Agenda item
Motions on Notice
- Meeting of Council, Thursday, 16 December 2021 6.30 pm (Item 48.)
- View the declarations of interest for item 48.
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 Runciman
End Violence Against Women and Girls
“This Council notes:
· Its commitment to making York a safe place for everyone.
· Work carried out by IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services) and regional organisations and charities supporting women who have experienced abuse or harassment.
· That across the UK harassment and violence towards women and girls is endemic.
· When combining the data from the region's four police forces, it shows an average of 10 women are sexually assaulted every day in Yorkshire.
· Over the last 24 months in York there have been 878 sexual offences and 2,278 stalking and harassment offences reported. 3,117 domestic abuse crimes were reported in York between January 2019 and June 2021 (according to North Yorkshire Police data). Due to underreporting the real extent of the committed offences is likely to be much higher.
· Domestic abuse support referrals in York and North Yorkshire have risen significantly – with the number of requests for help increasing by 80 per cent. Number of victims seeking help from community-based support services rising by about 4,000 people since 2019.
· Studies have shown that the intersectional nature of discrimination means that women with additional protected characteristics, such as those who are from Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority communities, disabled or LGBT+, are even more likely to experience discrimination, harassment, and abuse.
Council welcomes:
· The introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the new statutory responsibilities for local authorities under the Act, however recognises that it does not provide equal protection for migrant women and fails to allocate comprehensive funding to local authorities and organisations.
· The establishment of a multi-agency Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board to provide strategic leadership and co-ordination of the domestic abuse work across York.
Council believes:
- Victim-blaming narratives and misogyny must be challenged at all levels of society wherever encountered.
· That we must do all we can as a Council and representatives in our communities to champion the rights of women and girls and to tackle violence against them. Raising awareness plays a huge part in changing the cultural and social norms which are recognised as being highly influential in shaping individual behaviour, including the use of violence.
Consequently, Council resolves to:
1) Endorse the Council’s application to become a White Ribbon Accredited local authority.
2) Encourage all Councillors to take the White Ribbon pledge, never to take part in, condone or stay silent about violence against women.
3) Arrange awareness training around violence against women and girls and misogyny.
4) Support the summit regarding violence against women and girls with key city and regional representatives set to be held early next year and support the implementation of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Police strategy to help make York a safer place for women and girls.
5) Encourage schools, academies and colleges to develop and implement policies on tackling physical, mental or emotional harassment of female pupils or staff, separate to their bullying policy.
6) Support and work to expand such campaigns as the ‘Ask for Angela’, ‘Ask for Clive’ and the Our Streets Now.
7) Write to the new Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner to ask them to report on performance on tackling violence against women and the progress of implementing a region-wide strategy to support this work.”
(ii) From Cllr Looker
Caring and Dignity for York’s Elderly Residents
“Council notes the passage through Parliament of the Government’s £86,000 lifetime care cap policy, incorporating a new and punitive condition that will hit those York residents in receipt of council support with their care costs hard.
Council notes the Government’s requirement that those individuals will be expected to personally fund £86,000 of care costs – the same amount as those with millions in the bank – contrary to the recommendations of the national Dilnot Commission on Social Care.
It further notes that the care cap excludes the cost of food and accommodation in care homes, which could cost residents up to an additional £10,400 a year.
Council also notes:
· The debacle of the council’s transfer of Haxby Hall Care Home to Yorkare, resulting in low paid York workers caring for our elderly residents being targeted with fire and rehire within six months of the transfer;
· The huge expense to both the council and to affected York residents required to fund care home places in York.
Council believes the financing of the care system is broken, and will remain so in 2023 when the care cap comes into effect, leaving too many, mostly elderly, York residents without the dignity they deserve in the latter stages of their lives.
It further believes that the Government’s decision to target the least well off, combined with the living costs of being in a care home in York, will result in a significant number of York residents being forced to sell their homes to fund their personal care.
Council resolves to:
· state its written opposition to Government on the exclusion of financial support for York’s least well off residents in calculating when the care cap threshold is reached;
· write to both York MPs, highlighting the number of York residents currently in receipt of support with care costs in their respective constituencies, as an indication of how many are likely to be hard hit by the new policy from 2023;
· request that Executive:
o commissions a study to investigate more cost-effective market structures for care places in York;
o carries out a full review of its Haxby Hall transfer decision, both to learn lessons and to determine what support it can provide Yorkare to enable it to honour its legal obligations around staff transfers;
in order to provide a secure, safe and stable local care market, that York residents can better afford.”
(iii) From Cllr Warters
Houses in Multiple Occupation
“Council notes that following the introduction of the new use class of C4 ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’ in April 2010 and a requirement for planning permission to be sought for a change from a C3 (single household dwelling house) and the subsequent change by the incoming Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government to make this change of use ‘permitted development’ City of York Council introduced an Article 4 Direction to exert a tighter control on such HMO formation and require planning permission to be sought for C3 to C4 conversion.
The Article 4 Direction was introduced in York in April 2012 and the main tool for controlling the distribution of HMOs were the threshold limits of 20% C4 HMOs at a ‘Neighbourhood Level’ and 10% at a ‘Street Level’.
