Agenda item

Questions to the Executive Leader and Executive Members received under Standing Order 10(c)

Meeting of Council, Thursday, 4 October 2007 6.30 pm (Item 38.)

To deal with the following questions to the Executive Leader and / or other Executive Members, in accordance with Standing Order 10(a):

(i) To the Executive Leader, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“In view of the possibility of an October General Election, what action is being taken to ensure that students are not dis-enfranchised by the inconvenient timing and what budgetary contingencies are being made for the administrative costs of a General Election?”

(ii) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Simpson-Laing:

“Would the Executive Member for City Strategy explain whether she is satisfied that the highways drainage system is adequate in capacity and maintenance terms to prevent flooding in the light of the predicted higher rainfalls expected with global warming?”

(iii) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Brian Watson:

“Will the Executive Member for City Strategy confirm what will be the actual floor space, at ground level, for the community space in Hungate?”

(iv) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Simpson-Laing:

“Can the Executive Member for City Strategy explain to Council how she is planning to improve the staffing levels in City Strategy, which are at a low point, so that staff job satisfaction levels do not dip below 50% again, a result of the huge pressure currently being placed on staff due to the current workloads?”

(v) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“What would the cost of 'dualling the outer ring road' be, what would that represent in terms of council tax increase per household and what would be the merits or otherwise of prioritising such expenditure over more sustainable transport measures for the whole city?”

(vi) To the Executive Member for Corporate Services, from Cllr Looker:

“The public are becoming concerned at the continuing increase in the costs of the new 'Town Hall'. Can the Executive Member for Corporate Services assure the Council that the arrangements for project and cost control are sufficiently robust to ensure that sufficient, suitable offices will be provided on time and within the latest approved costs?"

(vii) To the Executive Member for Corporate Services, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“In view of the £65m funding from the government towards the waste PFI, is the Executive Member now convinced that the 'affordability gap' on top of the other short term budgetary pressures can be bridged, without increasing council tax beyond the capping limit in any one year?”

(viii) To the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion, from Cllr Fraser:

“Would the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion outline one ambition for his coming year in office?”

(ix) To the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion, from Cllr Holvey:

"Could the Executive Member report on progress, especially internet based progress, for the Youth Offer?"

(x) To the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, from Cllr Firth:

"How much Landfill Tax has been collected from York, and how much has been returned as grants for recycling to date?"

(xi) To the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, from Cllr Taylor:

“Several residents of Fishergate and other city centre Wards have mentioned to me that the City of York Council is still failing to provide a full recycling service to all residents. The Council automatically provides waste collection services to all new flats but not the collection of recyclables. Would the Executive Member act swiftly to redress this issue, particularly in respect of new blocks of flats which could easily accommodate communal recycling facilities?“

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order 10(c)(i), the following questions had been put and the following written responses had been given, as set out on the list circulated around the Council Chamber:

(i) To the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion, from Cllr Fraser:

“Would the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion outline one ambition for his coming year in office?”

“I am enjoying working with a wide range of people and community groups as Executive Member for Youth and Social Inclusion. It is vital that the Council continues to promote good community relations, and many developments, such as the revised Social Inclusion Working Group, the new Children and Young People's Champion and the recent equalities conferences, build on the Council's progress on this area. One ambition, as previously reported, will be in developing the next Equality Strategy (2008-11) for the Council. The new Strategy will be launched in April. There is a lot of work being done over the next 6 months to make sure it includes key issues from local minority communities and work to support staff in making equalities improvements in both service provision and employment.”

(ii) To the Executive Member for Youth & Social Inclusion, from Cllr Holvey:

"Could the Executive Member report on progress, especially internet based progress, for the Youth Offer?"

“The YorOK website will be developed with two sections, a service directory which is a searchable online directory by categories, keywords, postcode and A-Z, and information and guidance pages, a series of pages more like a traditional website. The service directory will host the youth offer, whereby children and young people will be able to search, for example, for activities and groups within their local areas. We will be able to test the site for functionality and errors in October, meaning that the website will be launched to children and young people in November.”

(iii) To the Executive Leader, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“No special registration arrangements have been made in respect of an October General Election. The date for announcing such an election has now, in any event, passed. Any General Elections costs, which may not be reimbursable, will be accommodated from reserves as has always been the practice.”

