Agenda item
Notices of Motion
To consider the following Notices of Motion under Standing Order 11:
A – Motions referred from the Executive in accordance with Standing Order 11(a)(i)
None
B – Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Orders 11(a)(ii)
(i) From Cllr Vassie
“Council notes that :
1) Almost a quarter of people in the UK are expected to be in fuel poverty by next year. Average household electricity bills are already expected to increase to more than £500 per year by 2010, and gas bills to around £900.
2) The Government has announced its intention to introduce a £910m package, paid for by energy companies, which is designed to tackle fuel poverty through a number of measures.
3) Worthwhile investment has been made this year to improve smart metering – the displaying of energy consumption - in approximately 20 council buildings.
4) Energy companies have profited from a £9 billion windfall from the EU emissions trading scheme and are therefore able to contribute significantly more to increasing energy efficiency and cutting bills than the Government’s package recommends.
Council believes that :
The measures of the Government’s £910m package do not go far enough; they will not reduce fuel bills in the short term, and do not place a mandatory condition on energy companies to not pass the cost of this package onto the consumer, despite the emissions trading windfall.
Council resolves to:
1) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Business to request that energy companies use this windfall, rather than pass the cost onto the customer, and to provide:
· A national home insulation programme, as proposed by the Local Government Association, which would use £500m a year from energy companies to ensure that 500, 000 people are lifted out of fuel poverty as well as sustain locally generated employment
· Social tariffs, to ensure that the 2.25 million people on pre-payment meters are not unfairly penalised by disproportionately high bills, costing the energy companies in the region of £275m a year.
· A wide scale introduction of smart meters in people’s homes to record consumption rates, allowing consumers to know where changes can be made in their energy use to reduce bills.
2) Work with the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for York to assist with the promotion of smart metering in residents homes to help people facing fuel poverty in the city.
3) Request that council officers investigate the inclusion of smart metering in Tenants Choice.”
(ii) From Cllr Scott
“This Council notes the inability of the controlling Lib Dem Executive to deliver major capital projects for the City.
· It has failed to deliver the re-provision of the Peasholme Hostel on time and within budget
· It has failed to deliver the reprovision of City Centre swimming.
· It has failed to deliver the Auditorium at the Barbican
· It has failed to deliver the Council HQ building at the Hungate site within the time scales promised
Council notes that the Executive has now spent or committed £4.8 million of public money on the Hungate HQ project - without laying a single brick. Council considers the Lib Dem Executive's failures in these projects to be one of gross incompetence and mismanagement.
Council notes that ownership and responsibility for the project will now reside with the Director for City Strategy and wish him every success.
Council calls for similar changes in the Executive by the resignation of the Executive Member for City Strategy, Cllr Steve Galloway who must take ultimate responsibility for the catalogue of bad decisions when he was Leader of the Council.
Councilrequests the Executive Leader to take personal control and responsibility of all the projects to ensure the delivery of :
· the Peasholme Centre
· the new Council HQ
· the Community Stadium
on time and on budget.
Council requests a monthly report from the Executive Leader from October to all elected members detailing the progress of these and future important developments in the City.”
(iii) From Cllr Galvin:
"To aid the development of the Terrys Site the Council instructs the appropriate officers to treat as a matter of urgency the need for a Link Road between Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane to the south side of the A64 Officers are therefore instructed to report to the Full Council as soon as possible addressing the following options:
1) the potential for funding the Link Road, with a contribution from Developers and other sources ;or
2) the possibility of entering into discussions with the land owners of the proposed route of such link road with the view to allowing some development for the purpose of funding a Link Road.
Such report to investigate the possibility of constructing a new junction to the west of London Bridge to facilitate speedy access on to the A64 slip roads.”
(iv) From Cllr Potter
“Council instructs the Director of City Strategy to report to the Executive on the implications of working with the City’s bus providers to extend the Yozone card to all young people in full time education up to the age of 19 years.”
(v) From Cllr Waller
“Council notes;
1. The offer by Leeds City Region Leaders to provide brownfield sites for eco-friendly development in the sub-region in lieu of a single site for an “eco-town”
2. That one of these locations was York North West, which had recently been the subject of an unsuccessful bid by the council for New Growth Point funding.
3. That should this funding become available then it would help to underpin the major investment in transport and other infrastructure required if the project is to start in the short term. It would also ensure that more sustainability is built into the design features of the development, and would help to ensure that more affordable housing is provided on the site.
