Agenda

To receive and note apologies for absence.

At this point in the meeting, Members and co-opted members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary interest, or other registerable interest, they might have in respect of business on this agenda, if they have not already done so in advance on the Register of Interests. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

(1)         Members must consider their interests, and act according to the

following:

(2)         Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(3)         Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them. A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

To approve and sign the minutes of the Budget Council and Extraordinary Council meetings held on 27 February 2025.

To consider any announcements made by the Lord Mayor in respect of Civic business.

At this point in the meeting, any member of the public who has registered to address the Council, or to ask a Member of the Council a question, on a matter directly relevant to the business of the Council or the City, may do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Tuesday, 25 March 2025.

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form. If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting please contact Democratic Services. Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this public meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission.  The remote public meeting can be viewed live and on demand at

www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

During coronavirus, we made some changes to how we're running council meetings.  See our updates at www.york.gov.uk/COVIDDemocracy for more information on meetings and decisions.

To consider any petitions received from Members in accordance with Standing Order B6.  Notice has been received of no petitions to be presented.

To receive and consider a written report from the Leader on the work of the Executive.

To question the Leader and/or Executive Members in respect of any matter within their portfolio responsibility, in accordance with Standing Order B8.

To receive and consider for approval the recommendations of the Executive, as set out below:

To receive a report from Councillor Fenton, Chair of the Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee (CSCCSMC), on the work of the Committee.

To receive and consider for approval the recommendations of the Audit and Governance Committee, as set out below:

To receive and consider for approval the recommendations of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, as set out below:

To approve publication of the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2024/25.

To approve the revised Terms of Reference for the York Health and Wellbeing Board.

To report to Council on the use of Special Urgency procedures, as required by legislation, and as set out within the City of York Council Constitution and to report, for information, the instances where General Exception (i.e. Urgency) Procedures were used.

To consider the appointments and changes to membership of committees and outside bodies set out on the list attached to this summons.

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order B10:

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order B10:

i)                From Cllr Whitcroft

Introduction of a Visitor Levy

“Council notes:

·     that York attracts over 8 million visitors annually, significantly contributing to the local economy but placing additional strain on infrastructure, public services, and the local environment;

·     that many cities, such as Venice and Amsterdam, successfully employ tourist levies to offset these impacts, without deterring visitors to the local economy;

·     a visitor levy could provide additional revenue for maintaining public spaces, public transport, heritage conservation, waste management, sustainability projects, supporting the city’s long-term goals and for promoting York;

·     that recent budget consultations demonstrated strong public support for the introduction of a visitor levy in York, with around 90% of York residents who responded to the consultation in favour. 

Council believes:

·     it is great to live in a place that millions of people from all over the world want to come and spend time in;

·     welcome though visitors are, a visitor levy would allow York to ensure visitors contribute fairly to the city's upkeep and to its sustainability, and to better manage the pressures that mass tourism brings;

·     funds should be ring-fenced for projects and initiatives that enhance the visitor and resident experience, improve public services, provide better facilities and reduce the environmental impact of tourism;

·     evidence from numerous cities shows a modest visitor levy would not deter tourists and is now an accepted contribution across Europe to the costs of maintaining and enhancing popular visitor destinations;

·     the council should work to develop the case for a tourism visitor levy with its partners, including the hospitality, arts and culture sectors, as well as with business and residents’ groups.

Council resolves to ask Executive to continue to progress:

·    exploring the feasibility and practical mechanisms for introducing a visitor levy for overnight stays, including for short-term holidays lets, in consultation with local businesses, residents, and hospitality industry stakeholders;

·    researching visitor levy models from other cities to determine the best approach for York, including an Accommodation Business Improvement District (ABID) option;

·    lobbying central government to grant local authorities the necessary legal powers to implement a compulsory visitor levy;

in order to ensure York’s tourism remains sustainable, benefiting residents and visitors alike.”

ii)             From Cllr Fenton

Changes to disability and long-term sickness benefits

“Council notes that:

·    The Government is bringing forward a Green Paper on changes to disability and long-term sickness benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

·    PIP is a benefit not linked to work that is designed to help people with the additional unavoidable costs of their disablement

·    Reports have suggested that the Government is considering freezing PIP payments in 2026 and tightening eligibility criteria, including for reassessments

·    Many disabled people use PIP to cover the cost of getting to and from work, for paying for essential equipment and for meeting social care charges

·    The Resolution Foundation has commented that “Freezing PIP next year will result in a real-terms income  ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.

Any other business which the Chair considers urgent under the Local Government Act 1972.

Democracy Officer

James Parker

Contact details:

·      Telephone – (01904) 553659

·       Email james.parker@york.gov.uk