Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interest which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda. No additional interests were declared.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 9 May 2014.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

“Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/3130/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings

It was reported that there had been one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme; however the speaker did not attend the meeting.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 21 October 2013.

Resolved:           That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 21 October 2013 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chair.

To consider the decisions made by Cabinet at their meeting held on 23 April 2014 in relation to the above item, which has been called in by Councillors Ayre, Reid and Runciman in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.  A cover report is attached setting out the reasons for the call-in and the remit and powers of the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling-In) in relation to the call-in, together with the original report and the decisions of the Cabinet.

Members received a report which asked them to consider the decisions made by the Cabinet on 23 April 2014, in relation to ongoing work with potential Local Plan allocations and the decision to undertake public consultation on potential new sites and boundary changes on some of the sites originally identified.

Details of the Cabinet’s decision were attached at Annex A to the report, with the original report to the Cabinet attached at Annex B. The decision had been called in by Councillors Ayre, Reid and Runciman on the following grounds:

·               The proposed public consultation documents exclude projected housing numbers for the new residential sites or revised housing numbers for either the amended allocated sites or the amended strategic sites.

·               This exclusion is contrary to the Local Plan Preferred Options paper (June 2013) which included housing numbers; however, no proper explanation is offered as to why this approach has been abandoned.

·               Housing numbers are not provided for potentially large sites such as Stockton Lane, Boroughbridge Road, North of Escrick or in New Earswick.

·               It is not fully explained how the changes to strategic sites such as Metcalfe Lane, North of Haxby or Whinthorpe will affect proposed housing numbers on these sites. 

·               The papers fail to provide sufficient information on the infrastructure plans for the new sites or how the new sites will impact upon existing residents and on other proposed sites identified last year.

·               Failure to include housing numbers and other key information is symptomatic of an approach where there is no opportunity for group leaders to agree the contents and structure of public consultations.

·               The Further Sites consultation papers should include projected housing numbers and other key details so residents have all the information they need to respond.

·                Until all key information is published and included in the papers it is inappropriate for consultation to begin.

Members were asked whether to confirm the decision (Option a) or to refer it back to Cabinet for re-consideration (Option b) as set out in the report.

Councillor Reid addressed the meeting on behalf of the Calling-In members referring to the comprehensive reasons provided for the call-in, with the key reason being the exclusion of housing numbers in the consultation documents for both new and allocated residential sites. She pointed out that without housing numbers and infrastructure information residents would find it difficult to provide meaningful feedback to the consultation.

Councillor Ayre also addressed the meeting, on behalf of the Calling-In members, reiterating that any consultation would be uninformed without the additional information requested.

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Planning & Sustainabilityresponded, confirming that the consultation proposed related to the principle of development at this stage and the safeguarding of sites, including the addition of new sites and potential boundary changes to some existing sites. He confirmed that it would be possible to include an estimate of housing numbers on each site however this would be with the caveat that these could change prior to the final consultation. He pointed out that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.