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, other than the standing declarations, that they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Pierce expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 4, the Finance and Performance Monitor 1 Report, as a board member for York Travellers Trust.

Councillor Scott expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 5, the Interim Report of the Water Lane Councillor Call for Action Task Group and General Update, as the Member who registered the original CCfA.

Councillor D’Agorne also expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 5, as a member of the Cycle Touring Club.

Councillor Holvey expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 8, the Economic Development Programme, in his role as an Economic Policy Manager for Leeds City Council.

Councillor Hyman also expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 8, as the Council’s representative on the York-England.com Board, and as a member of the Audit Board for Science City York.

Councillor Pierce expressed a personal non prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 8 as a former lecturer and current researcher at the University of York.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 12 August 2009.

RESOLVED:That the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 12 August 2009 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Committee’s remit can do so. The deadline for registering is Monday 28 September 2009 at 5 pm.

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

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

This report provides details of the 2009/10 forecast outturn position for both finance and performance in City Strategy, Housing Services and Licensing and Regulation within Neighbourhood Services.

Members received a report into the 2009/10 financial and performance forecast outturn position in City Strategy, Housing Services and Licensing and Regulation within Neighbourhood Services.

Members highlighted an issue regarding spending on bus tokens. The tokens were sold to City of York Council at face value but because only a small percentage of these were ever redeemed, National Transport Tokens were able to make a profit.

Officers answered a query from Members relating to the overspend on bus tokens within the budget.  They stated that there had been an unexpected demand from eligible members of the public to register for the bus tokens rather than bus passes.

Some Members suggested that the City of York Council could issue their own transport tokens rather than purchasing them from National Transport Tokens.  They thought that Ryedale District Council had issued their own tokens and they felt that the benefit of such a scheme to a Local Authority far outweighed the costs for distribution.

The Committee agreed that they would like to receive a more in-depth report on this and agreed to add this to their workplan. (Minute 23 refers.)

Further discussions also ensued on the following issues:

• Remedial action taking place through the reduction of funds for non specific departmental projects.
• The reasons for overspending of utility costs at Travellers Sites.
• Statistics on homelessness and how new allocation measures had made a significant impact on overall numbers.
• Unemployment numbers and trends in York in relation to the national average.

RESOLVED:             That the report be noted.

REASON:                  To update the scrutiny committee of the latest finance and performance position.

The purpose of this report is to update the Committee on the first meeting of the Water Lane CCfA Task Group and the outcome of the Executive Member for City Strategy Decision Making Session on 1 September 2009, Scrutiny Management Committee (Calling in) on 14 September 2009 and Executive (Calling in) on 15 September 2009.

Members considered an Interim Report updating them on the first meeting of the Water Lane Councillor Call For Action(CCfA) task group, and on the relevant outcomes of the Executive Member for City Strategy Decision Session on 1^st September 2009, Scrutiny Management Committee(Calling In) on 14^th September 2009 and Executive (Calling In) on 15^th September 2009.

Discussions between Members and Officers concerned the following issues:

·        The cost of the Water Lane cycle scheme.

·        Possible future planning applications by St Peter’s School and whether this would block access and lead to the temporary removal of speed cushions in Westminster Road.

·        The legal implications shown in the Draft Remit for the Committee in relation to the CCfA, coming from the Land Compensation Act 1973.

Members agreed that the outcome of the Executive(Calling In) meeting on 15^th September 2009, had gone a long way towards easing some of the immediate concerns raised by the CCfA.  However, there was still work to be undertaken by the Committee in terms of long term solutions and addressing the remaining issues set up in the Draft Remit(Annex D of the report refers.)

Members of the Committee decided to form a task group to look at items 2,3 and 4 of the remit. These items are:

• If any further improvements can be made to address the current traffic issues in the Water End area.
• To identify measures or actions that can be taken to assist in the smooth implementation of similar schemes in the city.
• To understand the context of the Land Compensation Act 1973 in relation to the CCfA.

This task group would be comprised of Councillors Scott, Pierce, Hudson and D’Agorne.

Objective one of the remit will be looked at after the 1 December 2009, when the Executive Member for City Strategy has received his report for the Decision Session.  This will include  the results of surveys conducted in the Water Lane area of the city. Members of the Committee will be asked for their views on this report prior to the Executive Member making his decision.

RESOLVED:  (i) That the CCfA is still live but some of the initial concerns   have been resolved appeased since it was first registered.

                      (ii) That the draft remit be approved.

REASON:             In order to progress the CCfA.

[As amended at the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting on 8 December 2009]

This report provides Members with an update on information relating to a previously registered scrutiny topic on the implementation of planning conditions and the adoption of new estates.

