Agenda item

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 Runciman

 

            “Council notes that

 

1) Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, Britain has one in five of its children living in poverty.

2) This is the second successive year that national figures have failed to improve, with the number of children living in relative poverty having risen by 100,000.

3) Child poverty has only fallen by an estimated 15% since 1998, when the Government set its target to halve it by 2010 and abolish it completely by 2020.

4) Approximately 14% of York's children live in poverty, and despite this being below the national average of 20% this is still unacceptable.

 

Council requests that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and to the 4 MPs for the City of York Council area to request that the Government reaffirms its commitment to halving child poverty by 2010, by investing £2.8bn a year to tackle the issue of increasing child poverty in Britain.”

 

(ii)        From Cllr Gillies

 

"That this Council instructs officers to investigate, and report back through City Strategy EMAP, with the appropriate agencies the feasibility of developing a dedicated rail service to run between York Railway Station and Strensall, with intermediate stops at York District Hospital and Haxby, utilising the existing railway infrastructure.

 

The Council also registers its support for future light railway/tram train systems for the City of York."

 

(iii)       From Cllr Scott

 

            “Council notes and welcomes the £690,000 Local Authority Business Growth Incentive (LABGI) reward money.

 

Council also notes that £200,000 has been allocated to assist in the establishment of a community stadium in York.

 

Council instructs that the reward money be spent in the following ways:-

 

·        £30,000 grant to York Racial Equality Network (YREN)

 

·        £53,000 to reinstate travel tokens entitlements to the 07/08 level

 

·        £54,000 to the Graffiti Tackling Team initiative to replace the cuts in the Neighbourhood Services portfolio budget.

 

·        £10,000 to Safer York Partnership (SYP) towards the establishing of a graffiti database, to replace the cuts to York Pride money allocated to it.

 

·        £50,000 to fund a fireworks display

 

·        £40,000 to fund better Christmas lights

 

·        £30,000 to bring forward the recycling pilot to start pilot to terraced and difficult to access areas in August 2008

 

·        £50,000 to fund pilot of 'Smart Choices' initiative for personalised travel planning

 

·        £20,000 to reinstate Audit and Fraud post

 

·        £50,000 for additional contact hours for Home Care – in relation to city wide enabling and intermediate care team - High Dependency and EMI services

 

·        £40,000 to reduce residents’ parking permit fees by 10%

 

·        £27,000 for free evening parking for residents from 5.30pm with effect from 1^st July, 2009

 

·        £7,500 to establish free parking for Green Minster Badge holders – for cars owned by residents which are considered ‘environmentally friendly’ .

 

·        £15,000 additional grant to York Credit

 

·        £7,500 grant to the Older People’s Assembly

 

·        £6,000 grant to Older People’s Advocacy York”

 

 

 

 

 

(iv)       From Cllr Kirk

 

“Council notes that

 

1) From 2011/12 everyone over the age of 16 applying for a passport will have their details - including fingerprints and facial scans - added to a National Identity register. The Government also plans to make it compulsory for all UK citizens over the age of 16 to have ID cards, despite the fact that all legal UK citizens have NHS and NI numbers so this is wasteful duplication.

2) Successive cases of data loss by the Government, most notably the loss of computer discs containing the personal details of 25 million people, has made the public increasingly concerned about the ID cards scheme.

3) Such a scheme will cost every York taxpayer at least £200, and all York residents £90 to obtain one of the ID cards. The introduction of compulsory identity cards will unfairly penalise residents on lower incomes in York, who are finding it difficult to cope with rising costs of food and fuel.

4) Identity cards will obstruct our civil liberties, allow personal data to be shared without our consent, encourage fraud, will not prevent illegal working and will not help to fight crime and terrorism.

5) The scheme could cost up to £18bn, which would be better spent on other security measures, such as more police and intelligence officers.

Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Home Secretary asking that the Government rejects its expensive plans for ineffective ID cards, most particularly making them compulsory at the expense of local residents.”

 

(v)        From Cllr Simpson-Laing

 

            “City of York Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Housing Minister in support of the cross party report of The Communities and Local Government Select Committee – ‘The Supply of Rented Housing’. Council requests that he ensures that York’s need for affordable housing, as identified in the independent  Fordham’s Report, are highlighted in relation to the Committee’s recommendations to ensure that the city of York and its residents receive a fair share of any financial allocation resulting from the report.

