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.

Members were asked to declare at this point in the meeting any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, or any prejudicial or disclosable pecuniary interests they may have in respect of the business on the agenda. 

Cllr Fraser declared a personal non prejudicial interest regarding item 5, Report on A Boards, that he was the acting Chair of the Micklegate Action Group who represents businesses in the Micklegate quarter.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2013.

RESOLVED:       That the minutes of the meeting of 12 March 2013 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

At this point in the meeting, members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting may do so.  Members of the public may register to speak on an item on the agenda or an issue within the remit of the committee.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Monday 22 April 2013.

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

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services will be in attendance for this item to provide a progress update on his priorities and challenges for this municipal year and to discuss his priorities and challenges for 2013/14.

The Cabinet Member for Environmental Services was in attendance for this item. 

He provided a progress update on:

·        the future plans for waste collections in York including garden waste collection changes and proposals for a food waste collection service.

·        highways and street lighting maintenance.

·        public realm.

In answer to Members questions the Cabinet Member confirmed that:

·        the implementation of charging for the collection of two green wheelie bins would be in force from late May 2013. 

·        officers would be writing to all households that owned two green bins to inform them of the changes. Residents would be given the option to either opt in and pay to have both bins collected or receive a free label to stick on the bin they would like collecting.

·        if a household had placed both bins out for collection and had not paid to opt in then only the bin with the label attached would be collected.

·        the highways department were currently looking at new ways of working and improving technology to ensure that pot holes would be maintained and fixed for a longer period of time making them less likely to reoccur.

·        due to an influx of requests the turnaround time for replacement recycling boxes to be delivered to residents was currently within 3 weeks and 4 weeks for the black wheelie bins. Officers were hoping that once the charges for replacement bins and recycling boxes were in place the turnaround should be back to 10 working days.

·        a business case would be drafted to distinguish if it was viable to provide a food waste collection service in York.

·        currently the Council had no facilities to dispose of food waste in York but could use suitable amenities within North Yorkshire.

·        Councillors could have an input into the non commercially sensitive areas of the food waste business case.

·        He would be willing to have further discussions regarding the locking of parks and open spaces. The Cabinet Member agreed that each area had it’s own case but working with the Parish Councils could be a way forward.

Officers confirmed that the removal of hedges in parks and open spaces had been ongoing since it was agreed three years ago as part of the budget plan. Hedges in all open spaces were constantly reviewed and were removed for various grounds such as health and safety or maintenance reasons.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for attending the meeting and asked Committee Members to email any further questions directly to him.

RESOLVED:  That the  Cabinet Member for Environmental Services update be noted.

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

This report provides information on A-boards, including the implications associated with implementing a total ban on the use of A-boards.  Members are asked to consider whether to proceed with a scrutiny review to identify some guidelines for the use of A-boards across the whole city.

Members considered a report which provided information on the use of A-boards across the city, including the implications associated with implementing a total ban on their use.

The Chair confirmed that this item had been brought back for consideration because other options such as producing a minority report to Cabinet were available to the committee but were not explored at the last meeting.

Members discussed and considered the following options:

(a)   To proceed with a recommendation to Cabinet for a city

  wide ban on the use of A-boards.

(b)   To proceed with a review on the use of A-boards in order to

  identify suitable requirements/guidelines for implementation

  across the whole city, in line with paragraph 29 of the

  report.

(c)   To make no recommendation to Cabinet thereby leaving

  the arrangements as they currently stand, as outlined in

  paragraphs 8-11 of the report.

Cllr Fraser informed the Committee that this item had been previously discussed at a meeting in 2008 and a petition on A Boards was submitted from traders on Micklegate which wasconsidered at the Executive Member for City Strategy and Advisory Panel(EMAP)on 16 March 2009. Members of that EMAP approved the development of intervention guidelines for an enforcement policy for the removal of “A” boards and the like from the Public Highway.

The Committee agreed that this subject had been discussed for many years and it was vital that some permanent action was now taken.

After further discussion it was decided that the report recommending that Cabinet approve to ban all A boards should be withdrawn from the June 2013 meeting.  New recommendations would be resubmitted after a full review had taken place and all possible options had been explored.

Cllr Fraser moved that option b should be adopted including an additional amendment, that the remit should be reconsidered to take into account other issues such as alternative ways of advertising and health and safety issues. This was seconded by Cllr Healey and agreed by the whole committee.

The scrutiny officer confirmed that this topic would be considered in the next municipal year.

RESOLVED: 

(i)           That option B be agreed including the additional amendment.

(ii)          That the report going to Cabinet on A Boards be withdrawn.

REASON: To ensure the removal of the many and varied obstructions from the public highway, the projection of trees, and the safety of all public highway users.

Officers will give a presentation on options for Commercial Waste Recycling.

Officers updated Members on the current options available to businesses for Commercial Waste Recycling in York. 

Members were informed that currently the Council held around 2000 commercial waste contracts in York with 1400 being in the City Centre. Due to a large proportion of businesses still using private companies, officers were working with Yorwaste to secure more commercial waste contracts by identifying customers requirements and developing a service waste scheme that would provide additional services without increasing the cost.

Officers had also developed an interactive Business Waste Handbook that was available online for businesses to use to understand how they could effectively dispose of their waste.

Members thanked officers for their update and agreed that this subject did not need to be scrutinised and that a future overview update would suffice.

RESOLVED:  That the update be noted.

REASON:           To keep the Committee informed on Commercial Waste Recycling options.

This report presents information gathered in support of the Community Safety Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s review on Improving Community Resilience and asks Members to agree the recommendations arising.

Members considered a report that presented information gathered in support of the Committee’s review on Improving Community Resilience and asked Members to agree the recommendations arising.

The Chair confirmed that this was the final report that would be presented to Cabinet.

The Committee felt that the Community Resilience Plan must cover all types of emergencies and unforeseen circumstances such as fire, terrorist attacks, natural disasters and not just focus on flooding. The Chair confirmed that each Plan would ensure community preparedness for any form of emergency and enable communities to build their own resilience.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet be recommended to instruct officers to:

i)             Strengthen community resilience by following best practice as implemented by others (e.g. East Riding of Yorkshire Council) through the introduction of Community Resilience Plans.

ii)            Work with Communities to help them identify any available external funding.

iii)    Work with appropriate partners to encourage their support and assistance.

REASON: To conclude the work on this review.

Members are asked to consider the Committee’s draft work plan for 2013/14.  Members are also asked to discuss possible topics for scrutiny review in the coming municipal year.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s work plan.

The following addition to the work plan was agreed:

·        12 November 2013: Update on implementation of previous Scrutiny Reviews.

Cllr Healey also requested a meeting be arranged for the Domestic Waste Recycling Task Group, to receive an update from officers on the reasons for the delay in identifying appropriate control rounds to support the outstanding work on this review.

RESOLVED:       That, subject to the inclusion of the above items, the work plan be approved.

REASON:           To ensure that the Committee has a planned programme of work in place.