Agenda and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting, any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Holvey declared a standing personal non prejudicial interest as an Economic Policy Advisor for Leeds City Council.

Councillor D’Agorne declared a standing personal non prejudicial interest noted, particularly in relation to training matters, as an employee of York College.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered their wish to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is Monday 13 July 2009 at 5.00 pm. Members of the public can speak on specific planning applications or on other agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

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

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This report highlights the agreed changes to the Overview and Scrutiny function in York, detailing the terms of reference for the new committees and the resources available to support the function.

Members considered a report which highlighted the agreed changes to the Overview and Scrutiny function in York.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted

REASON:                   To inform Members of the new Scrutiny arrangements.

This report provides details of the 2008/09 outturn position for both finance and performance in City Strategy, Housing Services and Licensing and Regulation within Neighbourhood Services. 

Members considered a report providing details of the 2008/09 outturn position for both finance and performance in City Strategy, Housing Services and Licensing and Regulation within Neighbourhood Services.

There were discussions between Members and Officers on the following issues:

• Housing Revenue
• Bus passenger numbers and how this has affected fares
• Newgate Market; particularly in relation to the income this was currently generating and the number of empty stalls
• Standards of Council properties
• Housing developers’ plans in light of the recession

The Chair suggested in relation to the discussion on Newgate Market that the committee might wish to add this to their ongoing work plan, and that this would be decided on when the work plan item was discussed later in the meeting.

In relation to the required standards that Council properties needed to attain, an Officer circulated a paper with printed definitions on measuring the standards.

In response to a Member’s question on whether the age of a property would make a difference in the standards it had to achieve, the Officer replied that more information would made available to answer this after the meeting.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted.

REASON:                  To update the Scrutiny Committee of the outturn position.

This report presents the Corporate Strategy key performance indicators and actions relevant to the remit of this particular Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members received a report that presented the Corporate Strategy key performance indicators and actions relevant to the remit of the Committee.

Officers circulated an amended version of the chart of possible performance indicator links to Scrutiny Committees which explained with the help of directional arrows the performance of certain indicators over the past year. This is attached as an annex to these minutes.

Members suggested that to provide a clearer overall picture future Monitoring and Key Performance Indicator reports should be amalgamated with a focus on under performance along with a comparison to national data.

In reference to Annex A to the report (Relevant Council Performance Indicators and Key Actions for 2009/10). Members asked for an extra explanatory sentence to be added under each indicator for clarity.

RESOLVED:             I)          That the report be noted.

ii)                  That the Monitoring & Key Performance Indicator Reports be amalgamated for future meetings.¹

iii)                That an explanatory sentence be added under each indicator for clarity.²

REASON:                  To inform the work of this Committee.

This report asks Members to consider a scrutiny topic registered by Councillor Simpson-Laing to look at the implementation of planning conditions, completion and difficulties related to the adoption of new estates

Members considered a feasibility report which related to a topic regarding the implementation of planning conditions along with the completion and difficulties related to the adoption of new estates.  The topic had originally been registered by Councillor Simpson-Laing.  Members also considered a written submission by Councillor Simpson-Laing in support of her topic.  This is attached as an Annex to these minutes.

Discussions between Members and Officers related to several issues:

• Problems with some developers not fulfilling all the requirements of their planning conditions. This had a knock on effect when it came to implementing adoption processes.
• The need for a greater focus on adoption rather than enforcement.

Members of the Committee requested the Assistant Director(City Development & Transport) provide further information on adoption processes and this briefing should provide a focus to identify whether there would be any scope or merit in proceeding with a review on this matter.

RESOLVED:             That the decision be deferred until a future meeting when Officers would present Members with further information.¹

REASON:                  To better inform the work of the Committee and to not duplicate work already being undertaken.

This report  seeks to provide Members of the Scrutiny Committee with an overview of the Council’s approach to economic development in order that the Committee can consider how they may wish to develop a plan of work in relation to this.

Members received a report which provided an overview of the Council’s approach to economic development in order that the Committee could determine their work plan in relation to this.

Councillor D’Agorne submitted an open letter from the York Environment Forum on Implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy and it was decided that a representative from the York Environment Forum should be invited to address the committee at the next meeting on its contents.  This letter is attached as an annex to these minutes.

Discussions between Members and Officers included:

• The Sustainable Community Strategy and issues relating to planned sustainable developments around the city area.
• The links between the work of the Economic Development Department and the Local Development Framework.
• Newgate Market

Annex B of the Assistant Director’s(Economic Development and Partnerships) report was the result of an externally commissioned study by the Centre for Cities.  The Assistant Director highlighted the following points:

• York’s relationship with the Leeds City Region.
• York’s low rates of new business formation and perceived lack of enterprising spirit amongst inhabitants, perhaps due to lack of ethnic diversity or loss of old industries.
• Green jobs.

The Committee  invited the Assistant Director(Economic Development and Partnerships) to their September meeting to discuss the Economic Development Strategy and Action Programme 2008/09(Annex A of the report) further.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted.

REASON:                  To give more information to the Committee on these specific economic development issues.

To consider the Committee’s work plan for 2009-2010.

Members considered the work plan for the Economic and City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee for 2009-10.

Members agreed that the following work areas be added to the work plan:

• Further information on adoption processes to enable Members to make an informed decision on whether to proceed with the scrutiny topic regarding planning conditions and adoption of new estates(minute 6 refers).

• Closer examination of the Economic Development Programme report with an invite to the Assistant Director(Economic Development and Partnerships) to present the results to the Committee’s meeting in September.

• A focus on Newgate Market, in relation to the Economic Development Programme’s remit.

RESOLVED:             That the work areas detailed above be added to the work plan of this Committee.

REASON:                  To assist in the planning of work for this Committee.