 

The Chief Executive is asked to draw particular attention to the following matters in writing to the Housing Minister in order to:

 

·        receive a fair quota for York of the Committees call to build an extra 50,000 properties, nationally, for the social rented sector each year to meet the country's housing shortage.

 

·        allow councils, including City of York, to build its own homes as a means to providing much-needed affordable homes for York residents.

 

·        increase the supply and quality of rented housing and that homes for rent should no longer be seen as "second best" to owner occupation.

 

·        build more affordable family homes to reduce overcrowding and waiting lists as a result of building too many flats.

 

·        call for restrictions to be imposed on right-to-buy sales where necessary and that money received remains within the authority of purchase.

 

·        support the call for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to investigate  fiscal measures that would provide an incentive to property owners not to leave their properties empty for long periods – and support local authorities in their efforts to prevent and reduce the incidence of ‘buy-to-leave’ through investigating how there can be better use of existing powers, including Empty Dwelling Management Orders, to bring empty dwellings into use and by ensuring that the information necessary to take action, on ownership for example, is readily available.”

(i)         Child Poverty

 

It was moved by Cllr Runciman and seconded by Cllr Vassie that:

 

“Council notes that:

1)                 Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, Britain has one in five of its children living in poverty.

2)                 This is the second successive year that national figures have failed to improve, with the number of children living in relative poverty having risen by 100,000.

3)                 Child poverty has only fallen by an estimated 15% since 1998, when the Government set its target to halve it by 2010 and abolish it completely by 2020.

4)                 Approximately 14% of York’s children live in poverty, and despite this being below the national average of 20% this is still unacceptable.

Council requests that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and to the 4 MPs for the City of York Council area to request that the Government re-affirms its commitment to halving child poverty by 2010, by investing £2.8bn a year to tackle the issue of increasing child poverty in Britain.”

 

Cllr Merrett then moved, and Cllr Looker seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:

 

“In the second paragraph (beginning ‘Council requests’), after ‘schools and families’ add ‘, to the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Opposition Spokespersons’ and after ‘Government re-affirms’ add ‘, with the support of other political parties,’.

After the final paragraph, add:

‘Council also requests that officer time be committed, consistent with its commitment to NI116, to addressing the issues locally which can help to reduce child poverty, namely:

·        Better promotion of benefit take-up

·        Providing additional support through services such as Future Prospects to help improve employment prospects

·        Better support to schools and families from disadvantaged backgrounds such as providing funding for extra-curricular activities to raise aspirations.

Council calls for an Action Plan officer report on the geographic areas suffering with the highest levels of child poverty in the City, with suggested measures, such as those already detailed, with a view to Council taking its own responsibilities in equal measure to the Government.’”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“Council notes that:

 

1)     Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, Britain has one in five of its children living in poverty.

2)     This is the second successive year that national figures have failed to improve, with the number of children living in relative poverty having risen by 100,000.

3)     Child poverty has only fallen by an estimated 15% since 1998, when the Government set its target to halve it by 2010 and abolish it completely by 2020.

4)     Approximately 14% of York’s children live in poverty, and despite this being below the national average of 20% this is still unacceptable.

Council requests that the Chief Executive writes to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, to the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Opposition Spokespersons and to the 4 MPs for the City of York Council area to request that the Government re-affirms, with the support of other political parties, its commitment to halving child poverty by 2010, by investing £2.8bn a year to tackle the issue of increasing child poverty in Britain.¹

‘Council also requests that officer time be committed, consistent with its commitment to NI116, to addressing the issues locally which can help to reduce child poverty, namely:

·        Better promotion of benefit take-up

·        Providing additional support through services such as Future Prospects to help improve employment prospects

·        Better support to schools and families from disadvantaged backgrounds such as providing funding for extra-curricular activities to raise aspirations.

Council calls for an Action Plan officer report on the geographic areas suffering with the highest levels of child poverty in the City, with suggested measures, such as those already detailed, with a view to Council taking its own responsibilities in equal measure to the Government.”²

 

The motion, as amended, was then put to the vote and was declared CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:       That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.

 

(ii)               Local Authority Business Growth Incentive

 

It was moved by Cllr Scott and seconded by Cllr Potter that:

 

“Council notes and welcomes the £690,000 Local Authority Business Growth Incentive (LABGI) reward money.