Members considered a report to update them on the implementation of planning conditions and the adoption of new estates.  This report included the decision taken by the Executive Member for City Strategy at the Decision Session on 1^st September 2009.  This topic had originally been suggested as a Scrutiny topic for the committee by Councillor Simpson Laing at a previous meeting held on 14^th July 2009.  Her further comments are attached to these minutes

At the Executive Member Decision Session for City Strategy on the 1^st September, the Executive Member requested an interim progress report in the final quarter of the year to show which highways adoptions have been completed, he also recommended that officers make contact with other Local Authorities for examples of best practice and asked for arrangements to be made to establish a local developer forum to meet twice a year with the Executive Member and Officers to discuss current and future schemes.

Members appreciated the reasons for why Councillor Simpson Laing had brought forward the issue to the committee, but suggested that the decision taken by the Executive Member on the 1^st September 2009 was a step forward.

Members also added that the Executive Member report was very thorough and that it would be beneficial to look at the progress report due to be presented to the Executive Member for City Strategy in the final quarter of the year.

RESOLVED:             (i)That the report to the Executive Member for City Strategy dated 18^th August 2009 be noted.

                                  (ii)That the decision on whether to progress this topic to review be deferred until after the Executive Member for City Strategy has received his progress report.  

REASON:                  To allow for a further progress report to be received.

This report updates the information given verbally to the Scrutiny Committee on 15 July and provides an overview of trading conditions at Newgate Market as a result of the current economic climate.

Members received a focus report on Newgate Market which updated information given to the committee verbally at the meeting held on the 15^th July 2009.  The information requested by the committee in the report was a general overview of trading conditions as a result of the current economic climate.

Officers updated Members on the current conditions in the market and said that although the national economic downturn had affected outdoor market traders, that during the year the number of licensed traders within Newgate and the number of casual pitches used has increased.

Discussions between Members and Officers related to:

• The City Centre Action Plan and associated funding.
• Properties on the Shambles and how they relate to Newgate Market.
• The effect of Continental Markets in Parliament Street on stalls within the market.

Certain Members expressed a desire for a more comparative stance within the Officer’s report for example, on what makes a good market.

RESOLVED:        (i)That the report and the information provided by   Officers be noted.

(ii)That a Feasibility Report on the immediate, short term and long term development of Newgate Market should be prepared by the Scrutiny Officer for the next meeting of the Committee.

REASON:                        To inform the work of the Committee.   

This report updates that presented to the Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 15 July in order that the Committee can consider how they may wish to develop a plan of work.

(please note that Annex C of this document is available on-line due to the size of the document. A paper copy has been provided for Members of the Committee only).

Members considered a report from the Assistant Director of Economic Partnerships and Development, on the Economic Development Programme.  This report, with an updated overview of the current economic climate, was requested by the Committee at the meeting on the 14^th July 2009.  In addition to the report Councillor D’Agorne also tabled a report on Green Tasks Jobs. This was to be presented to the Executive on 6^th October 2009 and can be found on the Council’s website.  He also tabled a document entitled “A New Approach” and this is attached as an annex to these minutes.

Members and Officers discussed the following issues:

• The significance of Science City York in the development of a future technology and science cluster and its wider links with the city.
• The York Central development
• Methods of improving the reputation of jobs within certain career areas such as tourism.
• Economic resilience and alternative methods to approach economic development given the current national downturn.

Members suggested in relation to the discussion of Science City York that they would like to invite the Chief Executive Officer of Science City York to give a presentation and answer Members questions on its relationship with the economic development of the city.

They then added that the Leader of the Council, Councillor Waller, should be invited to attend this presentation.

The Officer recommended that Members might wish to attend the Pre Council Seminar on Science City York on 15th October 2009.

RESOLVED:             (i)         That the report be noted.

(ii)               That, if required, after the pre Council Seminar Science City York be invited to address the Committee.

REASON:                  To inform the work of the Committee.

Members are asked to review the Committee’s workplan for 2009-10.  Extracts from the Forward Plan are included for Members’ information.

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

The Scrutiny Officer updated Members that the Scrutiny Management Committee had recently allocated a new Councillor Call for Action (CCfA) in relation to parking, safety and maintenance issues at Broadway shops to the committee.  The Committee asked the Scrutiny Officer to prepare a feasibility report on this for the December meeting.

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

• To receive a further in depth report on bus tokens. (Minute 18 refers.)
• To receive and comment on an interim report from the CCfA (Water Lane) Task Group. (Minute 19 refers.)
• To receive a report on adoption of estates due to be presented to the Executive Member for City Strategy before deciding whether to progress the topic to a scrutiny review. (Minute 20 refers.)
• To receive a feasibility report on Newgate Market. (Minute 21 refers.)
• To invite Science City York, if required, to address the committee at a later date. (Minute 22 refers.)
• To receive feasibility report on the Broadway Shops CCfA in December. (Minute 23 refers.)

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

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