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. No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Local Development Framework Working Group held on 4 November 2008.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting of the Local Development Framework Working Group held on the 4 November 2008 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 remit of the Working Group may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00 pm on Monday 5 January 2009.

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

This report updates Members with regard to the consultation carried out on the City Centre Area Action Plan Issues and Options Report (from 28 July to 22 September 2008).  Members are asked to note the comments received via the consultation process and support their consideration, alongside emerging evidence-based documents and the findings of the sustainability appraisal in informing the production of a City Centre Area Action Plan Preferred Options report.  Members are also asked to note and comment on the next steps in preparing the Preferred Options document for presentation to Members later in 2009.

[Annex A, attached to the report, provides a summary of the City Centre Area Action Plan Issues and Options report, and the accompanying Sustainability Appraisal].

[Annexes B to E, detailed under item 6 of the report, are available online via the Council’s website at www.york.gov.uk and via the electronic link to the agenda].

Members considered a report, which updated them on the consultations carried out on the City Centre Area Action Plan Issues and Options Report (28 July to 22 September 2008).  Members were asked to note and comment on the findings of the report and note and comment on the next steps in preparing the Preferred Options document for presentation to Members later in 2009.

The Principal City Development Officer introduced the report and described where this fitted into the wider Local Development Framework. He reported that this document, which had been put out for public comment, had received a broad and interesting range of views, thoughts and concerns. It was noted that the next report would go to the LDF Working Group in March/April 2009.

City Centre Area Action Plan – Key points

Officers provided details of the key points arising from the July to September 2008 Consultation. These included: what had been done and what responses had been received; the positive outcomes from the consultation and general headlines; and the key concerns and ideas raised, including decisions that would need to be made in the next few months.

Members then raised various points and concerns to which Officers responded:

• The consultation workshops. That it had been made clear, to those involved in the consultation process, what could and could not be influenced.
• That at the next stage, difficult and controversial decisions would need to be made, but that Members, the City Council and partners would be involved in the decision making process.
• That the boundaries referred to in paragraph 18 of the report, included one for the Central Historic Core and two others for the Draft Local Plan City Centre Inset boundary and the City Walls boundary. Some had suggested a combination of the maximum boundaries as a combination of all three boundaries.
• That the question of a third city centre swimming pool would be noted.
• The issue of whether retail outlets should be allowed in the Castle and Piccadilly areas. The Retail Study had argued in favour of this, but there were other views against this.  However, it was noted that this was an issue for the longer-term future of the city and that views on this issue might have changed.
• That the process might have been too focussed on specific sites and issues rather than a broader strategy over 20 years. Reference was made to the Timms Report of one year ago, but it was noted that the world economic situation had since changed. Officers replied that the study had sufficient capacity, even with the most conservative assumptions and that the Retail Study was a 20-year study.
• It appeared that mixed messages had been received about Housing referred to on page 20 of the report. Officers confirmed that housing target priorities were the elderly and young people.

Next Stages – Preferred Options

Officers then presented the Next Stages - Preferred Options, which outlined how the comments would be used to inform further studies in the city centre, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.