Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Guildhall, York. View directions

Contact: Fiona Young  Interim Democratic Services Manager

Items
No. Item

18.

Declarations of Interest (18:35)

At this point in the meeting, 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.

 

Minutes:

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

 

Cllr Widdowson declared a pecuniary interest in Motion (ii) at Agenda Item 8, Controlling the Concentration of Short Term and Holiday Lets, as the owner of an Air B&B property.  She left the Chamber during consideration of that motion, and took no part in the debate or decision thereon.

 

Cllr Crawshaw declared, for the sake of transparency, that his mother would be addressing the Council as one of the speakers under Public Participation, at Agenda Item 4.

19.

Minutes (18:37) pdf icon PDF 403 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the Ordinary Council meeting held on 14 July 2022 and the Extraordinary Council meeting held on 6 October 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Ordinary Council meeting held on 14 July 2022 and the Extraordinary Council meeting held on 6 October 2022 be approved, and signed by the Chair as a correct record in each case.

 

20.

Civic Announcements (18:38)

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

Minutes:

The Lord Mayor announced the recent sad death of Tom Brittain, former Assistant Director of Housing and Community Safety.  He invited Members to observe a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for Tom’s work and loyalty to the council.

21.

Public Participation (18:39)

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, 18 October 2022.

 

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.

 

During coronavirus, we made some changes to how we're running council meetings.  See our updates at www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy for more information on meetings and decisions.

Minutes:

It was reported that substantially more than 10 people had registered to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme and that consequently only the first 10 to register would be afforded the opportunity to speak, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. 

 

Flick Williams spoke in support of Motion (ii) at Agenda Item 8, Equality for Disabled People.  She objected to the meeting being held in the Council Chamber despite advice that it was inaccessible, and urged Council to adopt the social model of disability.

 

Gwen Swinburn spoke on governance issues, as matters relevant to the Council or City.  She referred to a number of issues and complaints relating to governance since 2011, and proposed that a ‘democracy emergency’ be called for the council.

 

Marilyn Crawshaw spoke in support of the Reverse the Ban petition at Item 5(iii) on behalf of the non-political coalition that had organised the petition, highlighting the number of people who had signed it and reading out some of the comments provided.

 

Jade Puckering also spoke in support of the Reverse the Ban petition, describing the effects on her independence as a blind person when she could not be collected by car from the city centre.

 

Jane Burton, of York Accessibility Action and Reverse the Ban also spoke in support of the petition, emphasising the strength of feeling on this issue and its effect on the Council’s reputation.

 

Diane Roworth also spoke in support of the Reverse the Ban petition, noting it was about equality for children and adults in York and that businesses in the city centre needed disabled people.

 

Niall McFerran, of York Bus Forum, spoke in support of Motion (iii) at Item 8, Protecting and Improving Local Bus Services, stating that a new solution was needed post-covid to encourage a return to bus services as a convenient, accessible alternative to car use.

 

Peter Rollings, Chairman of Rufforth & Knapton Parish Council, also spoke on Motion (iii).  He urged the Council to find a solution for the 412 service due to cease on 10 December, and a long-term strategy to secure the sustainability of rural bus services.

 

Carole Green also spoke on Motion (iii), drawing attention to a petition submitted in respect of the no. 11 bus, signed by 1,235 people, which was awaiting a response.

 

Chris Brace also spoke on Motion (iii), stating that current political events must not distract from the climate emergency, and asking if the source of power used for electric buses had been considered.

22.

Petitions (19:18)

To consider any petitions received from Members in accordance with Standing Order No.15.  Notice has been received of three petitions, to be presented by:-

 

(i)      Cllr Hook, on behalf of residents of Skelton calling for the installation of a pedestrian crossing to allow safe crossing to all between Fairfield Croft and Fairfield Drive.

 

(ii)      Cllr Fisher, on behalf of residents of Moor Lane and Princess Road in Strensall, seeking to have these roads fully resurfaced.

 

(iii)     Cllr Melly, on behalf of residents and visitors supporting Reverse the Ban in calling for a reversal of the ban on Blue Badge Holders from entering the city centre.

