Agenda

To receive and note apologies for absence.

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.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

(1)         Members must consider their interests, and act according to the

following:

(2)         Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(3)         Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them. A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meetings of Council held on 27 March 2025 and 22 May 2025.

To consider any announcements made by the Lord Mayor in respect of Civic business.

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on a matter directly relevant to the business of the Council or the City, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.

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 public meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission.  The remote public meeting can be viewed live and on demand at

www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

To consider any petitions received from Members in accordance with Standing Order B5.  Notice has been received of seven petitions to be presented by:

i)                  Councillor Warters regarding the maintenance of Fulford Cemetery.

ii)                Councillor Warters regarding capping the numbers of university students in the city.

iii)              Councillor Mason regarding parking charges.

iv)              Councillor Hook regarding a 20mph speed limit in Poppleton.

v)                Councillor Fenton regarding replacing the zebra crossing on Beckfield Lane in Acomb with a push button crossing.

vi)              Councillor Merrett regarding parking charges and Traffic Regulation Orders in relation to parking in the Groves.

vii)            Councillor Hollyer regarding dualling York’s Outer Ring Road.

To receive and consider a written report from the Leader on the work of the Executive.

To question the Leader and/or Executive Members in respect of any matter within their portfolio responsibility, in accordance with Standing Order B8.

To receive a report from Councillor Hollyer, Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee, on the work of the Committee.

To receive a report from Councillor Fenton, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, on the work of the Committee.

To receive a report from the Joint Standards Committee on the work of the Committee during the 2024/25 municipal year.

To receive and consider for approval the recommendations of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, as set out below:

To consider the appointments and changes to membership of committees and outside bodies set out on the list attached to this summons.

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order B10:

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order B10:

i)                From Councillor Rose:

Improving equality of access to elections

“Council notes:

·       its approved council motions in recent years on voter engagement and participation, including the December 2022 motion opposing new rules imposed on electors, including the new photo ID requirement, in March 2024 backing the ‘My Vote My Voice’ campaign on equal access to voting, and in July 2024 highlighting disenfranchisement problems resulting from a flawed postal vote system;

·       Elections Act 2022 nationality requirements resulting in a lottery of who can vote in different elections, with different treatment of different EU and other citizens in different domestic elections;

·       that groups that are more likely to be disenfranchised than others include those with physical mobility challenges, mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodivergence; younger people; people from poorer backgrounds; people with fewer educational qualifications; ethnic minorities; residents with other nationalities and primary languages; and private tenants in high-turnover-rate areas (such as high rent or high short-term-lets rates areas);

·       that according to 2021 census data York has many people in more highly disenfranchised groups, with a population that are approximately 20% private renters, 17% disabled people, 16% with bad or middling health, 14% 18-24 year olds, 14% social renters, 11% born overseas, 6% widowed, 4% single parents, 4% non-white British, 4% non-white non-British, 3% white non-British, and 0.3% Gypsy, Roma or Traveller;

·       the January 2025 IPPR report: Modernising Elections: How To Get Voters Back that recommended many changes including automatic voter registration, removal of Photo ID requirements, non-working day elections, voting rights for permanent residents, compulsory voting, £100k limits for political donors, votes for 16-17 year olds, and sortition for poll workers;

·       That Scotland and Wales have implemented residence-based voting rights that give equal rights to vote to all residents, with Manchester, Cambridgeshire, several London boroughs, Liverpool, Sheffield and others all supporting the same rights for England.

Council believes all residents should have equal rights and access to voting, and that the creation of new barriers to voting through the Elections Act 2022 was wrong. Complex voting eligibility and voter ID requirements have since disenfranchised voters.

Council further believes that the government and local authorities should fully engage with the IPPR recommendations and maximise support and encouragement for engaging with democratic processes, and that partners including educational institutions and landlords should do more to encourage voter registration and participation.

Council resolves:

·       to request the Council Leader writes to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Deputy Prime Minister, making the case that local election franchising be applied equally to all residents in England, in line with Scotland and Wales;

·       to request the Council Leader writes to letting agencies and landlords with significant numbers of properties in York, the University of York and York St John University, seeking greater support in registering more residents to vote, including consideration of automatic registration;

·       to request the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Any other business which the Chair considers urgent under the Local Government Act 1972.

Democracy Officer

James Parker / Jane Meller

Contact details:

·       Telephone:(01904) 553659 / (01904) 555209

·       Email: james.parker@york.gov.uk  / jane.meller@york.gov.uk