Agenda item
Questions to the Cabinet Leader and Cabinet Members received under Standing Order 11.3(a)
To deal with the following questions to the Cabinet Leader and / or other Cabinet Members, in accordance with Standing Order 11.3(a):
(i) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Does the council leader see York’s Combined Authority future as sitting in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority or does he think a different authority should be considered, whether entirely different or one including West Yorkshire plus other council areas, and, if he is prepared to consider other options what discussions has he had and what does he propose to have with North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire Councils?”
(ii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Aspden:
“Does the Cabinet Leader believe that with the publication of the latest household projections (Department for Communities and Local Government 27th February) the annual housing targets in York’s Local Plan should be revised down from the 926 figure agreed in December?”
(iii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Doughty:
“As the Cabinet Leader also has the main Finance portfolio responsibility within the Council, can he please tell Council when he first became aware that his own groups much-touted and failed Care Home programme was unaffordable?”
(iv) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Ayre:
“Could the Cabinet Leader detail the results of the 2015/16 public budget consultation process?”
(v) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Would a future Labour administration always try and take government council tax grant freezes if they are baselined?”
(vi) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Galvin:
“What are the current arrangements for the management and operation of the use of the Guildhall Complex, including staffing and security?”
(vii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Galvin:
“Are there any other alternative short or medium term proposals for the management and useage of the Guildhall complex, including staffing and security, which the Council ought to be aware of?”
(viii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Doughty:
“How will the Cabinet Leader ensure there is a full and open review into Labour's Care Home debacle?”
(ix) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Will the leader use the last Full Council of this term to offer the first ever Labour apology for the Lendal Bridge debacle?”
(x) To the Deputy Cabinet Leader from Cllr Doughty
“Does the Cabinet Member find it a worrying indictment on this Labour Council administration that in testament to the failure of engagement, the Freedom of Information process is now becoming commonplace as the only realistic means of route to elected Members as well as citizens of the city in obtaining some answers at least to questions that are vitally important to the running of the city? I would appreciate a yes or no”
(xi) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“How much to date has been spent on Consultants Fees, Officers Time and Overheads in preparation for the building of the Community Stadium?”
(xii) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Can she give an accurate date for “the first brick to be laid” in the planned Community Stadium?”
(xiii) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Can she give an accurate cost to the Council, including ALL FACETS of the overheads incurred, for the building of the Community Stadium?”
(xiv) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Does she plan to continue abdicating responsibility to a senior officer for informing of fellow Councillors of the progress (or lack of it) in the building of the Community Stadium?”
(xv) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“In view of York City’s current poor performance, should they sadly be relegated from the Football League, will plans to build the Community Stadium continue?”
(xvi) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Doughty:
“Could you please advise the Council when you or your predecessor as Cabinet Member for health or indeed any member of the Cabinet became aware that the plans for Labour’s abandoned care home programme were unviable and unworkable, that is, at what point did it become conclusive that these plans needed a financial commitment that the council could not meet and therefore the council could not proceed?”
(xvii) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Runciman:
“What is the total amount of Better Care Funding received in York since the scheme was launched in 2013 and can the Cabinet Member outline how this money has been spent?”
(xviii) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Doughty:
“Can the Cabinet Member please advise which areas of social care in the city have suffered or will suffer because her own group has squandered at least £350,000 in the failed procurement of Care homes in the city?”
(xix) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Waller:
“What performance indicators exist for residents coming into West Offices for benefits advice and what is the current average waiting time before being seen?”
(xx) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Of the sites with in the City of York Boundary measuring NOx emissions. What percentage of them have risen under this administration in the past four years and what lessons have been learned in tackling the high levels of emissions across the City?”
(xxi) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Reid:
“What are the target times for repairing streetlights and could the Cabinet Member outline performance in this area over the last 12 months?”
(xxii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Will the Cabinet Member give his assurance that the works preventing vehicles from turning outside the Art Gallery will be moved to reduce traffic over Lendal Bridge and reduce the NOx emissions in that area?”
(xxiii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“What was the reasoning for leaving Vesper Drive deteriorating for three years and then filling in potholes shortly before the whole road was resurfaced and how much did this pothole filling cost?”
(xxiv) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Given the drop in the percentage of recycled waste from 2011 for the City of York, can the Cabinet Member quote the percentage of
recycled waste for this financial year?”