Council also notes that £200,000 has been allocated to assist in the establishment of a community stadium in York.

Council instructs that the reward money be spent in the following ways:-

·        £30,000 grant to York Racial Equality Network (YREN)

·        £53,000 to re-instate travel tokens entitlements to the 07/08 level

·        £54,000 to the Graffiti Tackling Team initiative to replace the cuts in the Neighbourhood Services portfolio budget

·        £10,000 to Safer York Partnership (SYP) towards the establishment of a graffiti database, to replace the cuts to York Pride money allocated to it

·        £50,000 to fund a fireworks display

·        £40,000 to fund better Christmas lights

·        £30,000 to bring forward the recycling pilot to start pilot to terraced and difficult to access areas in August 2008

·        £50,000 to fund pilot of ‘Smart Choices’ initiative for personalised travel planning

·        £20,000 to re-instate Audit and Fraud post

·        £50,000 for additional contact hours for Home Care – in relation to city-wide enabling and intermediate care team – High Dependency and EMI services

·        £40,000 to reduce residents’ parking permit fees by 10%

·        £27,000 for free evening parking for residents from 5:30 pm, with effect from 1^st July 2009

·        £7,500 to establish free parking for Green Minster Badge holders – for cars owned by residents which are considered ‘environmentally friendly’

·        £15,000 additional grant to York Credit

·        £7,500 grant to the Older People’s Assembly

·        £6,000 grant to Older People’s Advocacy York.”

 

Cllr Waller then moved, and Cllr Richard Watson seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:

 

“Delete all after ‘Council instructs’ in the third paragraph and insert:

‘that the remaining allocation of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive be placed in reserves.’”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

A further amendment, put forward by Cllr D’Agorne, accordingly fell as it was not compatible with the first amendment.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“Council notes and welcomes the £690,000 Local Authority Business Growth Incentive (LABGI) reward money.

Council also notes that £200,000 has been allocated to assist in the establishment of a community stadium in York.

Council instructs that the remaining allocation of the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive be placed in reserves.”³

 

On being put to the vote the motion, as amended, was declared CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:       That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.

 

(iii)             Local Rail Services

 

It was moved by Cllr Gillies and seconded by Cllr Wiseman that:

 

“This Council instructs Officers to investigate, and report back through City Strategy EMAP, with the appropriate agencies the feasibility of developing a dedicated rail service to run between York Railway Station and Strensall, with intermediate stops at York District Hospital and Haxby, utilising the existing railway infrastructure.

The Council also registers its support for future light railway / tram train systems for the City of York.”

 

Cllr Steve Galloway then moved, and Cllr Hyman seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:

 

“Delete all after ‘to’ in the first sentence and insert: ‘update and report back, in conjunction with other appropriate agencies, via the City Strategy EMAP, on the progress made in implementing the LTP proposal to provide a rail service running between York Railway Station and Strensall, with intermediate stops at York District Hospital and Haxby, and which would utilise as far as possible existing railway infrastructure.’

Delete all after ‘support’ in the second paragraph and insert: ‘in principle for the future use of light railway / tram train type systems in the City of York area, subject to the successful conclusion of the technical trial which is being conducted in South Yorkshire, the availability of the necessary funding and confirmation that such a system would complement the City’s long term sustainable transport strategy.’”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“This Council instructs officers to update and report back, in conjunction with other appropriate agencies, via the City Strategy EMAP, on the progress made in implementing the LDF proposal to provide a rail service running between York Railway Station and Strensall, with intermediate stops at York District Hospital and Haxby, and which would utilise as far as possible existing railway infrastructure.  ⁴

The Council also registers its support in principle for the future use of light railway/tram train type systems in the City of York area, subject to the successful conclusion of the technical trial which is being conducted in south Yorkshire, the availability of the necessary funding and confirmation that such a system would complement the City’s long term sustainable transport strategy "

 

The motion, as amended was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:       That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.

 

(iv)             The Supply of Rented Housing

 

It was moved by Cllr Simpson-Laing and seconded by Cllr Bowgett that:

 

“City of York Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Housing Minister in support of the cross party report of The Communities and Local Government Select Committee – ‘The Supply of Rented Housing’.  Council requests that he ensures that York’s need for affordable housing, as identified in the independent Fordham’s Report, is highlighted in relation to the Committee’s recommendations to ensure that the City of York and its residents receive a fair share of any financial allocation resulting from the report.

