Agenda, decisions and minutes

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

The Executive Member was asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests in the business on the agenda. None were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting of the Neighbourhoods and Housing Decision Session held on 19^th October 2010.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the Decision Session for Neighbourhoods and Housing on the 19^th October be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

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

The purpose of this report is to update the Executive Member of the outcome of the recent Air Quality Support Grant (AQSG) applications made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

RESOLVED:             That Option A at paragraph 35 of the Officers report should be accepted and the Council should accept air quality grants from DEFRA totalling £77,090 and to request that York be considered for any further grant that may become available later in the year.

REASON:                  It represents the most appropriate way of funding the continuation of LAQM in the city and projects in relation to the Council’s Low Emission Strategy. LAQM is a statutory undertaking that contributes towards the corporate priorities on Thriving City, Sustainable City and Healthy City.

The Executive Member considered a report which provided an update on the outcome of the recent Air Quality Support Grant (AQSG) applications made to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Three AQSG bids were made in relation to the council’s ongoing Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) work. The report provided an overview of the planned expenditure of the AQSQ to be accepted from DEFRA and a general update on local air quality management in York.

Officers outlined the report and advised the Executive Member that York had been awarded the fifth highest allocation of grants in the country, despite the amounts awarded being well below the amounts bid for.

RESOLVED:             That Option A at paragraph 35 of the Officers report should be accepted and the Council should accept air quality grants from DEFRA totalling £77,090 and to request that York be considered for any further grant that may become available later in the year.

REASON:                  It represents the most appropriate way of funding the continuation of LAQM in the city and projects in relation to the Council’s Low Emission Strategy. LAQM is a statutory undertaking that contributes towards the corporate priorities on Thriving City, Sustainable City and Healthy City.

This report provides the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing with a summary of the work undertaken during June under the banner of the Mid-Summer Clean-up Campaign. The report also asks the Executive Member to consider the options in the report and endorse a plan for a ‘Spring Clean’ Campaign for 2011 within the overall anti-litter policy statement.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member endorsed the plan for a ‘Spring Clean’ Campaign for 2011 within the overall anti-litter policy statement.

REASON:                  There will be significant environmental and Safer City implications that will benefit the City and its residents.

The Executive Member considered a report which summarised the work undertaken during June under the banner of the Mid Summer Clean Up Campaign. It outlined how Officers engaged with the voluntary sector and communities and how this led to the development of the proposed Anti-Litter Strategy.

Officers outlined the report and advised that the work undertaken built on the York Pride programme and that progress had been made towards the performance indicators and increasing the levels of satisfaction with local cleanliness.

A similar campaign would be run next year but in March and April and would be named the ‘Spring Clean’ which would again focus on the city centre, back lanes, riverside walks and open spaces. Officers advised that this campaign should be run in a more structured way and for a longer period of time alongside the anti litter policy.

The Executive Member was happy to approve the Spring Clean alongside the Anti-Litter Policy and hoped that the Press would  be offering support for the campaign as they did for the Mid-Summer Clean Up.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member endorsed the plan for a ‘Spring Clean’ Campaign for 2011 within the overall anti-litter policy statement.

REASON:                  There will be significant environmental and Safer City implications that will benefit the City and its residents.

In 2009, the Health and Safety Executive published the strategy ‘Health and Safety of Great Britain – Be Part of the Solution’. This report asks the Executive Member to pledge the council’s support for the strategy

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member pledges the Council’s support for the HSE strategy document ‘Health and Safety of Great Britain – Be Part of the Solution’.

REASON                   To demonstrate the Council’s commitment to sensible health and safety risk management and to allow the Council’s external health and safety team to comply with the requirements of the ‘Section 18 Standard’.

The Executive Member considered a report which requested support for the Health and Safety Executives (HSE) published strategy ‘Health and Safety of Great Britain – Be Part of the Solution’.

