Agenda item

To consider the draft final report of the former Housing Scrutiny Board, delivering their research and findings regarding approaches Local Authorities might take to reducing carbon emissions in York’s public and private sector housing.

Consideration was given to the draft final report of the Sub-Committee on Reducing Carbon Emissions from York’s Public and Private Sector Housing.

Officers updated that since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee the report had been redrafted to include the amendments and alterations made at that meeting. This had included the preparation of an Executive Summary which it was hoped better reflected Members comments. It was reported that Officers had now been consulted on the implications of the report and this information would be circulated prior to the Scrutiny Management Committees consideration of the report on 25 September 2006.

Members expressed concern that the report lacked a summary of implications of the recommendations which made it difficult for them to give their final approval to the document without this important information.  Officers confirmed that in all future scrutiny reports it was their intention, as a matter of practice, to include a list of implications prior to consideration at the final meeting.

Members thanked Officers for their work in the preparation of this report. Consideration was then given to the summary of recommendations and reference was made to the need to ensure that all the recommendations were direct and to the point.

RESOLVED:    i) That the revised report and recommendations be approved and submitted to the Scrutiny Management Committee, in line with their decision to complete outstanding scrutiny topics as a matter of urgency, subject to the correction of typographical and grammatical points and the following amendments to the Summary of Recommendations on page 19:

·        Recommendation 2 – para. 1 be amended to read, “That the Local Development Framework and present planning framework include a Calderdale/Merton-style target. This target will require developers to ensure that:”

·        Recommendation 3 be amended to read “ That the City of York Council research planning policies adopted by other local authorities with a view to applying them in York, if appropriate, in order to specifically ensure energy efficiency by design. That all plans submitted to the local authority be tested against these criteria.

·        Recommendation 4 be amended to read, “That the authority will enforce Parts L an F of the Building Regulations as a matter of urgency.

ii)                  That copies of the final report be circulated to Secondary Schools in the area for their information.