(iv) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Simpson-Laing:

“Our concerns about the drainage systems in the city have been clearly highlighted by the motion before Council tonight but there are technical issues underlying the problems.

The City's highway drainage system is principally served by Yorkshire Water's sewerage system but there are isolated systems that are the responsibility of the Highway Authority. Many of the sewerage systems for the historic core of the city were constructed in the early part of the previous century and not surprisingly are of inadequate capacity and of variable condition. Modern developments have been constructed to modern standards, have better capacity and are generally in better condition.

Over time existing drainage systems can become affected by a build up of silt, ground movement and settlement as well as damaged by tree roots and work carried out on the highway. This reduces capacity but often doesn’t become apparent for some time. The heavy rainfall at the end of June brought a number of such problems to light.

Historically the only pro-active maintenance carried out to drainage systems is gully emptying although Yorkshire Water do carry out limited maintenance work to their sewerage system.

Drainage systems are designed to cater for rainfall of a particular intensity and duration. They have never been designed to cater for all rainfall events with differing intensity and duration.

However, there will be an increasing number of locations around the city where localised flooding of roads and some properties may occur if climate change results in rainfall events of increased intensity or duration.

The highway drainage system will not always be adequate enough to prevent flooding problems occurring for every rainfall event and if those events increase in frequency then the likelihood of flooding will also increase.”

(v) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Brian Watson:

“Will the Executive Member for City Strategy confirm what will be the actual floor space, at ground level, for the community space in Hungate?”

“There will be a Focal Building of approximately 37,456 sq ft of which no more than 8,000 sq ft will be provided for community space uses. This is the requirement of the S106. As it is likely to be part of a larger building further information won’t be known until the detailed designs are submitted and hence it is not possible to say what proportion of the community space could be provided at ground floor level.”

(vi) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr Simpson-Laing:

“The City Strategy Directorate does have a significant workload, particularly in relation to major development sites, Local Development Framework, 2 PFI schemes and Future York group work.

However Cllr Simpson-Laing is incorrect when she quotes staff satisfaction levels at below 50%. The recent staff survey shows overall job satisfaction in City Strategy to be at 61%. The lowest level was in September 2002, when it was 55%, when Cllr Simpson-Laing was the Executive Member.

The Directorate takes the staff survey very seriously and the management team has issued a newsletter, showing an initial analysis of the issues raised in the recent staff survey. It is progressing an action plan to address specific concerns particularly in relation to recognition of good work, communications, job security and personal development and training.

There were some very positive aspects of the staff survey results, particularly in relation to working well with colleagues and managers, information and communication, working corporately and the lack of bullying and harassment across the directorate.”

(vii) To the Executive Member for City Strategy, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“The 2004 report suggested a cost of £140 million which is approximately equivalent, using prudential borrowing, to a Council Tax increase of 28%. The Local Transport Plan outlines a balance package of measures which includes improving the ring road junctions and developing more sustainable transport measures. As our LTP grant is less than £20m over 5years, having an extra £140 million to spend, would, I believe enable us to deliver a first class transport system across the city.”

(viii) To the Executive Member for Corporate Services, from Cllr Looker:

“As Cllr Looker will no doubt be aware the report to the Executive on 24th July indicated that the net affordability of the Accommodation Project has improved with greater long term savings now forecast than previously. The project is being closely monitored by an all party working group.”

(ix) To the Executive Member for Corporate Services, from Cllr D’Agorne:

“The Council, through the Executive, has agreed to fund the affordability gap to make the Waste PFI project viable at its meetings on 12 June 2006, 27 March 2007 and 26 June 2007. When compared with the other options available, the cost of the PFI project has been found to be £192m less expensive than doing nothing.”

(x) To the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, from Cllr Firth:

"How much Landfill Tax has been collected from York, and how much has been returned as grants for recycling to date?"

“Since 1996 City of York Council has paid almost £13 million in Landfill Tax, with £3.25 million so far in grants. However it is worth informing members that so far there has been no sign that the £494,200 we are due to receive in grants this financial year will be continuing in further years which will put severe pressure on the recycling budgets.”

(xi) To the Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, from Cllr Taylor:

“I am pushing officers to fully utilise all available resources to address this issue and there is a report going to Executive on 9^th October which details the long term costs of additional recycling rounds which I hope will receive all party support.”