Minutes:

Under Rule B5 2, the following petitions were presented for reference to the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee, in accordance with the Council’s petition arrangements:

(i)      A petition presented by Cllr Hook, on behalf of residents of Skelton calling for the installation of a pedestrian crossing to allow safe crossing to all between Fairfield Croft and Fairfield Drive.1

(ii)      A petition presented by Cllr Fisher, on behalf of residents of Moor Lane and Princess Road in Strensall, seeking to have these roads fully resurfaced.2

(iii)     A petition presented by Cllr Melly, on behalf of residents and visitors supporting Reverse the Ban in calling for a reversal of the ban on Blue Badge Holders from entering the city centre.3

23.

Report of Executive Leader and Questions (19:21) pdf icon PDF 398 KB

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

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

A written report was received from the Executive Leader, Cllr Aspden, on the work of the Executive.

 

Members were then invited to question the Leader on his report.  Questions were received from the floor from the following Members in relation to the subjects listed, and replied to as indicated:

 

Devolution

From Cllr Daubeney: With the impending change of government following the resignation of the Prime Minister this afternoon, is there any risk of delay to the Devolution plan discussed at the last meeting?

Response: It’s imperative that these changes do not slow our timetable.  We will launch the 8-week consultation tomorrow so that it can come back to Council in February.  I have had assurances from civil servants that the current turbulence will not affect this.  Now more than ever we need certainty.

 

Purple Flag

From Cllr Kilbane: Do you accept that Purple Flag does nothing to tackle the most acute anti-social behaviour such as that in Westfield, and what are you doing about this?

Response:. The scheme is about partnership working, urging all to work together to create as safe and welcoming city as possible.  We need to ensure it focuses on the problems that communities see and challenge the police to do what they can.  I’d be happy to meet with Cllr Douglas to discuss the specifics.

[Supplementary: We were told the scheme would tackle drunken behaviour by persuading people to book tables in advance - but what about youth services in Wakefield?]

Supplementary Response: We need to work with communities and with partners on the underlying causes - early intervention is needed.  The council must do all it can, but I would go back to the key point of investment in councils and key services; we have seen year on year of cuts, and if the cuts get worse so will public services; we need to make the case to government.

[Supplementary from Cllr Crawshaw: I agree that multi-agency work is necessary, but having identified problems in several wards I invited councillors to come together to discuss these but received no response except from colleagues in Micklegate and Heworth wards, so your words sound good but your actions don’t match.]

Supplementary Response: If you’d like to contact me or my colleagues with specific information about that, I am sure it can be explained.

Cost of Living Crisis

From Cllr Hollyer: As the Tory government chaos continues, what work is being undertaken to ensure that key services are protected as much as possible?

Response: The government has said there will not be a spending review or a fair funding review for local government, which poses challenges.  So we are taking action in-year to ensure we can control the budget as soon as possible before consulting as early as possible on next year’s budget.  We will have to look at a level of cuts similar to those made over the past decade.  It’s about making sure that we concentrate on prioritising those services that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

24.

Report of Deputy Leader and Questions (19:52) pdf icon PDF 374 KB

To receive and consider a written report from the Deputy Leader and, to question the Deputy Leader thereon.

 

Minutes:

A written report was received from the Deputy Leader, Cllr D’Agorne.

 

Members were then invited to question the Deputy Leader on his report.  Questions were received from the floor from the following Members in relation to the subjects listed, and replied to as indicated:

 

Bus Service Improvement Plan and Bus Services

From Cllr Orrell: Can you explain what improvements the Bus Service Improvement Plan could deliver?

Response: We will be discussing the motion on this later.  As set out in my report and the report to Executive in October, uniquely in the region York was awarded funding from government of £17.3m over 2.5 years.  We have put forward our submission on how this will be spent, which will be determined by the Enhanced Partnership.  We have consulted with bus operators, including on a range of measures to make buses more attractive over a period of time.  There is also an allowance for some short-term support to try to maintain services for local communities, which will be part of the debate later on.

 

Dualling of the Ring Road

From Cllr Kilbane: Do you personally think dualling the ring road is a good idea, and does the Green party think so?

Response: I think you already know the answer.  The Green party is the only party opposed to dualling, [a policy] which has been brought forward over the last decade by successive administrations.  You have my comments about the ring road on record.  I am aware we have a climate emergency, and a key element of the documents alongside the Local Plan is the reference to the carbon impact of development.  There are questions to be raised on whether your consider this to come from induced traffic.