(xxv) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Orrell:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the total costs of the blanket 20mph roll-out across York so far and provide a road-by-road record of average speeds before and after the limits were introduced?”
(xxvi) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“How many of the Company’s providing Bus Services across the City have applied for the government Grant to replace existing buses running on diesel to the new hybrid units and when will this council introduce a city wide exclusion area for diesel powered units?”
(xxvii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Aspden:
“Could the Cabinet Member confirm how much money has been spent so far contesting the legal decision on the Lendal Bridge/Coppergate ruling and when he expects a final judgement to be announced?”
(xxviii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“When the Cabinet announced a scheme for additional business rate relief on new small businesses in Acomb, £50,000 was allocated for businesses opening in previously empty premises. Please could the Cabinet Member detail how many businesses have benefitted from the scheme to March 2015, and how much support has been given?”
(xxix) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“Would the Cabinet Member detail how much of the £30,000 investment scheme for Acomb Shops (as allocated by the Cabinet report in September 2013) has been spent to date and will he give a guarantee that any unspent resources will be carried forward into the new financial year?”
(xxx) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Waller:
“In the last six months how many households have seen their recycling collected in a normal refuse lorry to be sent to landfill?”
(xxxi) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Reid:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the timetable for introducing a charge for all green bin collections as agreed in the Budget last month?”
(xxxii) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Cuthbertson:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the total cost to the Council of Landfill Tax for every year since 2010 along with the yearly recycling rates (including the present rate)?”
(xxxiii) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Waller:
“What action has been taken to deal with dog fouling complaints by residents to council officers in the past year?”
Minutes:
Thirty three questions to the Leader and Cabinet Members had been received under Standing Order 11.3(a). The guillotine having fallen at this point, Members agreed to receive written answers to their questions, as set out below:
(i) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Does the council leader see York’s Combined Authority future as sitting in the West Yorkshire Combined Authority or does he think a different authority should be considered, whether entirely different or one including West Yorkshire plus other council areas, and, if he is prepared to consider other options what discussions has he had and what does he propose to have with North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire Councils?”
“I have had private conversations with the Leaders of both North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire about these matters.
My view is that I would prefer a greater Combined Authority taking in all of West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Yorkshire including Hull. How practical or desired by other this I do not yet know. However I believe a body on that scale is the best way to drive forward economic growth in our region.”
(ii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Aspden:
“Does the Cabinet Leader believe that with the publication of the latest household projections (Department for Communities and Local Government 27th February) the annual housing targets in York’s Local Plan should be revised down from the 926 figure agreed in December?”
“Yes.”
(iii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Doughty:
“As the Cabinet Leader also has the main Finance portfolio responsibility within the Council, can he please tell Council when he first became aware that his own groups much-touted and failed Care Home programme was unaffordable?”
“I have been aware throughout the whole process – as indeed all councillors should have been, since it was made explicit in the report presented to cabinet on 4th June 2013 – that there were risks associated with this project and that there was a chance the bidders might not be able to come back with a proposal that met all the criteria we had set out within the funding available.
It became conclusive that the council could not proceed with the procurement process when officers brought a report to cabinet in March, which clearly set out the affordability gap (of £1.5 million year on year) between the funding that was allocated to the project and the best offer on the table from any of the potential bidders.”
(iv) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Ayre:
“Could the Cabinet Leader detail the results of the 2015/16 public budget consultation process?”
“Please see Annex 8 of Financial Strategy, February Budget Cabinet.”
(v) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Would a future Labour administration always try and take government council tax grant freezes if they are baselined?”
“That rather depends on how much more of our budget a Government is going to remove and keep in Whitehall. If we are unfortunate enough to have another Conservative-led Government whose cuts continue unabated and we move from losing almost 50% of our grant towards 75% or more, then the answer is no.
If the ideological cuts to local government are stopped and we move to taking on our share of deficit reduction, and remain able to deliver our core functions by accepting freeze grants which remain in the base budget, then yes.”
(vi) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Galvin:
“What are the current arrangements for the management and operation of the use of the Guildhall Complex, including staffing and security?”
