Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Snow Room - Ground Floor, West Offices (G035). View directions

Contact: Angela Bielby  Democracy Officer

Webcast: video recording

Items
No. Item

28.

Declarations of Interest

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.

Minutes:

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 discloseable pecuniary interest that they might have in respect of the business on the agenda. Cllr Pearson declared a personal interest in agenda item 4 [Round table discussions around in-work poverty, gender pay gap and low-pay industries] as he was a friend of the TUC representative. There were no further declarations of interest.

29.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 106 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the Economy & Place Policy & Scrutiny Committee held on 16 October 2019.

Minutes:

Resolved:  That the minutes of the Economy and Place Policy and  Scrutiny Committee meetings held on 10 September 2019 and 16 October 2019 be approved as a correct record and then signed by the Chair.

30.

Public Participation

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Tuesday 12 November 2019. 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_f

or_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_201

60809.pdf

Minutes:

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

31.

Round table discussions around in-work poverty, gender pay gap and low-pay industries pdf icon PDF 141 KB

The purpose of this report is to inform the Committee of the current situation in the city in relation to in-work poverty, the gender pay gap and low-paid industries so Members can take advice from experts at the meeting over which issues they want to take forward in their work plan for the year.

Minutes:

Members considered a report that informed them of the current situation in the city in relation to in-work poverty, the gender pay gap and low-paid industries. The following professionals had been invited to the meeting to participate in discussions and to inform Members on those issues they wished to take forward in their work plan for the year:

·        The Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of York (UoY)

·        The Head of Policy and Partnerships at Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)

·        The Policy & Campaigns Officer Yorkshire and the Humber TUC

·        A representative from the retail sector in York

 

The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and introductions were made. He explained that the committee was working closely with other scrutiny committees on different aspects of poverty in the city.

 

Discussion took place regarding in work poverty in York. The Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of York noted the risks of in work poverty and attributed the causes of it to a number of issues. These included changes in the labour market, low wages, short hours, in work benefit cuts, the impact of government austerity and the non-take up of benefits. The representative from the retail sector in York supported this, adding that in work poverty affected parents as they had additional costs such as childcare.

 

The Chair noted that housing costs were higher in York and he asked whether this was unique to York. The Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of York noted that it was not unique to York and was an important factor as most private rents were not covered by housing benefit. The representative from the retail sector in York noted that at her place of work a job applicant had requested 50-60 hours per week to be able to cover their housing costs. The Policy & Campaigns Officer Yorkshire and the Humber TUC noted that the concept of affordable housing was ambiguous, noting that in York there was not enough social housing and there was also the impact of local authorities not enforcing affordable housing which resulted in a lack of supply of affordable housing.

 

The Emeritus Professor of Social Policy at the University of York was asked and explained that his evaluation was based on the voluntary wage. The Head of Policy and Partnerships at Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) noted that there were city and local area differences in the living wage which were impacted by housing costs, income (wage plus benefits), low pay and people getting stuck on low pay, the number of hours and constraints on working hours (childcare and transport) and the local economy. She explained that the Living Wage Foundation had developed a new scheme on working hours which called for decent notice periods for shifts and a minimum of 16 hours a week. The Policy & Campaigns Officer Yorkshire and the Humber TUC concurred with this and noted the precarity in the workplace for the numbers of 16-30 year olds working in the hospitality,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

32.

Update of implementation of recommendations from Economic Health of York City Centre Scrutiny Review pdf icon PDF 151 KB

This report provides Members with their first update on the implementation of the approved recommendations arising from the scrutiny review into the Economic Health of York City Centre.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report which gave the first update on the implementation of the approved recommendations arising from the scrutiny review into the Economic Health of York City Centre. Annex 1 included the detailed itemised update of the implementation of the review recommendations.

 

The Assistant Director for Regeneration, Economic Growth and Asset Management advised Members that the engagement activity on MyCityCentre had been delayed until the New Year because of purdah.

 

Following an update on the implementation of the recommendations, the Assistant Director for Regeneration, Economic Growth and Asset Management and Head of Economic Growth noted that:

·        The council would be commissioning an external partner undertake engagement on MyCityCentre and as part of this, the external partners would visit different groups.

·        A workshop could be arranged for the committee on the MyCityCentre project

·        External engagement could be done the website and through different approaches

·        A range of social media strategies would be used to promote the MyCityCentre project.

·        The Guildhall project was in progress.

·        The reasons for the unsuccessful bid to the Heritage High Streets fund were noted. 

 

Following the update it was:

 

Resolved: That;

                     i.        The content of the report be noted.

                    ii.        There be a further update on the implementation of the recommendations in 6 months’ time.

 

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

33.

Work Plan 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To consider the work plan for the 2019-20 municipal year.

Minutes:

Members considered the work plan and work plan requests from the Customer and Corporate Services Scrutiny Management Committee. After discussion it was agreed that the work plan be updated to include the following items for consideration at future meetings:

 

Tuesday 10 December 2019

1.   Overview report from Highways Team

2.   2nd Quarter Finance and Performance Monitoring Report.

3.   Apprenticeship and Skills Scoping Report

4.   Update of implementation of recommendations from York Residents’ Priority parking Scheme Scrutiny Review (slipped from November).

5.   Work Plan 2019-20

 

 

 

Wednesday 15 January 2019

1.   Scoping report on in-work poverty including the Jobs Charters in Manchester and Liverpool and living hours commitment

2.   Overview report on Economy and Place Directorate sickness and workloads (to include staff survey data, absenteeism rates and complaints data & representatives from Unison and the GMB Trade Unions to be invited to the meeting)

3.   Work Plan 2019-20

 

Wednesday 12 February 2020

1.   Update report on Planning Enforcement

2.   Update report on Guildhall Project

3.   Work Plan 2019-20

 

Resolved: That the above items for the Committee’s work plan for the 2019/20 municipal year be considered at the next meeting.

 

Reason:     To keep the Committee’s work plan updated.

 

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