Agenda item

This report seeks to brief the Executive on the final report of the Future York Group and to consider an initial response from the City of York Council to its main findings.

RESOLVED:             That officers be asked to progress the Future York report in line with the actions included in the motion passed at the last Council meeting.

REASON:                  To help shape the effectiveness of future action.

Members received a report which sought to brief them on the final report of the Future York Group and to consider an initial response from the City of York Council to its main findings.

The Future York Group was commissioned by the City of York Council to undertake an independent strategic review of the local economy, following a series of announcements regarding job losses in the City.  The Group, chaired by Christopher Garnett, had received a variety of presentations and background information to enable them to make their conclusions and recommendations.  Their final report, which was launched on 12 June 2007, provided the framework for future actions to be undertaken by the City of York Council and partners with regard to promoting the economic well-being of the City.   

Paragraphs 6-13 of the report summarised the recommendations of the Group and proposed initial responses to them.

Supplementary information had been circulated relating to the Local Development Framework timetable, lobbying central government and regional and sub-regional working, and setting out the motion approved at the Council meeting on 28 June 2007:

“Council:

a)     Notes the publication of the important Future York report on the economic well being of the City

b)     Places on record its thanks to Christopher Garnett and the other members of the Future York Group for the time that they have invested and the quality and depth of the report that they have produced.

c)      Welcomes the underlying conclusion of the report in particular the comments expressed in support of the dual carriageway of the A1237 (Northern Ring Road) and the assessment of York’s economy by Yorkshire Forward.

d)  Urges residents and local businesses to consider and make their views known on the recommendations made in the report so that when the Council comes to consider its reaction, it can do so confident that, any refinements which may be necessary to the City’s economic strategy, will have the support of the local community.

e)     Instructs the Chief Executive to provide an urgent report to Council which examines how best this Council can

i)     respond to the challenges set by the Report;

ii)     implement its recommendations; and

provide a timetable for actions by the Council.

f)      Resolves to assess the recommendations of the report over the next six months using the carbon footprinting tool to enable the city to balance these against the planned climate change strategy.”

Members discussed and commented on the key recommendations.  They queried when specific actions would be identified and a framework drawn up indicating who would be responsible for taking these forward.  Officers advised that citywide consultation and consultation with partners would be taking place over the summer and that the results of this consultation would be reported back in the autumn.  They confirmed that an action framework would be available for consideration in September and also a report on delivering the Local Development Framework to a faster timescale.  It was clarified that the Sustainable Community Strategy, the Local Area Agreement and the Local Development Framework would collectively constitute the masterplan for delivering the Future York recommendations.

Having considered the advice of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED:             That officers be asked to progress the Future York report in line with the actions included in the motion passed at the last Council meeting.

REASON:                  To help shape the effectiveness of future action.