“The Guildhall complex has remained the responsibility of the Mansion House, Guildhall and Civic Services Manager since the council vacated in March / April 2013. In addition to council use, bookings for the main hall and former committee rooms have continued with reasonable levels of use and with forward bookings being taken to Dec 2015 at this time. Other use includes; office rental to consultancy JMP who are delivering a council itravel contract, Adult Education used the annex between Sept and Dec 2014, the Tour d Yorkshire team have an office there and space is used for theatre group rehearsals ahead of performances booked in the main hall / council chamber. The core staffing has remained with rota hours to cover events as required.
The security arrangements have recently changed with Gough Kelly (who have the WO contract) taking over the out of hours (7pm – 7am cover) for security and fire calls and also including for nightly inspection visits.”
(vii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Galvin:
“Are there any other alternative short or medium term proposals for the management and useage of the Guildhall complex, including staffing and security, which the Council ought to be aware of?”
“There have been consistent requests for greater interim use and on 16 Dec 2014 Cabinet approved the investigation of interim use. Proposals are being sought from a number of organisations who have expressed an interest and these will be presented to Cabinet for consideration in June.”
(viii) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Doughty:
“How will the Cabinet Leader ensure there is a full and open review into Labour's Care Home debacle?”
“The only debacle I’m aware of is the calling in of the elderly people’s housing decision by the opposition, of which the reasoning was spurious to say the least. The original vision has been market tested and rather than plough ahead with a major funding gap and a market which was not able to deliver that vision, we have altered plans to reflect the changing nature of elderly people’s housing need within the funding envelope we have agreed. The new proposals are actually very positive and deliver a wider range of options that reflect different needs of elderly people in our communities.
The calling in was exposed for what it was and was rightly rejected by the committee.
We have learned lessons from the process and look forward to the outcome of the review commissioned by the Chief Executive when it is completed.”
(ix) To the Cabinet Leader (including Finance & Performance) from Cllr Steward:
“Will the leader use the last Full Council of this term to offer the first ever Labour apology for the Lendal Bridge debacle?”
I’m not going to apologise for trying something to tackle the congestion problem in the city. Of course I’m disappointed that it did not operate as I would’ve wished, but your question exposes what the Conservatives are all about and which was so ably highlighted by your former comrade when he left your benches.
“That is, that you have no plan for tackling congestion, only a plan to oppose anything a Labour council does to try and address it. Without any commitment to a Congestion Commission, it would be illuminating for you to share with the electorate what you plan to do about congestion before the election. But I suspect we will all be waiting a long time for that.”
(x) To the Deputy Cabinet Leader from Cllr Doughty
“Does the Cabinet Member find it a worrying indictment on this Labour Council administration that in testament to the failure of engagement, the Freedom of Information process is now becoming commonplace as the only realistic means of route to elected Members as well as citizens of the city in obtaining some answers at least to questions that are vitally important to the running of the city? I would appreciate a yes or no”
“No………..and I say this in light of this Council being one of the most open and democratic Councils in the country. Whether Cllr Doughty, and those he asks this question on behalf of, accepts this or not is a matter for him to consider, what I am stating is fact and that the Council has followed the letter of the law.”
(xi) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“How much to date has been spent on Consultants Fees, Officers Time and Overheads in preparation for the building of the Community Stadium?”
“To date £2,815,807 has been spent on the project overall. This includes capital expenditure on the construction of the new county standard athletics stadium at Heslington West and the provision of the new 3G floodlit pitch and support facilities that has been completed at York St John University’s Haxby Road sports ground.
I would remind Members that the CYC contribution to the overall project would be around £8m pounds with a total investment value of £47M.
Put in simple terms. For every £1 of public money invested £5 of private / external investment is being leveraged into York.
It would not be a simple exercise to separate out all of the project costs, consultancy and legal fees from this figure as some of the capital works have professional fee allocations within them. What I can say is that the current spend on project fees is well below industry standards for a project of this complexity and value.”
(xii) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Can she give an accurate date for “the first brick to be laid” in the planned Community Stadium?”
“As we do not yet have detailed planning consent and confirmation of the conditions attached to a consent, so it is not possible to give an accurate date for the laying of the “first brick”. Furthermore, significant pre-construction work and site enablement works are to be undertaken before that.
Subject to the planning process, construction is still programmed to begin in Summer 2015.”
(xiii) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Can she give an accurate cost to the Council, including all facets of the overheads incurred, for the building of the Community Stadium?”
