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 in the register of interests, any prejudicial interests or disclosable interests which they might have in respect of the business on the agenda or any other general interests they might have within the remit of the  committee other than those listed within the agenda.

Councillor Barnes declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the community stadium and Active York which were included in the Cabinet Member’s written update which had been circulated to Members. He stated that he would leave the room if either of these were discussed during the meeting.

To approve and sign the minutes of the:

·        Learning & Culture Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on Wednesday 19 March 2014.

·        Night Time Economy (Improving Evening Cultural Offer) Scrutiny Review Task Group held on Monday 20 January 2014.

·        School Meals Scrutiny Review Task Group held on Monday 3 March 2014.

Resolved:      That the following sets of minutes be approved and signed by the chair as correct records:

·         Minutes of Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee Meeting held on 19 March 2014

·         Minutes of Night Time Economy (Improving Evening Cultural Offer) Scrutiny Review Task Group Meeting held on 20 January 2014

·         Minutes of School Meals Scrutiny Review Task Group Meeting held on 3 March 2014.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak on an item on the agenda or an issue within the committee’s remit can do so.

Anyone who wishes to register or who requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officers for this meeting, details of whom are listed at the foot of this agenda.

The deadline for registering to speak is 5.00pm the working day before the meeting, in this case 5.00pm on Tuesday 29 April 2014.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  This broadcast can be viewed at: http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

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 no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

The Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism will be attending the meeting to provide a progress update on her priorities and challenges for this municipal year and to discussher priorities and challenges for 2014/15.

The Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism attended the meeting to provide a progress update on her priorities and challenges for the current municipal year and to discuss her priorities and challenges for 2014-15.

Prior to the meeting, she had circulated a written update to Committee Members  which listed the key areas of activity that she had progressed over the last year in relation to tourism, markets/city centre, the Tour de France, the community stadium, parks and open spaces, libraries and archives, events and festivals and sport and active leisure.

Members noted the increase in visitor spending detailed in the report and were advised that this was in part due to the increase in long stay visitors. The Cabinet Member agreed to provide further clarification regarding the period to which the increase in spending related and the likely reasons for it.

Members noted the update on work taking place in York’s parks and open spaces. The Ward Member for Hull Road expressed concerns that a lot of work was still required in Hull Road park and asked why this had not been included in the list of parks working towards the Green Flag award. Members were advised that standards required for the Green Flag were very high, but that with the community now working on improvements to the park, it should take about two years to get to the required level.

With regard to work in libraries and archives, the Cabinet Member confirmed  that that they were on track for completion of the archives project in November as planned. She advised that she was not aware of any issues in relation to people getting access to archive information during the project and that any information requested had been retrieved very quickly when required.

She confirmed that the handover of the libraries to Mutual Ventures would take place the following day. Members noted that the committee would receive updates from Mutual Ventures in future as they did from other partners.

Resolved:                  That the update from the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Tourism be noted.

Reason:                     To ensure that Members are kept informed of work within the remit of the Committee.

Members are asked to consider a draft work plan for the next municipal year and to consider possible topics for review.

Members considered the draft work plan for the Committee for the forthcoming 2014-15 municipal year.

The following amendments were agreed:

·        18 June 2014 – Remove need for update from Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Young People’s services as she attended the last meeting of the committee.

·        18 June 2014 - Add update from York Museums Trust

·        17 July – Add “Narrowing the Gap” subject to availability of the lead officer to attend meeting.

·        20 November 2014 – Add SLA update on libraries

·        20 November 2014  – Add School Results Outturn

·        21 January 2015 – Add update on Children and Families Bill

Members were invited to put forward any topic ideas for review but noted that a Scrutiny Work Planning Event was due to take place during May at which they would also have the opportunity to put forward ideas for review. It was noted that Councillor Barnes had put forward the suggestion to review access to culture in the city for disabled people.

The Committee was advised that Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee were keen for scrutiny committees to undertake another corporate scrutiny review. They noted that the only topic which had been put forward to date was around mental health .

Resolved:  That the workplan be agreed subject to the agreed amendments above.

Reason:     To keep the Committee’s workplan updated.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s workplan.

The Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee workplan for 2013-14 had been included in the agenda papers for information.

Resolved:      That the workplan be noted.

Reason:         To keep the Committee’s workplan updated.