Council requests that an all party delegation from City of York Council be formed to meet with the appropriate Minister with a view to making the case for York North West to receive central government “eco” / growth point funding.”
Minutes:
(i) Fuel Poverty
It was moved by Cllr Vassie and seconded by Cllr Sue Galloway that:
“Council notes that:
1) Almost a quarter of people in the UK are expected to be in fuel poverty by next year. Average household electricity bills are already expected to increase to more than £500 per year by 2010, and gas bills to around £900.
2) The Government has announced its intention to introduce a £910m package, paid for by energy companies, which is designed to tackle fuel poverty through a number of measures.
3) Worthwhile investment has been made this year to improve smart metering – the displaying of energy consumption – in approximately 20 council buildings.
4) Energy companies have profited from a £9 billion windfall from the EU emissions trading scheme and are therefore able to contribute significantly more to increasing energy efficiency and cutting bills than the Government’s package recommends.
Council believes that the measures of the Government’s £910m package do not go far enough; they will not reduce fuel bills in the short term, and do not place a mandatory condition on energy companies to not pass the cost of this package onto the consumer, despite the emissions trading windfall.
Council resolves to:
1) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Business to request that energy companies use this windfall, rather than pass the cost onto the customer, and to provide:
· A national home insulation programme, as proposed by the Local Government Association, which would use £500m a year from energy companies to ensure that 500,000 people are lifted out of fuel poverty as well as sustain locally generated employment;
· Social tariffs, to ensure that the 2.25 million people on pre-payment meters are not unfairly penalised by disproportionately high bills, costing the energy companies in the region of £275m a year.
· A wide scale introduction of smart meters in people’s homes to record consumption rates, allowing consumers to know where changes can be made in their energy use to reduce bills.
2) Work with the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for York to assist with the promotion of smart metering in residents’ homes to help people facing fuel poverty in the city.
3) Request that council officers investigate the inclusion of smart metering in Tenants Choice.”
Cllr D’Agorne then moved, and Cllr Taylor seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:
“In the first paragraph (starting ‘Council notes that’):
· in 3), insert ‘in York’ after ‘this year’
· add ‘5) Kirklees Council has been praised by the Local Government Association for an initiative that will see every household in Kirklees given the option of free loft and cavity wall insulation.’
In the third paragraph (starting ‘Council resolves to’):
· in 1), insert ‘regulations are changed to ensure that’ after ‘to request that’
· add ‘4) Request Officers to prepare a report within three months outlining options for a Council-led area based insulation scheme (as proposed by the LGA) to urgently address fuel poverty within the City for both public sector and private housing.’”
On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.
The motion, as amended, now read as follows:
“Council notes that:
1) Almost a quarter of people in the UK are expected to be in fuel poverty by next year. Average household electricity bills are already expected to increase to more than £500 per year by 2010, and gas bills to around £900.
2) The Government has announced its intention to introduce a £910m package, paid for by energy companies, which is designed to tackle fuel poverty through a number of measures.
3) Worthwhile investment has been made this year in York to improve smart metering – the displaying of energy consumption – in approximately 20 council buildings.
4) Energy companies have profited from a £9 billion windfall from the EU emissions trading scheme and are therefore able to contribute significantly more to increasing energy efficiency and cutting bills than the Government’s package recommends.
5) Kirklees Council has been praised by the Local Government Association for an initiative that will see every household in Kirklees given the option of free loft and cavity wall insulation.
Council believes that:
The measures of the Government’s £910m package do not go far enough; they will not reduce fuel bills in the short term, and do not place a mandatory condition on energy companies to not pass the cost of this package onto the consumer, despite the emissions trading windfall.
Council resolves to:
1) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Business to request that regulations are changed to ensure that energy companies use this windfall, rather than pass the cost onto the customer, and to provide:
· A national home insulation programme, as proposed by the Local Government Association, which would use £500m a year from energy companies to ensure that 500,000 people are lifted out of fuel poverty as well as sustain locally generated employment;
· Social tariffs, to ensure that the 2.25 million people on pre-payment meters are not unfairly penalised by disproportionately high bills, costing the energy companies in the region of £275m a year.
· A wide scale introduction of smart meters in people’s homes to record consumption rates, allowing consumers to know where changes can be made in their energy use to reduce bills.
