and reports are also available for viewing at public libraries in York and can be obtained by telephoning Democracy Support Group on York (01904) 551088.

The Shadow Executive made the following comments on the Forward Plan at page 11 of the papers circulated for the Executive meeting to be held on 24 October 2006:

The Shadow Executive:

·  May require Officer attendance at the relevant Shadow Executive meeting/s in respect of the following items (current Executive dates in brackets):

o Leisure Facilities Strategy (21/11)

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 6 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 24 October, at page 13.  The report set out areas for investment in IT that had been identified and proposed by Directors and asked Members to review these proposals and decide which ones they wished to fund.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Query whether the Council should proceed with all of the schemes or undertake some of them over a longer timescale, especially given that they understand that some previous projects have not yet been satisfactorily completed.

·  Suggest that the bid descriptions need to be more specific, providing clearer and more objective quantification of the service improvements and financial efficiencies anticipated from particular projects, both for making judgements on the appropriateness of investment and for post-investment evaluation.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 7 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 24 October, at page 53.  The report asked Members to review the Council’s progress in delivering its ITT Strategy for 2002-2007 and to identify the broad direction for the development of a future 5 year ITT Strategy.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Have concerns in terms of the report’s relative unobjective exploration of and reaching a conclusion on future strategy.

·  Note that it is a matter of concern that nothing has been achieved in relation to Theme 4 (establishing effective links with partners), in terms of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) objectives and pressures on resources, with the need to obtain efficiencies and savings through joint working with other organisations.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 8 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 24 October, at page 61.  The report requested the Executive to release contingency funding for additional Health and Safety resources in order to improve performance and meet statutory requirements.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Are shocked at the current administration’s apparent neglect and lack of prioritisation of resourcing the health and safety at work and public safety issues outlined in the report.

·  Note that this reinforces the appropriateness of the government’s decision to improve the law in this area.

·  Question how there can be no human resources and legal implications in a report on health and safety issues.

·  Raise the issue of whether one of the problems in the Council is the ‘silo-isation’  of some of the health and safety staff and whether there should be a fourth option to deliver health and safety more corporately.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 9 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 24 October, at page 69.  The report presented the final recommendations of the Recycling and Reuse Scrutiny Sub-Committee regarding the removal of bulky items from the waste stream.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Consider this report suffers from poor management and a lack of focus on the original scrutiny topic, which related to the condition of terraced streets and back lanes.

·  In terms of the recommendations, consider that recommendation 1 is very poorly evidenced and support the actions listed in recommendations 2, 3 & 4, but with amendments to delete the wording “to consider” to move towards earlier action.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)                        That the item not be called in.

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 10 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 24 October, at page 119.  The report presented the outcome of the study into whether the former Lendal Bridge Sub-Station was suitable to be converted into a secure cycle parking facility and detailed the options available to Members in relation to the building.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  Find this report very poor, with highly questionable assumptions and tendentious statements.

·  Note that if the main report is to be believed, then the valuation in the annex is not credible.

·  Note that an alternative proposal has come forward and been circulated to some Members.

·  Consider that this site is particularly well located to serve the national cycle routes through York and to provide cycle parking on the south west side of the city centre, which is currently the worst served part of the city.

·  Express the view that this would be a missed opportunity, given the evidence of the last 15 years of searching for a site and that no other alternative sites are likely to become available in the near future, certainly on this side of the city centre.

·  Note that the importance of the provision of this facility was identified in the scrutiny review of cycling in York, the Local Transport Plan 2 and by the Safer York Partnership, in terms of providing secure cycle parking.

·  Suggest, in terms of this clear expression of interest in provision of cycle facilities on the site, that discussions take place with the interested parties and that officers take a more imaginative and robust approach, considering if adjacent areas, such as the parking area next to Lendal Bridge and the river bank, could be used to deliver a scheme.

RESOLVED:(i) That the Executive be asked to take the above comments into account when considering this item.

(ii)That the item be called in, unless further examination of provision of cycle parking on this site is undertaken.