Agenda item

This report outlines progress with the preparation of the Issues and Options document for the York Central Area Action Plan (AAP) and seeks Member’s views on the structure and key issues to address in the emerging Issues and Options document, the draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping report and the emerging draft Community Consultation Strategy.

Members received a report which outlined progress with the preparation of the Issues and Options document for the York Central Area Action Plan (AAP) and sought their views on the structure and key issues to address in the emerging Issues and Options document, the draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping report and the emerging draft Community Consultation Strategy.

A draft structure for the Issues and Options document was attached as Annex 1 of the report.  This outlined the proposed framework for preparation of the document, which would:

·  Set the context for the Area Action Plan process;

·  Summarise the baseline information which had guided the preparation of the Issues and Options document;

·  Set the strategic context and sustainability objectives for York Central, including the draft vision for the area;

·  Identify the key constraints and a number of key topics which needed to be addressed in developing issues and options for the York Central area;

·  Identify a number of indicative options for comment.

The Sustainability Appraisal (SA) process was a way of ensuring that all plans and policies with land use implications took into account the social, economic and resource use issues that determined whether a development would be sustainable.  The first stage in the sustainability appraisal process was the preparation of an SA Scoping Report.  This described the methodology and scope for the sustainability appraisal work to be carried out on the Area Action Plan.  It would be used to test the implications and consequences of the issues and options being developed.  The draft SA Scoping Report was attached as Annex 3 of the report.  Consultation was currently being undertaken on the Scoping Report and the results of this exercise would be considered at the next meeting of the Working Group.

A draft Community Consultation Strategy was attached as Annex 2 of the report.  This set out the proposed consultation approach for the Issues and Options document, which would result in qualitative (perceptions and views) and quantitative (facts and figures) outcomes and outputs.  Consultation would include getting the community’s views on both the strategy itself and later on the actual Issues and Options being developed.  It was proposed to gain feedback on the draft consultation strategy from a range of key stakeholders to test the indicative programming during next month, prior to the preparation of the final strategy.

Members received a presentation on the draft Community Consultation Strategy from Social Regeneration Consultants (SRC), who had been appointed to carry out the consultation relating to the Issues and Options stage of the Area Action Plan.  A summary of this presentation was circulated to Members.

Members then made detailed comments on each of the attached documents, as set out in Appendices 1-3 of the minutes.

RECOMMENDED:(i)That the comments on the emerging York Central Area Action Plan Issues and Options document, detailed in Appendix 1 of the minutes, be agreed and incorporated into a revised document;

(ii)That the comments on the consultation draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report, detailed in Appendix 2 of the minutes, be agreed and incorporated into a revised document;

                        (iii) That the comments on the emerging Community Consultation Strategy, detailed in Appendix 3 of the minutes, be agreed and incorporated into a revised document.

REASON:(i) To provide officers with views on the content and scope of the Issues and Options document;

(ii)To provide officers with views on the content and scope of the draft Scoping Report;

(iii)To provide officers with views on the content and scope of the Community Consultation Strategy.