Agenda item

This report presents updated information on the work completed to date and asks the Task Group to agree what, if any, additional information is required and to formulate recommendations for the full committee.

Consideration was given to the draft interim report of the Night-Time Economy Scrutiny Review which presented updated information on work completed to date relating to the issues of retail and transport.

The Task Group had been formed to undertaken a review aimed at ‘improving diverse commercial opportunities after 5pm in, and evening transport to and from, York City Centre’.

It was reported that consultation had been undertaken via an online survey, “Yorkafter5” which included questions to support the corporate review being undertaken by a number of scrutiny Task Groups on the Night-Time Economy.  Focus groups and meetings with key partners had also been held to gather views of people involved in York’s night time economy.

Support had been shown for extending retail opening hours in the city centre. However, it had been considered that this should be undertaken via a co-ordinated approach with retailers working closely with the Council and transport operators.

Further information had also been sought from cities, similar to York, to establish a benchmark for the night-time economy and to examine best practice elsewhere.  Evidence had shown that opportunities for businesses to extend their opening hours had most easily been achieved where there were clusters of shops.

The Scrutiny Officer circulated a list of proposed recommendations, compiled in conjunction with Members of the Task Group, for further discussion and agreement. He also reported back on information received suggesting the possible level of income lost arising from any introduction of free parking from 5pm. 

Members and Officers made a number of points arising from the draft report and suggested recommendations, including:

·        Questioning the cost of altering car park ticket machines in line with suggested changes to early evening car park charges.

·        The effect of any changes on car park receipts and the budget.

·        Proposals needed to encourage those working in the city to stay in the city during the early evening.

·        Suggestions for advertising a pilot, evening retail offer, in the Coppergate Centre, including low cost ‘York’s Open Later’ stickers.

·        Although no evidence had been gathered in relation to two of the suggested recommendations, relating to speed limits in the area, Members expressed their support for inclusion. This would be subject to a caveat confirming, that whilst not part of the Task Group’s remit, they were felt relevant to the late night economy topic generally and recommended for examination by the appropriate Committee.

Members agreed that no additional information was required, prior to presentation of the report to the next meeting of ECDOSC on 28 January and following further lengthy discussion it was

Resolved:   i)      That the survey results be received and noted.

ii)       That the following recommendations be presented as part of the draft final report to the next ECDOSC meeting:

A.          Group recommendations relating to overall strategy

(i)        That the Economic Development Unit and CYC York City Team consider requesting Council to provide support and guidance for retailers to help coordinate marketing and branding strategy.

(ii)      That the Economic Development Unit and the CYC City Team be requested to work with businesses and attractions to encourage them, by the end of 2014, to clearly display their opening and closing times for each day of the week.

(iii)     That businesses be asked by the CYCCity Team for an agreed day or days of the week for late night opening in particular to coincide with peak retail opportunities around the Tour De France or December 2014.

(iv)    That the City Team, in line with Association of Town Centre Managers (ASCM) research, encourages businesses to open later and close later on other days of the week to potentially increase revenue by 10-20%.

(v)      That the Sustainable Transport Operations Manager invite bus and Park & Ride operators to discuss and bring forward proposals for later buses to serve the city’s late-night economy, particularly for the days chosen for later (post 6pm) opening for retail outlets or major cultural festivals. Consideration also be given to discounted travel and consistency in Park & Ride closing times, including a policy on pay on exit.

(vi)    That the Council’s city centre car parks be free to residents from 5pm (instead of 6pm at present), subject to ticket machine programming issues, in co-ordination with a consistent city centre car parking and public transport offer.

(vii)   Extend the opening time of CYC secure city centre car parks until 8.30pm on most nights and 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday, providing this is consistent with the parking policy and other work being undertaken in this area and pending revenue implications.

(viii)  That the Sustainable Transport Operations Manager and the City Team approach bus operators and relevant city centre businesses to develop reciprocal promotion of any new offer with suitable discounts / advertising.

B.      Recommendations relating to a potential city centre pilot at Coppergate Shopping Centre:

(ix)    That the City Team holds discussions with the operators of the Jorvik Centre and other attractions near the Coppergate Shopping Centre (e.g. museum) to encourage them to open later on the days selected for late-night shopping.

(x)      That the City Team enters into discussions with Primark at an early stage to seek to use their arrival at the Coppergate Centre as a catalyst for the further development of the Centre’s evening offer.

(xi)    That the City Team works with the Coppergate Shopping Centre to provide business confidence measures and encourages the Centre to share information on the success of the offers and the effect on their trading between 5pm and 7pm.  

 C.     Although the following two issues were not part of the Scrutiny Review remit and whilst no evidence was gathered by the Task Group to support them, it was agreed compliance with 10mph speed limits in footstreets and lower speed limits for other city centre streets were worthy of further examination and the Task Group recommended:

(i)        Tackling driver compliance speed limits in footstreets with signage and light touch enforcement or average speed cameras with number plate recognition.

(ii)      That the Council monitor city centre road speeds and consider the potential for slower speed limits (20mph or less) to enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists with a particular focus on Piccadilly, Coppergate and Clifford Street.

Reason:     To ensure compliance with scrutiny procedures, protocols and the Committee’s annual work plan.