Agenda item

Motions on Notice

Meeting of Council, Thursday, 24 March 2016 6.30 pm (Item 72.)

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order 22:

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

(i) From Cllr Galvin

Flooding in the City

“Following the YorkChristmas floods, council puts on record its thanks to all council staff and emergency services for their work, and further notes the tremendous efforts of volunteers, including Mountain Rescue, York residents, businesses, the York floods Facebook group and those from outside Yorksuch as and the mosques from around the country all of whom contributed valuable help and support.

Council acknowledges and welcomes the assistance provided by other authorities, the willingness of the Government to deploy military resources and sandbags and its long-term additional £10 million of funding for the Foss Barrier.

Whilst welcoming the early announcement of an Independent Inquiry into the floods and without wishing to prejudice any conclusions resulting from said inquiry, council wishes to put forward three recommendations arising from York’s recent experiences:

a) That at the appropriate time the council makes written representations to the Environment Agency regarding the need for more local and regional input into decision-making and programme development;

b) The council strengthens its working relationship with North Yorkshire County Council regarding flood planning, with a particular emphasis on proposing a specific programme addressing the long-term development of steps which can be taken up river from York to mitigate extreme weather events; and

c) To ensure that York accesses all possible funding avenues for both the Christmas floods and for future planningand that Executive lobbies government as appropriate.”

(ii) From Cllr Fenton

York and the EU Referendum

“Council notes:

The cross-party campaign for Britain to remain in the EU is supported by party leaders including David Cameron, Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron and Natalie Bennett

The campaign argues that we are stronger, safer and better off in Europe and the UK can more effectively tackle global threats – be it terrorism, cross-border crime or climate change – by working with our partners in the EU

More than 3 million jobs in Britain are linked to our trade with other EU Countries, including 350,000 jobs in Yorkshire

Major employers in York including the Chairman of Nestlé and Chief Executive of BT have called for Britain to stay in the EU

Around 70% of tourists visiting the UK come from the EU and the inbound tourism sector have consistently warned against Brexit

200,000 UK businesses, including many small businesses in York, trade with the EU

York and Yorkshire benefits directly from EU investment, which will include between now and 2020:

· £743million from ‘Horizon 2020’ for science in Yorkshire (more than any other UK region)

· £78million from the ‘European Structural and Investment Fund’ to support local economic growth and create jobs via the York, North Yorkshire, East Riding LEP

Council believes:

The interests of York’s economy and the wider UK economy are best served by being within the EU

Brexit would be a leap in the dark for our local economy and could put at risk jobs and businesses in our city.”

Council resolves:

To send a letter to Lord Rose, Chair of ‘Britain Stronger In Europe’, outlining our position that York and the UK are stronger, safer and better off in the EU.

(iii) From Cllr D Myers

Protecting Local Decision Making motion

“Council notes with alarm the Department for Communities and Local Government's recent consultation on new, more restrictive guidelines on Councils' investment and procurement policies.

Council believes that this represents an attack on localism, local decision-making, and local democracy and accountability. This is directly contrary to the Government's claims to support localism, given a statutory basis by the Localism Act 2011, which holds that local authorities are best able to do their jobs when they have genuine freedom to respond to what local people want, not what they are told to do by government.

Council also believes that this is a further erosion of local authorities' ability to achieve their policy aims, in York for example, using procurement to encourage local supply chains, apprenticeships and the Living Wage, or using socially responsible investment strategies to tackle climate change and its consequences such as flooding.

Council therefore resolves to oppose these new measures, including:

- Writing to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to express Council’s unequivocal opposition to the proposed changes; and

- Working with other local authorities, the Local Government Association, and other appropriate forums and partner organisations (such as local trade unions and community groups) who share these concerns to raise awareness of the implications of the proposed measures and to campaign against their introduction.”

(iv) From Cllr D’Agorne

Transatlantic Trade and Investment

“Council notes that:

· The European Union (EU) and the USA launched negotiations in July 2013 on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP);

· Negotiations continue, seeking to protect international investors, harmonise standards, reduce tariffs and open new markets throughout the EU and USA;

· Services within TTIP includes not just private but also public services

· There has been no assessment of the potential impact on local authorities and their services;

· There has been no scrutiny or consultation with City of York Council or other local government representatives such as the Local Government Association (LGA) and our local MPs for York Central or York Outer are also unable to scrutinise the negotiating documents;

· Our twin municipality of Munster in Germany passed a resolution in 2014 to reject TTIP;

· Our twin municipality of Dijon in France passed a resolution in 2014 to ask for the full involvement of local authorities in free trade negotiations and public disclosure of all texts on the TTIP negotiations.

