Agenda and minutes

At this point in the meeting, 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.

Members were asked to declare any personal, prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests, other than those listed on the standing declarations attached to the agenda, that they may have in the business on the agenda.  None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on Tuesday 23 July 2013.

Resolved:           That the minutes of the last meeting held on 23^rd July 2013 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

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 by 5pm the working day before the meeting, in this case 5pm on Monday 23 September.

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

It was reported that there was one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

In relation to item 9, Ms. Gwen Swinburn advised that she was disappointed to note that there had been no written report attached for this item and expressed concern at this practice across all Council meetings. She asked that the Council make every effort to provide a written report for all agenda items to enable citizens to consider and comment on reports prior to attending meetings.

Ms Swinburn had also registered to speak in relation to item 10. She expressed disappointment that the Economic Strategy for York had never been presented to this committee or any other Council committee. She advised that at present, the strategy went to the York Economic Partnership Board which offered limited opportunity for members of the public to comment. Furthermore, the board was considering cutting loose from the strategy which would mean it would be lost completely. She asked that the ECDOSC committee consider pushing for the strategy to be monitored by a Council committee, possibly Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning & Sustainability will update Members of the Committee on the priorities within his portfolio area.

The Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability attended the meeting to update Members on priorities within his portfolio area.

His verbal update included comments on;

·        The transport aspect of his portfolio including details of schemes completed, ongoing and forthcoming i.e the Lendal Bridge trial,  the A59 Park and Ride and Kings Square.

·        An update on the ongoing work on the Local Plan, in particular that a report on the consultation responses would be coming forward to the Local Plan Working Group in November.

·        The recently submitted Neighbourhood Plan for Dunnington and the potential for more plans to be submitted from other Parishes and the cost implications for the Council.

·        Details of environmental initiatives such as Carbon Management.

Members queried a number of points, in particular the concerns that had been raised in the local newspaper surrounding thr Kings Square improvements. The Cabinet Member advised that the work had followed a comprehensive consultation in the spring and that many residents falsely believed the work was taking place in the Shambles when it isn’t.

In relation to Neighbourhood Plans, It was confirmed that following a restructure in the City and Environmental Services Directorate the Council was in a better position to support Neighbourhood Plan applications and staff were now being trained on the process.

Resolved:           That Members noted the Cabinet Members update.

Reason:              To keep the committee informed on areas within its portfolio.

This report provides details of the 2013/14 forecast outturn position for both finance and performance in City & Environmental Services and Housing Services. 

Members considered a report that provided details of the 2013/14 forecast outturn position for both finance and performance in City and Environmental Services and Housing.

Members queried the shortfall in respect of Parking income. Officers advised this was a concern as it was a trend that had continued over the last few years and it would be monitored.

Resolved:  That the report on the financial position of the portfolio be noted.

Reason:     In accordance with budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.

This report provides Members with their first update on the implementation of the recommendations arising from the previously completed Out of Hours Childcare Scrutiny Review which falls within the remit of the Economic & City Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Members considered a report which provided an update on the implementation of recommendations arising from the previously completed Out of Hours Childcare Scrutiny Review.

In relation to recommendation 6, this was due to be carried out by December. A further update would be circulated by email.

Officers advised that recommendation 7  - ‘That the Family Information Service Manager organise a further event for employers around being family friendly as identified in option 3’ – was the only recommendation that hadn’t been implemented and an update would be circulated by December.

Members suggested including some information on the ‘York Means Business’ website to draw employers attention to the preference for family friendly employers in the York area. Members requested that a further update on the implementation of the recommendation be circulated to the committee.

Resolved:           That Members noted the report.

A further update on recommendation 7 be circulated to the committee electronically.

Reason:              To raise awareness of those recommendations which are still to be fully implemented.

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the External Funding Scrutiny Review Task Group, and asks the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee to agree any required amendments / additions to the report prior to its future presentation at a meeting of Cabinet.

Members considered a report which presented the findings and recommendations of the External Funding Scrutiny Review Task Group and asked the Committee to agree any requires amendments/additions to the report prior to its future presentation at a meeting of Cabinet.

Councillor Burton spoke as a member of the task group and advised that the review had produced recommendations that provided focus rather than new ideas.

In relation to recommendation (ii) -   To identify suitably ambitious measurable targets as part of the development of the investment plan in order to gauge its impact (those targets to be presented at a future meeting of the Economic & City Development Overview & Scrutiny Committee) – Members requested the investment plan by the end of December with targets based on the plan.

Resolved:           That Members endorsed the draft recommendations as outlined in the report.

Reason:              To conclude the work on this review in line with scrutiny procedures and protocols and to enable this review final report to be presented at a future meeting of Cabinet.

Members will receive an update on the key focus areas for the Councils i-Travel York (ITY) programme aimed at businesses engagement through travel planning. 

Members considered a briefing report which covered one of the key focus areas for the Council’s i-Travel York (ITY) programme aimed at businesses engagement through travel planning.

Members were informed that the ITY will deliver integrated projects covering personal, business and school travel planning combined with targeted infrastructure enhancements to increase peoples travel choices.

In response to members questions on school travel planning, Officers confirmed that the current government had abolished the requirement for schools to have their own travel plans so now the emphasis was on initiatives to improve road safety and encouraging walking and cycling amongst school children.

Members were pleased to note that more local businesses had entered the category for ‘Best Sustainable Travel Initiative’ at the forthcoming York Evening Press awards.

Resolved:           That Members noted the report.

Reason:              To keep the committee up to date on the key focus areas for the Council’s i-Travel York (ITY) programme.

The Director of Communities & Neighbourhoods will provide a presentation update on preparations for Grand Depart, the second leg of the 2014 Tour de France which starts in York.

The Director for Communities and Neighbourhoods was in attendance to provide a verbal update on the Grand Depart due to take place in July 2014.

A presentation was given on the Grand Depart which focused on the following issues:

·        The estimated cost to the Council

·        The potential economic benefit to York

·        The project and the 5 main strands which were the event, cultural aspects, the legacy, commercial and communications.

In response to members questions, the Director for Communities and Neighbourhoods advised that a report on the Grand Depart was now public and on the Cabinet agenda for the 1^st October. She acknowledged Members comments surrounding the potential for an increase in costs if the weather was poor and the need for hotels in the city to be sensible with their room prices to encourage visitors to stay in the city.

Resolved:           That Members noted the update.

Reason:              So that Members can maintain an overview of the event.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s work plan for the

municipal year 2013/2014.

Members considered the Committee’s work plan for the municipal year 2013/2014.

In response to comments made by Ms Swinburn about the Economic Strategy, it was confirmed that a report would be added to the Committees work plan for January to consider the recommendation arising from the External Funding Review – Investment Plan – and an overview report of the Economic Strategy and its targets .

Following further discussion, it was agreed that the final reports of the Construction Skills Task Group and Night Time Economy Scrutiny review would come to the January meeting, with update reports in November.

A further informal meeting of the Night Time Economy Task Group was agreed for the 15^th October.

Resolved:           That the work plan be approved to reflect the above changes.

Reason:              To progress the work of the committee.