 

The Chief Executive is asked to draw particular attention to the following matters in writing to the Housing Minister, in order to:

·        Receive a fair quota for York of the Committee’s call to build an extra 50,000 properties, nationally, for the social rented sector each year to meet the country’s housing shortage.

·        Allow councils, including City of York, to build their own homes as a means to providing much needed affordable homes for York residents.

·        Increase the supply and quality of rented housing and that homes for rent should no longer be seen as ‘second best’ to owner occupation.

·        Build more affordable family homes, to reduce overcrowding and waiting lists as a result of building too many flats.

·        Call for restrictions to be imposed on right-to-buy sales where necessary and that money received remains within the authority of purchase.

·        Support the call for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to investigate fiscal measures that would provide an incentive to property owners not to leave their properties empty for long periods – and support local authorities in their efforts to prevent and reduce the incidence of ‘buy-to-leave’ through investigating how there can be better use of existing powers, including Empty Dwelling Management Orders, to bring empty dwellings into use and by ensuring that the information necessary to take action, on ownership for example, is readily available.”

 

Cllr Hudson then moved, and Cllr Watt seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:

 

“In the second paragraph:-

- at the start of the second bullet point, add the words ‘call on the Government to return the Housing Revenue Grant to’.

- delete the fifth bullet point and substitute ‘call for revenue from right-to-buy sales to remain within the authority of purchase’.”

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

 

The motion, as amended, now read as follows:

 

“City of York Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Housing Minister in support of the cross party report of The Communities and Local Government Select Committee – ‘The Supply of Rented Housing’.  Council requests that he ensures that York’s need for affordable housing, as identified in the independent Fordham’s Report, is highlighted in relation to the Committee’s recommendations to ensure that the City of York and its residents receive a fair share of any financial allocation resulting from the report.⁵

 

The Chief Executive is asked to draw particular attention to the following matters in writing to the Housing Minister, in order to:

·        Receive a fair quota for York of the Committee’s call to build an extra 50,000 properties, nationally, for the social rented sector each year to meet the country’s housing shortage.

·        Call on the Government to return the Housing Revenue Grant to allow councils, including City of York, to build their own homes as a means to providing much needed affordable homes for York residents.

·        Increase the supply and quality of rented housing and that homes for rent should no longer be seen as ‘second best’ to owner occupation.

·        Build more affordable family homes, to reduce overcrowding and waiting lists as a result of building too many flats.

·        Call for revenue from right-to-buy sales to remain within the authority of purchase.

·         Support the call for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to investigate fiscal measures that would provide an incentive to property owners not to leave their properties empty for long periods – and support local authorities in their efforts to prevent and reduce the incidence of ‘buy-to-leave’ through investigating how there can be better use of existing powers, including Empty Dwelling Management Orders, to bring empty dwellings into use and by ensuring that the information necessary to take action, on ownership for example, is readily available.”

 

The motion, as amended, was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:       That the above notice of motion, as amended, be approved.

 

(v)               National ID Cards Scheme

 

It was moved by Cllr Kirk and seconded by Cllr Holvey that:

 

“Council notes that:

1)                 From 2011/12 everyone over the age of 16 applying for a passport will have their details – including fingerprints and facial scans – added to a National Identity register.  The Government also plans to make it compulsory for all UK citizens over the age of 16 to have ID cards, despite the fact that all legal UK citizen have NHS and NI numbers so this is wasteful duplication.

2)                 Successive cases of data loss by the Government, most notably the loss of computer discs containing the personal details of 25 million people, has made the public increasingly concerned about the ID cards scheme.

3)                 Such a scheme will cost every York taxpayer at least £200, and all York residents £90 to obtain one of the ID cards.  The introduction of compulsory identity cards will unfairly penalise residents on lower incomes in York, who are finding it difficult to cope with rising costs of food and fuel.

4)                 Identity cards will obstruct our civil liberties, allow personal data to be shared without our consent, encourage fraud, will not prevent illegal working and will not help to fight crime and terrorism.

5)                 The scheme could cost up to £18bn, which would be better spent on other security measures, such as more police and intelligence officers.

Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Home Secretary asking that the Government rejects its expensive plans for ineffective ID cards, most particularly making them compulsory at the expense of local residents.”⁶

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

 

RESOLVED:       That the above notice of motion be approved.