“Members were provided with a breakdown of the estimated costs and risks at the Cabinet in September 2014 and the Council meeting in October 2014. The position has not changed. As reported then, the total cost to the Council can only be confirmed at the point of contract award. Authority to proceed with the project was given within the financial parameters set which are as follows:
The Council costs for the design, build, operation and maintenance of the Community Stadium Leisure Complex and the operation and maintenance of the City’s Leisure portfolio:
· £8M CYC capital contribution
· £323K per annum revenue budget.”
(xiv) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“Does she plan to continue abdicating responsibility to a senior officer for informing of fellow Councillors of the progress (or lack of it) in the building of the Community Stadium?”
“As you still don't seem to grasp the mechanics of the council delivering large projects, which is evident from the rest of your questions Cllr Barton, I'm happy to explain that it is normal for officers to report and brief members on the progress of major and complex projects and this is one of the largest most complex projects to be delivered by this council thus far.
I also would like to point out that regular briefings by officers have been held at the specific request of members to enable members to keep up with progress.
Briefings by officers enables the more complicated technical questions to be answered there and then without the need to come back with information at a later date and as you now have to travel quite some distance back to York should you wish to attend briefings, one would assume that it is to your benefit to have your questions answered first time around leaving you free to ask any further questions that emanate from any reply, on the day.
In respect of progress or implied lack of it, If you have attended briefings recently, you would have been aware that significant and satisfactory progress has been made and the planning application will be coming before planning committee tomorrow.”
(xv) To Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Tourism from Cllr Barton:
“In view of York City’s current poor performance, should they sadly be relegated from the Football League, will plans to build the Community Stadium continue?”
“I'm happy to confirm that the stadium will continue to be built.
This is a joint facility for use of both football and rugby teams as well as a first class leisure facility and home for our community partners.
This project was started and approved whilst York City were playing in the conference and will continue should they return or not as is the case.
This Labour administration promised to deliver on this project and I'm determined to play my part in ensuring we keep that promise. Furthermore, we wish York City FC every success in their remaining fixtures.”
(xvi) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Doughty:
“Could you please advise the Council when you or your predecessor as Cabinet Member for health or indeed any member of the Cabinet became aware that the plans for Labour’s abandoned care home programme were unviable and unworkable, that is, at what point did it become conclusive that these plans needed a financial commitment that the council could not meet and therefore the council could not proceed?”
“ It became conclusive that the council could not proceed with the procurement process when officers brought a report to cabinet in March, which clearly set out the affordability gap (of £1.5 million year on year) between the funding that was allocated to the project and the best offer on the table from any of the potential bidders.
I have been aware throughout the whole process – as indeed all councillors should have been, since it was made explicit in the report presented to cabinet on 4th June 2013 – that there were risks associated with this project and that there was a chance the bidders might not be able to come back with a proposal that met all the criteria we had set out within the funding available.”
(xvii) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Runciman:
“What is the total amount of Better Care Funding received in York since the scheme was launched in 2013 and can the Cabinet Member outline how this money has been spent?”
“The Better Care Fund (BCF) came into effect in 2014/15 and totals £3.4m. This is made up of £2.7m relating to transfer of health funding to social care and £0.7m for the investment in pilot schemes intended to integrate health and social care in readiness for the full introduction of the BCF in 2015/16.
The £2.7m is the continuation of Health transferring funding to adult social care for spend on areas having a health benefit. This started in 2011/12 when £1.997m was transferred. This has been primarily spent on staffing needed to support the reablement of customers and long term care packages for those needing a lower level of support following reablement. There has also been funding to support carers and telecare provision within this period.
The £0.7m in 14/15 has been invested in schemes targeted to reduce hospital admissions. The 2015/16 BCF has approx £1m of funding which can only be accessed if we are successful in reducing hospital admissions by 11.7%, about 6 people per day.
The schemes contributing to this in 2014/15 are the Priory Medical Group community hub (£261k), eight Urgent Care Practitioners (£198k), Hospice at Home (£135k) and Street Triage (£100k).
Priory Medical Group is a multi disciplinary team which has both health and social care staff and looks at the holistic needs of the individual and looks to deliver positive outcomes for that person, irrespective of whether it’s a health or social care need. They have also looked at targeting certain at-risk groups to prevent admissions.
Urgent Care Practitioners are able to treat patients in their homes, at the scene of accidents etc and have been successful in stopping people being conveyed to hospital and cared for in their own home where previously an ambulance trip and a stay in hospital was the only option.