The health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive merged to form a single body, the Health and Safety Executive in April 2008. The newly formed body is responsible for promoting the cause of better health and safety at work within Great Britain. It continues to work in close partnership with local authorities. One of the first tasks that the newly formed HSE undertook was to consider the direction of health and safety in Great Britain and published the strategy document ‘Health and Safety of Britain – be Part of the Solution’.

Officers advised that the Corporate Health and Safety Team focus their efforts on activities at work which pose the greatest risk and that pledging support for the strategy would confirm the Council’s commitment to the promotion and application of sensible risk management.

The Executive Member commented that support for the strategy would be the sensible way forward.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member pledges the Council’s support for the HSE strategy document ‘Health and Safety of Great Britain – Be Part of the Solution’.

REASON                   To demonstrate the Council’s commitment to sensible health and safety risk management and to allow the Council’s external health and safety team to comply with the requirements of the ‘Section 18 Standard’.

This report advises the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Housing of the receipt of petitions from the residents of the Holgate ward regarding the presentation of waste at the front of houses.  It sets out recommended actions in response to these petitions.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member noted the work undertaken during the development of the recycling roll-out programme and the response to the petitions.

REASON:                  To address the issue raised by the petition through the implementation of a comprehensive and partnership approach to tackle the problem of waste presentation in the areas.

The Executive Member considered a report which advised of the receipt of petitions from residents of the Holgate Ward regarding the presentation of waste at the front of houses. The report set out recommended actions in response to these petitions.

Officers advised that on the 15^th July 2010 they were presented with  4 slightly different petitions all registering concern at the new refuse and recycling collection arrangements in the area. Initial consultation took place prior to 15^th July 2010 and further consultation again on the 25th August in light of the petitions, to gather further information as to why the refuse arrangements were working in some streets and not others.

Following consultation, for streets in the Poppleton Road and Acomb area, there were 3 options for residents to choose from to identify their preference for how refuse should be collected and in the Leeman Road are residents were given 2 options as outlined in the report.

Officers advised that the new scheme is now up and running and are satisfied that they have worked alongside residents to deliver a service which best fits the area.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member noted the work undertaken during the development of the recycling roll-out programme and the response to the petitions.

REASON:                  To address the issue raised by the petition through the implementation of a comprehensive and partnership approach to tackle the problem of waste presentation in the areas.

The purpose of this report is to enable the Executive Member to review the results of legal actions (prosecutions, cautions and fixed penalties) undertaken by Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing Services in the Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate for the period 1 July 2010 – 30 September 2010 and to approve the continuation of the current enforcement policy.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member approved the report and the continuation of the current enforcement policy.

REASON:                  So that the Executive Member reviews formal enforcement activity undertaken by Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing Services.

The Executive Member considered a report which reviewed the results of legal actions (prosecutions, cautions and fixed penalties) undertaken by Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing Services in the Communities and Neighbourhoods Directorate for the period 1^st July 2010 – 30 September 2010 and asked for approval for the continuation of the current enforcement policy.

Officers outlined the report, in particular a difficult case which had recently been unsuccessful. The Executive Member thanked the Officers involved for their hard work.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member approved the report and the continuation of the current enforcement policy.

REASON:                  So that the Executive Member reviews formal enforcement activity undertaken by Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing Services.

This report presents an overview of key performance issues for the portfolio at Quarter 2 2010/11. This report is for information only.  The Executive Member has asked for this report to be placed onto the agenda.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member noted the report.

REASON:                  To keep the Executive Member informed on key performance issues for the portfolio at Quarter 2 2010/11.

The Executive Member considered a report which presented an overview of the key performance issues for the portfolio at Quarter 2. The report was for information only and had been brought to the meeting at the request of the Executive Member,

The report updated on the headline performance indicators for both the Neighbourhoods and Housing elements of the portfolio.

The Executive Member noted the report and thanked Officers for all their hard work.

RESOLVED:             That the Executive Member noted the report.

REASON:                  To keep the Executive Member informed on key performance issues for the portfolio at Quarter 2 2010/11.