Agenda and draft minutes

6:30pm to 7pm – Drop In

·        Your ward councillors will be available for enquiries

·        Pick up local news and information

The meeting was preceded from 6.30pm by a drop-in session with the three ward councillors, local groups including York Dial & Ride and the City of York Council Schools Team.  The Schools Team provided information about pupil place-planning in the area.

7pm to 9pm – Main Public Meeting

·        Neighbourhood Working: Cllr Hayes will introduce the Micklegate Ward Budget, community grants scheme and Neighbourhood Planning proposal

·        Micklegate Ward Priorities: Have your say on what these should be

·        Community Care and Highways: Cllr Gunnell will explain how these two ward funds can be used to meet local needs

·        Pride in York: Cllr Kramm will outline proposed changes to the maintenance of parks and green spaces in the ward and the funding available

·        Micklegate Ward Planning Panel: selection of members for the year ahead

·        Have Your Say: your opportunity to raise issues of local interest or concern

1.               Drop In

The meeting was preceded from 6.30pm by a drop-in session with the three ward councillors, local groups including York Dial & Ride and the City of York Council Schools Team. 

The Schools Team provided information about pupil place-planning in the area.

2.               Main Public Meeting

Welcome and introductions

Cllr Gunnell, as Chair, welcomed everyone to the meeting on behalf of the ward councillors, also introducing Joe Ashton.

Neighbourhood Working

Cllr Hayes started by saying that since the election himself as an Independent councillor along with Cllr Gunnell, a Labour member and Cllr Kramm, a Green member have been working together well.

The new coalition executive for York has re-introduced the ward committee system, and that this comprises of the residents here tonight, and that it will feed into the work the councillors do by letting them know what issues are important and what the ward priorities are.

Part of the ward committee system also includes the ward budget, which residents can feed into decisions about how this is spent. This includes newly devolved budgets for discretionary ward spending.

The ward budget for 2015/16 comprises of:

·        Ward grounds maintenance £145,950

·        Pride in York fund £12,639 + £53,584

·        Community care fund £4,740

·        Community grants £9,479

·        Highways £15,799

Since the election Cllr Hayes said that discussion has been held on the possibility of the ward adopting a Neighbourhood Plan. This would be a plan of legal standing that gives residents the power to develop a shared vision for their area, so that the development of the area meets the needs of residents. This would sit alongside the city-wide Local Plan when that is agreed.

Cllr Hayes said that this could be a lot of work and would need around 20 people to help get this agreed. This would be a mixture of residents, businesses, school, organisations, etc. Cllr Hayes said that tonight it would be good to get a steer tonight to see if residents think that aiming for a neighbourhood plan is a good idea. Cllr Hayes asked for any questions on what had been discussed so far.

·        Q. It is important that people are independent so that they can stay in their own homes when getting older. So making houses accessible and adapting them is important.

·        Councillors agreed.

·        Q. Micklegate the street needs to be addressed.

·        The possible Neighbourhood Plan would cover the entire ward, including Micklegate.

·        Q. What are the disadvantages on not having a Neighbourhood Plan?

·        It would limit the influence on planning issues, especially as at the moment there is no city Local Plan. If by 2017 a Local Plan has not been agreed for the city then one will have to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.