Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point in the meeting, the Executive Member is asked to

declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of

Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which he might have in respect of business on this agenda.

At this point in the meeting, the Executive Member was asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which he had in the business on the agenda. No additional interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Decision Sessions held on 07 August 2017 and 04 September 2017.

Resolved: That the minutes of the Decision Session held on 7 August 2017 be approved as a correct record and then signed by the Executive Member.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Friday 29 September 2015.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the Committee.

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

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast ,or recorded, and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission. The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts or, if recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

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 (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/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

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

This report provides an update of the work undertaken to mitigate the risk from fire following the Grenfell Tower as requested by the Executive Member for the Environment at his decision session on 03July 2017.

Resolved:

(i)           That the ongoing work to reduce the risk from fire and the council’s response to managing and responding to those risks be noted.

(ii)          That any national inquiry reports and any relevant outcomes from the action plan be included in the 6 monthly update reports that will be presented at future Executive Member for Environment Decision Sessions.

Reason: To ensure the Executive Member and residents are assured that the council has proper arrangements in place for managing and responding to the risk from fire.

The Executive Member considered a report that updated him of the work undertaken to mitigate the risk from fire following the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Shared Head of Health and Safety and Head of Building Services were in attendance to present the report and they confirmed the Council had been actively managing fire risk for a substantial period of time that was in line with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO).

Officers highlighted each area of the report and the Executive Member noted that:

·                   592 communal areas fell under the RRO and all except 2 areas, where officers were unable to gain access, had received a Fire Risk Assessment including 70 blocks identified, which had not previously been flagged in the Council’s asset management system, of having communal areas.

·                   All urgent remedial actions had been completed and any non urgent actions were being addressed through a medial work programme.

·                   communication with residents on fire safety measures had taken place in the form of a letter, a press release and the Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care had taken part in a local radio interview.

·                   Senior managers and staff from Housing and Health & Safety had met to formulate an action plan that was considered by the Housing & Community Safety Senior Management Team for approval on 28 September 2017. 

·                   hard wired detectors had been fitted to approximately 5000 homes and officers had been liaising with North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service to install lithium battery operated detectors in the remaining properties, as an interim measure.

Officers then responded to the Executive Members questions where it was acknowledged that:

·        York had no high rise blocks above 18 metres and that no City of York Council (CYC) homes, schools or corporate buildings had Aluminium Composite Material type cladding.

·        officers were aware of the type of cladding used in the 23 CYC owned ‘system built’ properties of 4 storeys.

·        officers were not in a position to confirm what fire safety regulations were in place for non-council high rise residential buildings as the Council were not the only provider of building regulation services.

Further discussions took place around communal areas and fire safety assessments and officers agreed to email the current policy and guidance on the use of flower tubs to the Executive Member.¹

The Executive Member thanked officers for their update and he noted that the Local Government Fire Safety Sub Group, attended by fire safety professionals from Councils across the north, met shortly after the Grenfell Tower fire to compare responses and gave particular consideration to the use of sprinkler systems, especially within sheltered and care home accommodation.

Resolved:

(i)           That the ongoing work to reduce the risk from fire and the council’s response to managing and responding to those risks be noted.

(ii)          That any national inquiry reports and any relevant outcomes from the action plan be included in the 6 monthly update reports that will be presented at future Executive Member for Environment Decision Sessions.

Reason: To ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.