Agenda item

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Wednesday 12 July 2017.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Executive Support Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

“Please note this meeting will be filmed and webcast and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  This broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/11406/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_of_council_meetings_20160809.pdf

It was reported that there had been six registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme, one of which had subsequently withdrawn.  The registrations were in respect of the following items:

York Central Update and Partnership Agreement

·        Benjamin Hall, a resident and member of Friends of Holgate Community Garden, spoke of the community’s concerns as to the proposed Chancery Rise link road (Option E within the report). 

He referred to the York North West Master Planning and Infrastructure Study 2011, which highlighted Option C which ran across a 5 acre site, as a more positive choice.  However, the Council had subsequently sold the site to Network Rail. 

He stated that 4 options had been rendered unviable ahead of consultation and asked for reassurance that access options were being given full and balanced consideration and that the potential impact on communities would have an equal voice as to those of the individual York Central partners.

·        James Pitt spoke on behalf of York Central Action, a coalition of approximately 20 community organisations, businesses and educational establishments, which had formed as it was felt that consultations being carried out regarding York Central were not giving an opportunity for people to express their views.

The Group had facilitated a number of pop up events which in turn formed an agenda for a community conference in April 2017, which resulted in 42 positive recommendations to be considered in the development of York Central.

Mr Pitt referred to the importance of decisions being taken in the public domain and asked for a more active and imaginative approach to community engagement.

·        Paul Scott spoke on behalf of Friends of Holgate Community Garden regarding the consultation on access options to York Central.

He referred to the discussion at the Executive meeting on 24 November 2016 regarding genuine and meaningful consultation and called on Members to consider the design of access route consultation carefully to ensure that residents had the opportunity to shape the exercise and not just participate.

He referred to Royal Town Planning Institute guidelines on consultations which included a balance of quantitative and qualitative methods and the fair interpretation of data.  He added that the publication of raw output data would give confidence that it had been interpreted fairly and asked that the weighting the consultation would have on the overall decision process be disclosed.

Local Plan

Richard France, MD of the Oakgate Group, referred to the need for balance between housing numbers and the delivery of employment land, both in and out of town, as without this there would not be a credible or deliverable plan.

Mr France referred to the Naburn site, to the south side of the City, and its potential for office accommodation, employment opportunities and transport links.  He stated that the site could be deliverable immediately as there was already substantial infrastructure in place and this would complement the City centre offer of the York Central site.  He added that other nearby authorities were keen to attract quality employment at our expense.

In conclusion, Mr France stated that the Executive had a duty to provide a sound deliverable Local Plan and that the site at Naburn should be part of it.

(i) York Central Update and Partnership Agreement; (ii) Proposed Outer Ring Road Improvements; and (iii) Local Plan

(i) Dave Merrett welcomed the commitment to further consultation on access options but sought assurance that the consultation would be city wide, given that the scale of the development would have major implications for traffic, congestion and air quality across the City.  He asked that the background transport modelling data and air quality implications be published so that the public could make an informed response.

(ii) Mr Merrett welcomed the progression of the outer ring road upgrade and the commitment to consult on specific proposals, but again sought assurance that the consultation would be city wide, to include cycle and pedestrian groups, given the potential of such schemes to sever walking and cycling movements.  He added that consultation should also be carried out at an early stage so that alterations could be made without delaying the overall process.

(iii) Mr Merrett asked the Executive to re-consider the Local Plan Working Group’s decision not to include the housing expert’s recommended 10% uplift on housing numbers, referring to York’s exceptionally high housing prices and the distress signals in the housing market.