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.

None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meetings of the Local Development Framework Working Group held on 8 January 2008 and 22 January 2008.

Matters Arising:

Minute 37 (Local Development Framework: Allocations Development Plan Document) - It was noted that officers had consulted colleagues in Transport Planning regarding the second bullet point under point (x) and colleagues in Children’s Services regarding the first bullet point under point (xii).

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 remit of the Working Group, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00 pm on Monday 3 March 2008.

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

This report informs Members of and asks for their comments on the proposed approach to the natural environment and Green Infrastructure in the Local Development Framework (LDF). The report sets out the overall framework in terms of the existing evidence base documents, how these link together and how they will feed into the LDF process.  The approach will have broader implications in terms of the Council’s approach to its wider natural environment duties.

Members considered a report which informed Members of and asked for their comments on the proposed approach to the natural environment and Green Infrastructure in the Local Development Framework (LDF). The report set out the overall framework in terms of the existing evidence base documents, how these link together and how they would feed into the LDF process. The approach would have broader implications in terms of the Council’s approach to its wider natural environment duties.

          Members had the following options to consider in relation to the Approach to the Natural Environment:

Option 1: To accept the proposed approach to the natural environment subject to any comments or changes recommended by the Working Group; or

Option 2:  To request that further work was done to develop an alternative approach to the natural environment.

Members received a presentation which covered the following issues:

• Green Infrastructure
• Green Infrastructure Assets
• Biodiversity Audit and Biodiversity Action Plan
• Green Belt Character Areas
• Landscape Character Types
• Open Space
• Flood Risk Areas
• Greenways and Public Right of Ways

Large maps showing all the different layers listed above were provided at the meeting. Members made the following comments:

• In relation to paragraph 3c, people and wildlife were not always complementary and it might be worth having a fourth point about maintaining and protecting biodiversity and the range of special sites that require protection
• Climate change and cornfield buffer zones could be added as additional benefits in the bullet points under paragraph 4 of the report
• There were different types of wildlife corridors which needed to be identified during the production of the Green Infrastructure Strategy  detailed in paragraph 6 of the report
• The map should not just show high risk flood areas but should also include other areas at risk
• A Blue Belt, where areas were allowed to flood, could be developed
• The City Tree Strategy should be included under paragraph 8 of the report
• The sustainability of sites was an issue for the Biodiversity Action Plan, which could include control measures for public access and buffer zones around some sites
• A copy of the Green Belt Appraisal should be put on the M drive for members to access
• That the review of the Cycle Network be brought to a future meeting

RESOLVED:             (i)         That the proposed approach to the natural environment in terms of the LDF highlighted in the report be noted;

(ii)   That Option 1, subject to the comments and views listed above, be agreed;

(iii)             That the Green Belt Appraisal be put on M drive for members¹;

(iv)               That the review of the Cycle Network be brought to a future meeting².

REASON:                  So that the natural environment evidence base work for the LDF can be progressed.

This report highlights the headline results arising from the Festival of Ideas 2 consultation, which the City of York Council undertook in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership (Without Walls) during Autumn 2007.  These comments will be used to inform the production of the Core Strategy and other Development Plan Documents.

Members considered a report which highlighted the headline results arising from the Festival of Ideas 2 consultation, which the City of York Council undertook in partnership with the Local Strategic Partnership (Without Walls) during Autumn 2007. These comments would be used to inform the production of the Core Strategy and other Development Plan Documents.

This report presented the different consultation documents which were produced; set out who was consulted; and outlined the methods and techniques used during consultation. The analysis section provided a snapshot summary of the responses received. A full summary of headline responses was contained in the annexes.

Members received a presentation, and a colour handout of the slides, on Annex A (Responses to “Have your say on York’s Future” questionnaire) of the report.

Members made the following comments:

• How representative, in terms of social demographics and geographically, were the results of York
• Analysis should be carried out, where possible, about the social demographics of the respondents, including a breakdown by ward
• Information on demographics should be included in future surveys to verify how representative it was
• The low number of online respondents suggested that using online questionnaires was open to discussion
• Any members who had specific issues about the consultation and how it was conducted should provide a written response to the chair
• That there was criticism from some of the audience who attended one of the City Summits about the questions only providing false choices for answers
• The survey provided a lot of useful factual information and most results were as expected, except for the result about not wanting more shops built in the city centre

RESOLVED: That the comments received from consultees in response to the Festival of Ideas 2 consultation be noted, and their consideration in informing the production of Core Strategy Preferred Options report and, where relevant, other emerging LDF documents be supported.

REASON:                  To ensure that the LDF Core Strategy can be progressed to its next stage of development as highlighted in the Council’s Local Development Scheme.