Hospice at Home has allowed patients to be cared for in their own homes as they approach the end of their lives whereas previously the hospital would have been the setting.
Street Triage is a service where the police and care professionals have a presence on the street and can deal with people with mental health issues they find in situations which may have escalated to hospital stays or detention.
Other areas supported by the integration funding are community facilitators who work with individuals and signpost them to services supporting their needs and a data analyst who has worked on a data sharing agreement to allow both organisations to share information for the benefit of customers/patients.”
(xviii) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Doughty:
“Can the Cabinet Member please advise which areas of social care in the city have suffered or will suffer because her own group has squandered at least £350,000 in the failed procurement of Care homes in the city?”
"There was a £500,000 budget allocated to the procurement process. The approx £150,000 underspend will be added to the general adult social care budget. There will be no reductions in frontline services as a result of this procurement exercise and to suggest otherwise demonstrates, at best, a misunderstanding of the budget process."
(xix) To the Cabinet Member for Health & Community Engagement from Cllr Waller:
“What performance indicators exist for residents coming into West Offices for benefits advice and what is the current average waiting time before being seen?”
“The customer centre keeps weekly statistics of the number of customers visiting the customer centre and the reason why. The number of customers seeking benefits advice varies on a weekly basis but normally account for between 25% and 30% of customers. The numbers can vary greatly at certain points of the year but the recent 4 week average is 347. In w/c 13thMarch (last full week we have data for) we saw 409 Benefit customers the average waiting time was 11 minutes.”
(xx) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Of the sites with in the City of York Boundary measuring NOx emissions. What percentage of them have risen under this administration in the past four years and what lessons have been learned in tackling the high levels of emissions across the City?”
“Nitrogen dioxide concentrations have fallen at all real-time monitoring locations between 2010 and 2014, except for Holgate which is the same.
Low Emission measures undertaken since the adoption of the Low Emission Strategy in October 2012 include:
· Electric buses at Poppleton Park & Ride, tour buses and other locations
· Low emission taxi incentive including York’s first low emission taxi company
· Continued development of an electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout York
· Delivery of low emission measures through the planning process
· Reduced emissions from the council fleet
· Expansion of the Eco Stars fleet management scheme
In October 2014 the Air Quality Action Plan 3 agreed to consult on the following additional measures to improve air quality:
· A Clean Air Zone to regulate the emissions of buses travelling through the city centre
· Anti idling measures
· Delivery of a Compressed Natural Gas refuelling facility and freight transhipment centre
· Development of marketing and incentive campaigns to support the above.
This consultation is now complete and a further report to confirm next steps will be considered early in the new civic year.”
(xxi) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Reid:
“What are the target times for repairing streetlights and could the Cabinet Member outline performance in this area over the last 12 months?”
“Service standards for streetlighting are as follows:
- Urgent faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 2 hours
- Normal faults will be attended and either repaired or made safe within 4 working days
- When a defect has been made safe and further works are required, we aim to have the repairs carried out within 20 working days. When there is an issue with the electricity supply, and we have to work with a utility company to resolve, the national standard allows 35 working days for the repairs to be completed
Performance is as follows:
|
Month |
Total Faults |
Faults out of standard |
% Faults out of standard |
|
Jan-14 |
347 |
70 |
20.2% |
|
Feb-14 |
209 |
43 |
20.6% |
|
Mar-14 |
158 |
4 |
2.5% |
|
Apr-14 |
131 |
13 |
9.9% |
|
May-14 |
128 |
2 |
1.56% |
|
Jun-14 |
125 |
10 |
8.0% |
|
Jul-14 |
124 |
4 |
3.2% |
|
Aug-14 |
208 |
18 |
8.7% |
|
Sep-14 |
224 |
81 |
36.2% |
|
Oct-14 |
369 |
293 |
79.4% |
|
Nov-14 |
393 |
313 |
79.6% |
|
Dec-14 |
339 |
278 |
82.0% |
|
Jan-15 |
335 |
216 |
64.09% |
|
Feb-15 |
252 |
169 |
67.06% |
The increase in number of faults reflects the aging of the street lighting asset due to chronic underinvestment during the previous administration that this administration is addressing, initially through the £1m of funding introduced in 2012 and now through the £1.2m programme of LED replacement.”