2) Work with the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for York to assist with the promotion of smart metering in residents’ homes to help people facing fuel poverty in the city.
3) Request that council officers investigate the inclusion of smart metering in Tenants Choice.
4) Request Officers to prepare a report within three months outlining options for a Council-led area based insulation scheme (as proposed by the LGA) to urgently address fuel poverty within the City for both public sector and private housing.”]
Cllr Simpson-Laing, having given notice of a second amendment to the original motion, then sought leave to alter her amendment in order to adapt it to the amended motion.
At this point, the meeting was adjourned to enable the altered wording to be agreed.
The meeting having been re-convened and Council having consented to the alteration, Cllr Simpson-Laing moved, and Cllr Scott seconded, the altered amendment, as follows:
“In the first paragraph insert an additional point at the end:
‘6) The £910m package to tackle fuel poverty is welcomed but it will not necessarily help those who live in the Private Rented Sector.’
In the third paragraph:
Insert after point 1) a new point 2), to read as follows:
‘2) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and the Minister for Housing to address the concern for those who live in the Private Rented Sector, whose homes do not currently meet the minimum insulation and energy efficiency standards and ask that a minimum standard is set and enforced for this sector of the housing market as a matter of urgency.’
Re-number the previous points 2), 3) and 4) as points 3), 4) and 5) respectively.
Insert an additional point 6), to read as follows:
‘6) Provide 40 smart meters to be made available in York’s libraries so that York residents can see the benefits they provide; such meters being funded from reserves (£800).’”
On being put to the vote, the altered amendment was declared CARRIED.
The motion, as further amended, now read as follows:
“Council notes that:
1) Almost a quarter of people in the UK are expected to be in fuel poverty by next year. Average household electricity bills are already expected to increase to more than £500 per year by 2010, and gas bills to around £900.
2) The Government has announced its intention to introduce a £910m package, paid for by energy companies, which is designed to tackle fuel poverty through a number of measures.
3) Worthwhile investment has been made this year in York to improve smart metering – the displaying of energy consumption – in approximately 20 council buildings.
4) Energy companies have profited from a £9 billion windfall from the EU emissions trading scheme and are therefore able to contribute significantly more to increasing energy efficiency and cutting bills than the Government’s package recommends.
5) Kirklees Council has been praised by the Local Government Association for an initiative that will see every household in Kirklees given the option of free loft and cavity wall insulation.
6) The £910m package to tackle fuel poverty is welcomed but it will not necessarily help those who live in the Private Rented Sector.’
Council believes that:
The measures of the Government’s £910m package do not go far enough; they will not reduce fuel bills in the short term, and do not place a mandatory condition on energy companies to not pass the cost of this package onto the consumer, despite the emissions trading windfall.
Council resolves to:
1) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Business to request that regulations are changed to ensure that energy companies use this windfall, rather than pass the cost onto the customer, and to provide:
· A national home insulation programme, as proposed by the Local Government Association, which would use £500m a year from energy companies to ensure that 500,000 people are lifted out of fuel poverty as well as sustain locally generated employment;
· Social tariffs, to ensure that the 2.25 million people on pre-payment meters are not unfairly penalised by disproportionately high bills, costing the energy companies in the region of £275m a year.
· A wide scale introduction of smart meters in people’s homes to record consumption rates, allowing consumers to know where changes can be made in their energy use to reduce bills.1
2) Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and the Minister for Housing to address the concern for those who live in the Private Rented Sector, whose homes do not currently meet the minimum insulation and energy efficiency standards and ask that a minimum standard is set and enforced for this sector of the housing market as a matter of urgency.2
3) Work with the Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre for York to assist with the promotion of smart metering in residents’ homes to help people facing fuel poverty in the city.3
4) Request that council officers investigate the inclusion of smart metering in Tenants Choice.4
5) Request Officers to prepare a report within three months outlining options for a Council-led area based insulation scheme (as proposed by the LGA) to urgently address fuel poverty within the City for both public sector and private housing.”5
6) Provide 40 smart meters to be made available in York’s libraries so that York residents can see the benefits they provide; such meters being funded from reserves (£800).”6
The motion, as amended by the first and second amendments was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and it was
RESOLVED: That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.