[Supplementary: Are you personally in favour of dualling the ring road, or not?]

Supplementary Response: Personally, I am not.

 

Devolution Deal

From Cllr K Taylor: Do you have any thoughts on whether the £50m for York Central in the Devolution Deal is to make up for anticipated business rates not received, or to plug the funding gap for the infrastructure costs of the development, or a bit of both?

Response: I’ve not been involved in negotiations on that, so I am happy to give you a written answer.

[Supplementary: Will you come to the next York Central Lead Members briefing, as you missed the last one?]

Supplementary Response: I was unable to attend the last briefing, which is why so I asked Cllr Dave Taylor if he wanted to attend to represent Fishergate Ward.

 

Haxby Station

From Cllr Cuthbertson: Can you update councillors on the next steps of the Haxby Station project?

Response: I have given some detail in my report and there are regular updates to ward councillors.  We are working as fast as possible to proceed to a planning application in order to meet the timetable; the most recent briefing indicated that this application might be in January or February.

25.

Motions on Notice (20:21)

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order 22:

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

 

(i)           From Cllr Fenton

 

Protecting and improving local bus services

 

“Council notes that:

·        Bus operating companies have been affected by falling passenger numbers, rising costs and driver shortages since the Covid pandemic.

·        Financial aid from Government has been important in supporting the provision of bus services since the start of the pandemic, but this is due to come to an end in March 2023

·        Intensive work is currently taking place by Council officers and providers to encourage and support residents to return to buses and retain as many services as possible.

·        City of York Council has entered into an ‘Enhanced Partnership’ with bus operators, which is a prerequisite for unlocking the £17.3m Government funding secured from York’s successful Bus Service Improvement Plan bid.

·        City of York Council was successful in securing £8.4m from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund, which will support the purchase of 44 more electric buses.

·        Encouraging more residents and visitors to choose to travel by bus rather than car is an important part of the city’s efforts to tackle transport-related carbon emissions and reduce congestion.

·        Some communities and individuals are poorly served by current bus services, which limit their ability to access employment, education, essential services and social interaction.

Council believes that:

·        A reliable, accessible and affordable bus service is essential to all York residents to access shops, services, leisure, employment and education, and to help tackle air pollution, congestion and the Climate Emergency.

·        Continued engagement with bus operators through the ‘Enhanced Partnership’ will be vital in making best use of available financial resources and ensuring that bus routes and timetables are configured in a way that best serves the needs of residents.

·        The absence of certainty around Government funding support beyond March 2023 creates the risk of a ‘cliff edge’ situation where some bus services may be reduced or cut entirely, leading to a material impact on residents’ lives.

Council therefore resolves that:

·        Officers should continue negotiations with bus providers to retain as many routes as possible and to prevent a gap in service provision.

·        Officers should actively engage with members and user groups as part of their work with operators to review bus routes and timetables.

·        The Executive should use all opportunities, including working with regional political leaders, to continue to lobby Government for long-term funding to support public transport networks, including support for driver recruitment and training schemes.

·        Whilst the agreed ‘Enhanced Partnership’ approach should be pursued, alternative feasible models should be kept under review and lessons learned from the experience of other cities and regions.”

 

(ii)      From Cllr Pavlovic

 

Controlling the concentration of short term and holiday lets

 

“This council notes the rapid rise of whole property holiday lets in our city, particularly in wards in and around but not restricted to, the city centre.

Council welcomes more affordable holiday accommodation options and the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 25.

Minutes:

(i)           Protecting and Improving Local Bus Services

 

Cllr Fenton sought consent to alter his motion to incorporate the amendment submitted by Cllr Melly.

 

Council having granted consent, the altered motion was moved by Cllr Fenton and seconded by Cllr Hollyer, as follows:

 

“Council notes that:

·        Bus operating companies have been affected by falling passenger numbers, rising costs and driver shortages since the Covid pandemic.

·        Financial aid from Government has been important in supporting the provision of bus services since the start of the pandemic, but this is due to come to an end in March 2023.

·        There is a wide variety of support for local bus franchising powers to better tailor services to meet local need, from the Government through its devolution deals to leading think tanks focussed on economic growth such as Centre for Cities.

