Agenda item

This report asks Members to scope and timetable the City Centre Access Ad Hoc Scrutiny Review.

Members considered a report that asked them to scope and timetable the City Centre Access Ad Hoc Scrutiny Review.

(i)           Scope

Consideration was given to the proposed remit of the review.  Members noted the proposed focus that had been presented to the Scrutiny Management Committee, as detailed in paragraph 5 of the report.

Members noted the work that was already ongoing in respect of the Footstreets Review and the City Centre Movement and Accessibility Study.  They agreed that it was important that the review did not duplicate work that was already taking place.   Officers detailed some of the considerations that needed to be taken into account, including issues in respect of the green permit scheme.

The Cabinet Member for City Strategy was asked for his views on the proposed scrutiny topic.  He stated that he saw this as running in parallel with the work that was ongoing and did not envisage a conflict.  He acknowledged that there were issues to be considered, including disabled parking, the location and profile of the Shopmobility service and the provision of cycle parking.  He stated that he had visited Oxford to look at the arrangements they had in place in respect of enforcement, including the use of CCTV.

Members agreed on the following scope for the review:

“How do we minimise vehicular movement in the city centre footstreets and immediate area to ensure the safety of pedestrians?

1.   Do changes need to be made to the City Centre Area Action Plan/City Centre Access Study/Footstreets Policy) to ensure:

·        Appropriate disabled access and parking provision

·        The safety of pedestrians during footstreet hours

·        City centre cycling storage facilities

2.   How could City of York Council and the Police improve partnership working in order to fully enforce the footstreets policy, including understanding:

·        Who is responsible for what currently and should there be any changes?

·        The current barriers to enforcing the policy”

(ii)          Information Gathering

Members requested that arrangements be made for them to meet with the following groups as part of the review:

·        The Police

·        Parking Officers

·        Officers dealing with transport modelling

·        Traders

·        The Fire Service

·        Cyclists

·        Tourist Information Centre

Members agreed that it would be useful for them to visit key areas and access points as part of the review.  They suggested that the site visit included:

·        Area outside of Betty’s on Davygate

·        The entry to Piccadilly at Merchantgate

·        St Saviourgate

·        Corner of Goodramgate/Cross Keys

(iii)        Timetable

Consideration was given to the timescale for carrying out the review. 

The following work plan was agreed:

Tuesday 22 November 2011 at 10:30am

Information gathering visits to areas of the city centre.  To be followed by an informal meeting of the committee at 12:00 noon at The Guildhall to consider the findings.

Friday 9 December 2011 at 4:00pm

Meeting of the committee.  Police and Parking Enforcement Officers to be invited to be present.

Monday 19 December 2011 at 10:30am

Meeting of the committee.  Contributors (identified under (ii) above)  to be invited to meet with the committee at 20 minute intervals.

(iv)        Further Information

It was agreed that Members would be provided with documentation including:

·        Details regarding powers of enforcement.

·        Examples of good practice in other towns and cities.

Members suggested that it would be useful for a map of the city centre area to be made available at meetings of the committee.

RESOLVED:       (i)      That the focus of the review be as

                                      detailed above.

(ii)      That the scope and timetable the

          review be as detailed above.

REASON:            To progress the review.