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 the business on the agenda.

Cllr Potter declared a personal non prejudicial interest in Executive Agenda Item 5 (Executive Forward Plan – Minute 130 refers) as the Older People’s Champion.

Cllr Merrett declared a personal non prejudicial interest in Executive Agenda Item 7 (Post Office Closures – Minute 132 refers) as the business where he worked was near the Micklegate post office.

RESOLVED:             That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of Annex B to Executive Agenda Item 14 (Capital Programme Two - Minute 139 refers), on the grounds that it contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons (including the authority holding that information). This information was classed as exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as revised by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

To approve and sign the minutes of the Shadow Executive meeting held on 12 December 2007.

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 8 January 2008, at 5.00 pm.

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

To consider the items on the agenda for the Executive meeting to be held on 15 January 2008, 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 Friday 4 January 2008. 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 13 of the papers circulated for the Executive meeting to be held on 15 January 2008:

The Shadow Executive:

·        agreed to provisionally request officers for the following items on the Executive Forward Plan:

Executive on 29 January

·        Establishing an Integrated Youth Service for York

Executive on 12 February

·        Thin Client Management Arrangements

·        Revenue Budget 2007/08 to 2009/10

·        Capital Budget 2007/08 to 2009/10

The Shadow Executive considered a report which was listed as item 6 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 15 January 2008, at page 17. The report presented the minutes of recent meetings of the Local Development Framework Working Group, the Social Inclusion Working Group and the Economic Development Partnership Board and asked members to consider the advice given by these groups in their capacity as advisory bodies to the Executive. 

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

The Shadow Executive:

• welcomed and were pleased that their concerns and recommendation regarding the timelines of minutes before the Executive had been heeded;
• recommended that the Executive considers, in relation to the Economic Development Partnership Board minutes on Page 32, the  need to know how the Board was to be transformational and how it would achieve goals and achieve a strategic mission.

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 15 January 2008, at page 35. The report, which related to a Notice of Motion approved at full Council on 29 November 2007, advised Members of the current position in relation to the proposed closure of post offices in the City and presented a suggested framework for the Council’s response to the closures.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

·  agreed that the detail in the report was disappointing, which was not a criticism of report writers, but welcomed the additional Annex;

·  agreed the following points:

o       information on transport links was inaccurate

o       submissions from the Council were light in terms of previous closures, especially in terms of Micklegate, as the Albemarle Road closure had a knock on effect and created additional distance to Micklegate

o       there was no mention of other factors including:

§         Terry Development - up to 500 houses and businesses

§         Germany Beck – up to 700 houses

§         Nestle South

§         Closure of HSBC at Clifton Green

§         Derwenthorpe Development

o       there was no mention of the business use of Micklegate post office, which was used by the York Credit Union as a cash facilitator and by the voluntary sector, or Haxby Road post office which was used by the hospital

o       geographical restrictions, in particular the railways and rivers, restricted access

o       closure of Haxby Road would affect the Clifton, Guildhall and Heworth wards, and the closure of Micklegate would affect Micklegate and Holgate wards

o       there were inaccuracies in the report, in particular that Broadway also had a News Agency, and in Appendix 1 the Gerard Avenue Post Office, which had closed in 2003, was included on the list of existing post offices

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 15 January 2008, at page 53. The report  set out Officers’ views on the implications of a notice of motion to Council on Community Leadership and Neighbourhood Management, in accordance with Standing Orders.

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

The Shadow Executive:

·  agreed with the recommendation.

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 15 January 2008, at page 57. The report set out progress on the new approach to city management, as requested by Group Leaders, involving extended public consultation arrangements, improved communications with residents, development of devolved decision making arrangements for local communities and capacity building for the voluntary sector.

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

The Shadow Executive:

• agreed that there was a clear need for a communication strategy;
• were concerned that there was no timescale and believed that a timetable should be set out.

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 15 January 2008, at page 63. The report presented options for a second phase of the easy@york programme, which would extend the reach of the current York Customer Centre (YCC), and set out a revised analysis of the benefits and savings of the first phase.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

• recommended option 3 and believed that there were cost savings and benefits;
• agreed that the warden call should be incorporated;
• agreed that including electoral services should be reconsidered as, whilst it might not result in savings, it would result in more registration and participation;
• emphasised that there were concerns about the socially excluded, in particular homelessness and disabilities, when move to the Hungate offices in relation to access to IT and telephones, and these needed to be considered now;
• were concerned about the reduction in the number of different residents’ parking permits which might lead to confusion amongst residents.

Members congratulated staff on the successes in the later stages of this system.

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 11 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 15 January 2008, at page 133. The report  set out the current position of the Council’s ITS Strategy, which utilised the Urban Traffic Management and Control (UTMC) and Bus Location and Information Sub-System (BLISS) and sought approval to adopt principles to ensure consistent use of the Variable Message Signs and an ITS Vision to form the basis for developing York’s Intelligent Transport Systems.

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

The Shadow Executive:

·  raised the following concerns:

o       the roll out of the real time bus system as all services should be real time if public transport was to be encouraged and the system was inadequate as it stood

o       more message signs should be used

o       the Cityspace in Annex E was ineffective and statistics on those who had abandoned would be useful

o       there should be a six month review

o       there should be a performance indicator for displays operating accurately

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 12 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 15 January 2008, at page 157.  The report advised Members of the implications for parking services of Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and asked them to decide on the level of penalties that the Council would charge following implementation of Part 6, on 31 March 2008.

Having discussed the issues set out in the report and questioned officers present at the meeting, the following comments were agreed:

The Shadow Executive:

• agreed that in relation to CRB checks under paragraph 27, not doing current staff would mean inconsistency and would be contradictory;
• highlighted a need for a corporate policy on CRB checks;
• agreed that there was a need for clarity in terms of penalty and a need to make people aware of the penalties.

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 13 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 15 January 2008, at page 175. The report provided details of the headline performance issues from the latest performance monitor session, presented the latest projection of the Council’s revenue income and expenditure for the current year and sought Executive approval for budget virements and requests for contingency funding.

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

The Shadow Executive:

·  noted the report and reserved their position.

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 14 on the agenda for the Executive meeting on 15 January 2008, at page 251. The report presented the likely outturn position of the Council’s 2007/08 Capital Programme, based on the spend profile and information to November 2007, and sought approval for certain changes to the programme.

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

The Shadow Executive:

·  noted the report and reserved their position.

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.