(ii) Delivery of Major Capital Projects
It was moved by Cllr Scott and seconded by Cllr Pierce that
“This Council notes the inability of the controlling Lib Dem Executive to deliver major capital projects for the City:
- It has failed to deliver the re-provision of the Peasholme Hostel on time and within budget
- It has failed to deliver the re-provision of City Centre swimming
- It has failed to deliver the Auditorium at the Barbican
- It has failed to deliver the Council HQ building at the Hungate site within the time scales promised.
Council notes that the Executive has now spent or committeed £4.8 million of public money on the Hungate HQ project – without laying a single brick. Council considers the Lib Dem Executive’s failures in these projects to be one of gross incompetence and mismanagement.
Council notes that ownership and responsibility for the project will now reside with the Director for City Strategy and wish him every success.
Council calls for similar changes in the Executive by the resignation of the Executive Member for City Strategy, Cllr Steve Galloway, who must take ultimate responsibility for the catalogue of bad decisions when he was Leader of the Council.
Council requests the Executive Leader to take personal control and responsibility of all the projects to ensure the delivery of:
- The Peasholme Centre
- The new Council HQ
- The Community Stadium
on time and on budget.
Council requests a monthly report from the Executive Leader from October to all Elected Members detailing the progress of these and future important developments in the City.”
Cllr Waller then moved, and Cllr Steve Galloway seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:
In the first paragraph, delete all after ‘This Council notes’ and insert: ‘that the Council over the last five years has implemented the largest capital programme in its history and that the vast majority of the programme is being delivered on time and within allocated budgets. " Against the background of the mismanagement of the national economy by the present government, Council notes that there have been unavoidable delays to some projects.’
Delete the second, third and fourth paragraphs.
In the fifth paragraph, delete all after ‘Council requests the Executive Leader to’ and insert: ‘produce a monthly report from October to all elected Members detailing the progress being made on important developments by the City of York Council.’
Delete the sixth paragraph.”
On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared LOST.
The original motion was then put to the vote and declared LOST and it was
RESOLVED: That the above notice of motion not be approved.
(iii) A64 Link Road
It was moved by Cllr Galvin and seconded by Cllr Wiseman that
“To aid the development of the Terrys Site, Council instructs the appropriate officers to treat as a matter of urgency the need for a Link Road between Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane to the south side of the A64. Officers are therefore instructed to report to the Full Council as soon as possible addressing the following options:
1) the potential for funding the Link Road, with a contribution from Developers and other sources; or
2) the possibility of entering into discussions with the land owners of the proposed route of such link road, with the view to allowing some development for the purpose of funding a Link Road.
Such report to investigate the possibility of constructing a new junction to the west of London Bridge, to facilitate speedy access onto the A64 slip roads.”
Cllr Steve Galloway then moved, and Cllr Moore seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:
In the first sentence of the first paragraph:
- delete ‘treat’ and insert ‘develop’
- after ‘urgency’ insert ‘and in a timescale to inform any future planning application, an assessment of the need form and effectiveness of providing’
- delete ‘the need for a’
In the second sentence of the first paragraph:
- delete ‘the following options: 1)’
- delete all of point 2 and substitute ‘The report should also indicate how any proposed future development allocated through the LDF process could contribute to the construction costs of such a link road proposal.’
In the second paragraph:
- between ‘report’ and ‘to’, insert ‘also’.”
On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.
The motion, as amended, now read as follows:
“To aid the development of the Terrys Site, the Council instructs the appropriate officers to develop as a matter of urgency and in a timescale to inform any future planning application, an assessment of the need for, and effectiveness of providing, a Link Road between Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane to the south side of the A64.
Officers are therefore instructed to report to the Full Council as soon as possible addressing the potential for funding the Link Road, with a contribution from Developers and other sources.
The report should also indicate how any proposed future development allocated through the LDF process could contribute to the construction costs of such a link road proposal.
Such report also to investigate the possibility of constructing a new junction to the west of London Bridge to facilitate speedy access on to the A64 slip roads.”
Cllr Merrett, having given notice of a second amendment to the original motion, then sought leave to alter his amendment in order to adapt it to the amended motion.
At this point, the meeting was adjourned to enable the altered wording to be agreed.
The meeting having been re-convened and Council having consented to the alteration, Cllr Merrett moved, and Cllr Galvin seconded, the altered amendment, as follows:
“In the first paragraph:
- Delete ‘to’ in the first line and insert ‘This Council notes that as an’
- After ‘aid’, insert ‘to’
- After ‘Terrys Site’, delete ‘the Council’ and insert ‘it has been suggested that’ and delete all from ‘instructs’ to ‘providing’.