Council believes that:

· TTIP could have a significant impact on local services, employment, suppliers and decision-making;

· A thorough impact assessment of TTIP on local authorities must be carried out before the negotiations can be concluded;

· The proposed Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism has been used by corporations to overturn democratic decisions by all levels of governments at significant public cost. Local decision-making must be protected from ISDS;

· The EU's food, environmental and labour standards are better than those in the US and TTIP negotiations must raise and not lower these standards across the EU and USA;

· Sourcing supplies and employment locally is important to strengthening local economies and meeting local needs. TTIP must not impact on local authorities' ability to act in the best interests of their communities.

Council resolves:

(i) That appropriate officers report to the Executive analysing the potential impact of TTIP upon the Council and its services, with a view to -

writing to the Secretary of State for the Environment and Local Government, the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the MPs for York Central and York Outer and all Yorkshire and the Humber MEPs, as well as the Local Government Association, raising the serious concerns of the City of York Council about the potential impact of TTIP on our local authority and the secrecy of the negotiating process.

(ii) That any report to the Executive addresses the feasibility of and resource implications associated with:

·calling for a full assessment of the impact of TTIP on local authorities;

· joining with other local authorities that are opposed to TTIP across Europe and work with local campaigners to raise awareness about the potential impact of TTIP;

· developing local supply chains and business networks through better advertising and promotion of what local companies can provide;

· reviewing the council’s own procurement policies to promote as much as possible the take up of locally produced and fair trade food;

· enhancing the support to York's diversity of small, independent and locally based shops;

· developing a Local Food Strategy for York in conjunction with the health service and producer groups in our region (including the promotion of local supply chains and networks, support for producers and feasibility studies into increasing the local production of high quality healthy food in the region).”

Minutes:

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council, in accordance with Standing Order 22.1

(i) From Cllr Galvin

Flooding in the City

c) To ensure that York accesses all possible funding avenues for both the Christmas floods and for future planningand that Executive lobbies government as appropriate.”

The first amendment was proposed by Cllr Flinders as follows:

Delete “and its long-term additional £10 million of funding for the Foss Barrier” and insert “While it welcomes additional funding after the recent flooding, Council expresses deep concern at the Government’s 14% reduction in Environment Agency funding despite being told in November 2015 that this could cost the UK £1.1 billion (Association of Drainage Authorities), and that according to the Office of National Statistics, Government flood spending has been reduced in real terms.”

Delete “put forward three” and insert “ask the Inquiry to consider four”

At the end of the motion, insert: “d) The council makes written representations to the Government stating its concern at past reductions in flood funding and expressing the need for a long-term funding settlement to ensure flood defences can be properly planned.”

On being put to the vote the amendment was declared LOST.

A second amendment was proposed by Cllr Waller as follows:

Insert after “Barrier” “plus the additional £45m funding announced last week for 15 flood defence schemes in York and we look forward to further details on these.

Council recognises the need for consistent funding for flood defences which keeps pace with the rising pressures of Climate Change.”

Change “three” to “four” in the paragraph starting “Whilst welcoming....”

In the next paragraph change the “Environment Agency” to “DEFRA” and insert “long-term” after the word “more” and insert “by councils and the Environment Agency” after the word “input.”

In the next paragraph insert “recognises the success of the North Yorkshire Flood Risk Partnership in bringing together City of York Council, North Yorkshire County Council and further” after “The council” and delete the word “and” after “events.”

In the next paragraph insert the words “and welcomes the application for European Solidarity funding for the North of England after appropriate.”

Insert as point four “Council further agrees to lobby the government as appropriate on the reduction of funding for local authorities, cuts which will put at risk the capacity to respond to future flooding events and the provision of trained engineering staff to develop flood protection from river and surface flooding.”

On being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED.

A vote was then taken on the original motion, as altered by Cllr Waller’s amendment, which was also CARRIED and it was

Resolved: That the original motion, as altered by Cllr Waller’s amendment, be approved. ^1.