(xxii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Will the Cabinet Member give his assurance that the works preventing vehicles from turning outside the Art Gallery will be moved to reduce traffic over Lendal Bridge and reduce the NOx emissions in that area?”
“I am assuming Cllr Richardson is referring to the changes at Exhibition Square that have made the area less dominated by vehicular traffic and improved the environment for pedestrians. I am not sure if Cllr Richardson is proposing to change the layout again, and if so how this would be funded, but the current layout was made in consultation with bus operators who I am not aware have raised any problems. The small number of bus services which previously turned around in the area now continue over Lendal Bridge providing an improved connection to the railway station. The conversion of the tour bus fleet to electric in 2015/16 will also reduce emissions in the area.”
(xxiii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“What was the reasoning for leaving Vesper Drive deteriorating for three years and then filling in potholes shortly before the whole road was resurfaced and how much did this pothole filling cost?”
“As per the Council’s standard highway maintenance process – a process unchanged since the previous administration – Vesper Drive was patched at a cost of £500 in order to ensure it did not present an immediate risk to users or open the authority up to an increased risk of claims and litigation. It was then resurfaced in line with the 14/15 programme thanks to the additional £2m this administration agreed for local roads and footpaths.
The alternative to this approach was either to not patch the road, a legally and physically dangerous course of action, or to move Vesper Drive up the resurfacing programme at the expense of schemes elsewhere in the city that were assessed as in greater need. Which would Cllr Waller have preferred?”
(xxiv) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“Given the drop in the percentage of recycled waste from 2011 for the City of York, can the Cabinet Member quote the percentage of
recycled waste for this financial year?”
“Given that waste services is in the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Communities, I suggest you ask her.
I do find it concerning that the Conservatives are still unable to correctly identify which Cabinet Member is responsible for which area.”
(xxv) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Orrell:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the total costs of the blanket 20mph roll-out across York so far and provide a road-by-road record of average speeds before and after the limits were introduced?”
“Cllr Orrell is incorrect in stating that this programme was a blanket 20mph roll-out. Every road was carefully individually assessed and considered whether suitable to be included, leaving a comprehensive network of primary, secondary and feeder/distributor roads at their existing speed limits.
Regarding the total cost of this programme, we are still awaiting some final charges, but officers are confident that the total cost will be within the £500k budget as funded by dedicated Government grant. This represents an approximate £25k underspend in the 14/15 budget.
We do not have average speeds available for all roads with new limits. At time of writing, there are two areas of York where comparison data is available: South Bank, introduced in late 2012, and the West of York, introduced in late 2013.
In the West of York, the average reduction in speed was over 3%. This was similar to the average in South Bank after the first year, where speeds continued to decrease in the second year as the new limits ‘bedded-in’.
In South Bank, on roads where average speeds exceeded 20mph, speeds reduced by an average of 8% over the two years. This is in line with Department for Transport guidelines on expected speed reductions for signed-only 20mph schemes and, taking Department for Transport figures, could be expected to lead to a longer-term average reduction in collisions of around 9% on those roads. This is in line with Department for Transport guidelines on expected speed reductions for signed-only 20mph schemes and, taking Department for Transport figures, could be expected to lead to a longer-term average reduction in collisions of around 9% on those roads.”
(xxvi) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Richardson:
“How many of the Company’s providing Bus Services across the City have applied for the government Grant to replace existing buses running on diesel to the new hybrid units and when will this council introduce a city wide exclusion area for diesel powered units?”
“Three of the eight companies operating local bus services in the City of York area have applied through the various funding streams made available by Government for either purchase of new ultra low emission vehicles or the ‘greening’ of existing buses in their fleets. This includes the successful application to the Clean Vehicle Technology Fund which will see all six of Transdev’s ‘City Sightseeing’ tour buses converted from diesel to electric operation, a national first.
The consultation on the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan included a Clean Air Zone for the city centre. This consultation is now complete and a further report to confirm next steps will be considered early in the new civic year. A Clean Air Zone would require that the majority of frequent bus services in the city centre are operated using ultra low emission vehicles by 2018.”
(xxvii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Aspden:
“Could the Cabinet Member confirm how much money has been spent so far contesting the legal decision on the Lendal Bridge/Coppergate ruling and when he expects a final judgement to be announced?”
