Agenda and draft minutes

To receive and note apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Burton, Vassie and Waudby.                           

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. 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.

(Please see attached sheet for further guidance.)

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.

None were declared.

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, 24 March 2026.

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.

The Lord Mayor reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Gwen Swinburn expressed concern about the reputational impact on the City of York arising from continued associations linked to the Duke of York and argued that the city’s name and standing were being undermined.  While acknowledging that the Council did not have the authority to remove royal titles, she asked Members to make a clear and unequivocal statement that the association was damaging to the city and did not reflect its values. She asked Members to remove the Honorary Freedom and to commit to further action if procedural constraints prevented this.

To consider the following Motion submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Paragraph 3.1(l) of the Council Procedure Rules:

“The Council resolves that, pursuant to Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the City of York Council withdraws the Honorary Freeman of the City status from Sarah Ferguson, which was conferred upon her in 1987.”

The Lord Mayor invited Councillor Douglas, the Leader of the Council, to move the motion to withdraw Sarah Feguson’s Honorary Freedom of the City status.

Councillor Douglas stated that the Freedom of the City was awarded only to persons of distinction or those who had given commendable service to the city, and that recipients were expected to uphold standards consistent with the honour. She stated that continued association with Jeffrey Epstein after his crimes were widely known fell short of these expectations and that evidence contained within the Epstein files demonstrated such association. She urged Council to support the motion.

Councillor Baxter seconded the motion and reserved the right to reply.

Councillor Smalley spoke in support of the motion. He referred to the Council’s decision in April 2022 to remove the Honorary Freedom from Andrew Mountbatten?Windsor, noting that this was the first time the honour had been withdrawn by the Council. He stated that, while it had previously felt inappropriate to judge Sarah Ferguson by the actions of her former husband, subsequent disclosures demonstrated her own continued association with Jeffrey Epstein. He emphasised the importance of civic honours reflecting decency, accountability and support for victims.

Councillor Baxter noted that the honour had been granted in 1987 and that expectations and public standards had evolved. She stated that honorary freedoms were not solely historical recognitions, but ongoing endorsements associated with the city’s values and reputation. She referred to the Council’s statutory power both to grant and withdraw honorary freedoms and emphasised the importance of maintaining the integrity of the City’s highest civic honour. She also highlighted the need to remember victims in considering the matter.

Resolved (unanimously):

Pursuant to Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the City of York Council withdraws the Honorary Freeman of the City status from Sarah Ferguson, which was conferred upon her in 1987.