·        Intensive work is currently taking place by Council officers and providers to encourage and support residents to return to buses and retain as many services as possible.

·        City of York Council has entered into an ‘Enhanced Partnership’ with bus operators, which is a prerequisite for unlocking the £17.3m Government funding secured from York’s successful Bus Service Improvement Plan bid.

·        City of York Council was successful in securing £8.4m from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) fund, which will support the purchase of 44 more electric buses.

·        The £2 maximum single fare delivered in West Yorkshire by Labour Metro Mayor, Tracy Brabin, is under an ‘Enhanced Partnership’ arrangement, something not achieved through York’s EP.

·        Encouraging more residents and visitors to choose to travel by bus rather than car is an important part of the city’s efforts to tackle transport-related carbon emissions and reduce congestion.

·        Some communities and individuals are poorly served by current bus services, which limit their ability to access employment, education, essential services and social interaction, particularly in some outer parts of York, a situation that will not change under an Enhanced Partnership.

Council believes that:

·       A reliable, accessible and affordable bus service is essential to all York residents to access shops, services, leisure, employment and education, and to help tackle air pollution, congestion and the Climate Emergency.

·        Part of the way to start planning a reversal in the decline of bus journeys taken in York is to update a strategic Local Transport Plan that’s over a decade old and increasingly out of date, so that infrastructure investment better supports local bus services;

·        Continued engagement with bus operators through the ‘Enhanced Partnership’ will be vital in making best use of available financial resources; however, ensuring that bus routes and timetables are configured in a way that best serves the needs of residents will not be achieved locally unless franchising powers are taken up through a Mayoral Combined Authority.

·       The absence of certainty around Government funding support beyond March 2023 creates the risk of a ‘cliff edge’ situation where some bus services may be reduced or cut entirely, leading to a material impact on residents’ lives.

Council therefore resolves that:

·       Officers should  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

26.

Questions to the Leader or Executive Members (22:18)

To question the Leader and/or Executive Members in respect of any matter within their portfolio responsibility, in accordance with Standing Order 20.

Minutes:

No questions were put, as the guillotine had fallen.

 

27.

Report of Executive Member (22:18) pdf icon PDF 403 KB

To receive a written report from the Executive Member for Finance and Major Projects and to question the Executive Member thereon, in accordance with Standing Order 19.

Minutes:

A written report was received from Cllr Ayre, the Executive Member for Finance and Major Projects. 

 

No questions were put on the report, as the guillotine had fallen.

28.

Scrutiny - Report of the Chair of the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee (22:18) pdf icon PDF 122 KB

To receive a report from Councillor Crawshaw, Chair of the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee, on the work of the Committee.

 

Minutes:

A written report was received from Cllr Crawshaw, Chair of the Customer & Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee, on the work of the committee. 

 

29.

Recommendations of the Licensing & Regulatory Committee (22:19) pdf icon PDF 110 KB

To consider the recommendations for approval set out below:

 

Meeting

Date

Recommendations

 

Licensing & Regulatory Committee

 

4 October 2022

 

 

Minute 15: New Hackney Carriage Licences – Referral to Council

 

https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=606&MId=13839

 

Minutes:

Cllr Cuthbertson, as Chair of the Licensing & Regulatory Committee, moved, and Cllr Melly seconded, the following recommendation from the meeting of the committee held on 4 October 2022.

 

“Recommended: That Council approve the issuing of ten new hackney carriage vehicle licences (three that have not been renewed and seven additional licences), bringing the total number to 190.

 

Reason:              To help meet unmet demand for hackney carriage vehicles, particularly from users with a disability, and coupled with the proposed specification for those newly licensed vehicles provide a more environmentally friendly and easily recognisable hackney carriage fleet in the city in response to the declared climate emergency and continuing desire to improve air quality.”

 

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared CARRIED, and it was

 

Resolved:  That the above recommendation be approved.1

30.

Appointments and Changes to Membership (22:20) pdf icon PDF 189 KB

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the appointments and changes to membership set out in Section A on the list at page 3 of the supplementary papers be approved, and that the appointments made by the Staffing Matters & Urgency Committee, as set out in Section B on the list, be noted.1

 

 

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