“The Council has spent £11,330 on a QC’s advice in respect of the bus lane enforcement decisions. It has been absolutely prudent for this advice to be obtained given that the decisions have ramifications for the enforcement of all bus lanes in York, some of which have been in operation for many years, as well as ensuring the refund process was lawful.
The Council has no control over or knowledge of when the decision will be issued.”
(xxviii) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“When the Cabinet announced a scheme for additional business rate relief on new small businesses in Acomb, £50,000 was allocated for businesses opening in previously empty premises. Please could the Cabinet Member detail how many businesses have benefitted from the scheme to March 2015, and how much support has been given?”
“The £50,000 allocation was to support all four of our business rate discount priorities, of which the Acomb initiative was one. Two businesses have benefited under the scheme in Acomb with £7284 of support to date.”
(xxix) To the Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development from Cllr Waller:
“Would the Cabinet Member detail how much of the £30,000 investment scheme for Acomb Shops (as allocated by the Cabinet report in September 2013) has been spent to date and will he give a guarantee that any unspent resources will be carried forward into the new financial year?”
“£6000 has been drawn down to date and has been used for a number of improvements to public areas, including installation of new benches. Future proposals currently being developed with local business owners and residents.
I can confirm that all resources allocated for Acomb shops from the Economic Infrastructure Fund will be reprofiled so they can be spent in the 15/16 financial year.”
(xxx) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Waller:
“In the last six months how many households have seen their recycling collected in a normal refuse lorry to be sent to landfill?”
“I will be very clear. No waste that has been presented for recycling has ended up in landfill and those that are suggesting so are damaging the good work that Council staff undertake.
The service has had to, at times, use normal refuse vehicles when specialist, recycling vehicles have not been available. Due to the small amount of material involved, our disposal contractor has sent this for processing to ensure that the recyclate is separated at no extra cost to the council.”
(xxxi) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Reid:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the timetable for introducing a charge for all green bin collections as agreed in the Budget last month?”
“Officers are analysing the feedback from the recent Rewiring consultation exercise (over 11,000 residents have taken part in the discussions over the last year) in order that it can inform Council post May 7th 2015 of the public views in respect of changes to green Waste Collections.
Officers from waste services, IT and customer services are working to determine a time frame in which chargeable Green waste collections could be implemented should the Council choose to proceed. It is anticipated that sufficient evidence will be available in the summer of 2015 for the Council to consider this matter.”
(xxxii) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Cuthbertson:
“Could the Cabinet Member outline the total cost to the Council of Landfill Tax for every year since 2010 along with the yearly recycling rates (including the present rate)?”
“The total costs are:
· 2010/2011: Landfill Tax - £2,668,320 (£48 per tn)/ Recycling Rate - 45.06%
· 2011/2012: Landfill Tax - £2,995,440 (£56 per tn)/ Recycling Rate - 46.41%
· 2012/2013: Landfill Tax - £3,337,600 (£64 per tn) / Recycling Rate - 45.96%
· 2013/2014: Landfill Tax - £3,777,840 (£72 per tn) / Recycling Rate - 43.63%
· 2014/2015: Landfill Tax - £4,196,800 (Estimate) (£80 per tn) / Recycling Rate - 44.45% (Estimate)
· It should be noted that Landfill Tax increased by £8 per tonne annually until 2014/15 and by inflation thereafter having reached £80 per tonne.
I would note that these figures are in line with Councils throughout the country which have seen a slight dip in recycling due to a combination of the economic recession and as manufacturers have reduced their packaging
Officers will continue to work with residents to recycle as there are many households who are currently either not recycling or finding it difficult to do so.”
(xxxiii) To the Cabinet Member for Communities from Cllr Waller:
“What action has been taken to deal with dog fouling complaints by residents to council officers in the past year?”
“When Council Officers are informed of dog fouling they are required to gather evidence to tackle offenders. This financial year one fine has been issued, despite Officers going out to hotspots at different times of the day to catch offenders.
Thanks to the investment of this Labour administration we have set up the Anti Social Behaviour Hub and increased its funding which the two main opposition parties did not support at this year’s Budget Council. This has resulted in an increase in the numbers of Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers (NEOs) that can tackle such issues. There are currently 11.6 FTE posts, and agreement has been given for an additional 3 posts which are currently being recruited to. I have asked officers to look at monthly campaigns which will use Community Protection Notices, new legislation that covers both private and public areas and which could lead to a £100 fine if people breach the notice.”