- After ‘A64’ in the fourth line, insert: ‘should be considered, and that this also offers the opportunity to keep race day traffic out of the main city area and roads, using this suggested link and the Bustardthorpe access to the Racecourse.’
In the second paragraph:
- Delete all after ‘instructed to’ and insert ‘undertake a feasibility study and to prepare a detailed report as soon as possible, and in a timescale to inform any future planning application, to include the arguments for and against such a proposal and also to address the potential for funding the Link Road with a contribution from Developers and other sources.
In the third paragraph, delete all after ‘Such report to’ and insert:
‘a) consider the implications for the road network and road junctions in the South West quadrant of the City , of proceeding with the proposed Link Road;
b) consider what additional measures might be required to protect residential amenity on Bishopthorpe Road north of the Terrys site and the Nunnery Lane / Price’s Lane gyratory from additional traffic and worsening the already above limit air pollution;
c) investigate the possibility of constructing a new junction to the west of London Bridge to facilitate more effective access on to the A64 slip roads;
d) investigate complementary and / or alternative public transport improvements to address the potential traffic form the Terrys development and to address the serious problems of unreliability and inadequate service frequency of the current main No.11 Bishopthorpe Road / South Bank / Bishopthorpe bus service and
e) investigate other sustainable transport solutions that would facilitate appropriate development of the Terrys site, including much better cycling links than proposed in conjunction with the recent planning application to the city northwards and westwards from the site.’”
On being put to the vote, the altered amendment was declared CARRIED.
The motion, as further amended, now read as follows:
"This Council notes that, as an aid to the development of the Terrys Site, it has been suggested that a Link Road between Bishopthorpe Road and Sim Balk Lane to the south side of the A64 should be considered, and that this also offers the opportunity to keep race day traffic out of the main city area and roads, using this suggested link and the Bustardthorpe access to the Racecourse.
Officers are therefore instructed to undertake a feasibility study and to prepare a detailed report as soon as possible, and in a timescale to inform any future planning application and also to address the potential for funding the Link Road with a contribution from Developers and other sources. The report should also indicate how any proposed future development allocated through the LDF process could contribute to the construction costs of such a link road proposal.7
Such report to:
a) consider the implications for the road network and road junctions in the South West quadrant of the City , of proceeding with the proposed Link Road;
b) consider what additional measures might be required to protect residential amenity on Bishopthorpe Road north of the Terrys site and the Nunnery Lane / Price’s Lane gyratory from additional traffic and worsening the already above limit air pollution;
c) investigate the possibility of constructing a new junction to the west of London Bridge to facilitate more effective access on to the A64 slip roads;
d) investigate complementary and / or alternative public transport improvements to address the potential traffic form the Terrys development and to address the serious problems of unreliability and inadequate service frequency of the current main No.11 Bishopthorpe Road / South Bank / Bishopthorpe bus service and
e) investigate other sustainable transport solutions that would facilitate appropriate development of the Terrys site, including much better cycling links than proposed in conjunction with the recent planning application to the city northwards and westwards from the site.”
On being put to the vote, the motion, as amended by the two amendments, was declared CARRIED and it was
RESOLVED: That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.
(iv) Yozone Card
It was moved by Cllr Potter and seconded by Cllr Alexander that
“Council instructs the Director of City Strategy to report to the Executive on the implications of working with the City’s bus providers to extend the Yozone card to all young people in full time education up to the age of 19 years.”8
On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was
RESOLVED: That the above notice of motion be approved.
(v) New Growth Point Funding
It was moved by Cllr Waller and seconded by Cllr Runciman that
“Council notes:
1) The offer by Leeds City Region Leaders to provide brownfield sites for eco-friendly development in the sub-region in lieu of a single site for an ‘eco-town’.
2) That one of these locations was York North West, which had recently been the subject of an unsuccessful bid by the Council for New Growth Point funding.
3) That should this funding become available then it would help to underpin the major investment in transport and other infrastructure required if the project is to start in the short term. It would also ensure that more sustainability is built into the design features of the development, and would help to ensure that more affordable housing is provided on the site.
Council requests that an all party delegation from City of York Council be formed to meet with the appropriate Minister with a view to making the case for York North West to receive central government ‘eco’ / growth point funding.”9
On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was
RESOLVED: That the above notice of motion be approved.