Council believes that in the light of the large number of off campus purpose built student accommodation flats approved and built in recent years, the large number recently approved awaiting construction and ongoing applications for such developments that the time has come to revisit the ‘Controlling the Concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation’ Supplementary Planning Document 2012 (revised 2014) with a view to reducing the acceptable threshold levels of HMOs in residential streets.
Council understands from ongoing planning applications that the pressure on family homes in residential areas near the two Universities for conversion to C4 HMOs is not abating as could be reasonably thought after all the purpose built Student accommodation approvals and completions.
Council resolves therefore in the interests of protecting residential family homes for family use to request Executive to consider initiating without delay a review of the HMO Supplementary Planning Document with a view to halving the acceptable percentage thresholds to 10% at ‘Neighbourhood level’ and 5% at ‘Street Level’.”
(iv) From Cllr Widdowson
Clean Up York’s Rivers
“This Council notes that:
· Close and effective work is ongoing with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water on a wide range of river management issues.
· Environment Agency data gathered to evidence the performance of England’s rivers under the Water Framework Directive has indicated that only 14% of rivers were of good ecological status in 2019.
· According to The Rivers Trust, in 2020 water companies dumped raw sewage 2,392 times into the rivers in York, for a total of 14,838 hours.
· Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality, and regulate farms and water companies has dropped by almost two thirds in the last decade.
· In 2020 just 3.6% of pollution complaints made to the Agency resulted in penalties.
· In 2016 Yorkshire Water Services was fined £1.1m for discharging sewage into the River Ouse.
· The Government has failed to include any meaningful targets or a clear action plan to end the regular dumping of sewage into rivers as part of the recently approved Environment Bill, ignoring millions of people who demanded action as part of one of the boldest and more inspiring environmental campaigns in recent years.
· The MP for York Outer and other Conservative MPs failed to support amendments which would have ensured urgent action to clean up the country’s rivers.
· The Liberal Democrats have proposed a “Sewage Tax”, which would tax the profits of water companies. The proposal would be a 16% tax on pre-tax profits, providing a £340 million fund to fix the sewage system.
Council believes that:
· Government must ungently restore Environment Agency budgets to deliver the necessary oversight.
· Inspection regularity of water companies and farms should be increased and offenders rigorously prosecuted through the Environmental Audit Committee and Ofwat.
· Comprehensive funding must be provided to local and highways authorities to introduce systems to prevent road pollutants from entering our water courses.
Council resolves to request the Chief Operating Officer to:
· Write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the Government to commit to granting the necessary funding, regulatory powers and policy changes to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.
· Write to The Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water calling for urgent action to address the impact of waste-water discharges on our local rivers and to consider the implications of the work of the Storm Overflows Taskforce, the recently published Storm Overflow Evidence Project report and their implications in York, particularly relating to the use of real time data releases on overflow spills.
· Write to the Regional Director of the Environment Agency to request an update on the current testing regime in the Ouse and Foss to understand if improvements could be made. As well as to request that consideration is made to house the data on the CYC York Open Data platform and explore if the tests undertaken and information on their findings can be publicised on the Council website and social media channels.
· Write to the charities River Action and The Rivers Trust expressing this Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.”
Minutes:
[At 19:54 the meeting was adjourned and the order of business was varied to bring forward Motion (iii). The meeting resumed at 20:06 with the Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Looker, in the Chair.]
(i) Houses in Multiple Occupation
Cllr Warters sought consent to alter his motion to incorporate the amendment submitted by Cllr Pavlovic.
Council having granted consent, the altered motion was moved by Cllr Warters and seconded by Cllr Pavlovic, as follows:
“Council notes that following the introduction of the new use class of C4 ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’ in April 2010 and a requirement for planning permission to be sought for a change from a C3 (single household dwelling house) and the subsequent change by the incoming Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government to make this change of use ‘permitted development’ City of York Council introduced an Article 4 Direction to exert a tighter control on such HMO formation and require planning permission to be sought for C3 to C4 conversion.
Council further notes that single working people and students are often unable to afford the costly alternatives to HMO accommodation, while there is insufficient on-campus accommodation to meet student demand.
The Article 4 Direction was introduced in York in April 2012 and the main tool for controlling the distribution of HMOs were the threshold limits of 20% C4 HMOs at a ‘Neighbourhood Level’ and 10% at a ‘Street Level’.
Council believes that in the light of the large number of off campus purpose built student accommodation flats approved and built in recent years, the large number recently approved awaiting construction and ongoing applications for such developments that the time has come to revisit the ‘Controlling the Concentration of Houses in Multiple Occupation’ Supplementary Planning Document 2012 (revised 2014) with a view to reducing the acceptable threshold levels of HMOs in residential streets.
Council understands from ongoing planning applications that the pressure on family homes in residential areas near the two Universities for conversion to C4 HMOs is not abating as could be reasonably thought after all the purpose built Student accommodation approvals and completions.
Council resolves therefore in the interests of protecting residential family homes for family use to request Executive:
· initiates without delay a review of the HMO Supplementary Planning Document with a view to halving the acceptable percentage thresholds of HMOs across the Article 4 Direction area, whilst taking into account alternative housing provision available, and being mindful of the need to provide suitable accommodation for vulnerable residents;
· In the interests of transparency, commits council officers to updating concentrations of HMOs across the Article 4 Direction area annually, at residential and street levels, by providing up todate data on both the council website and the York Open Data website.”
Cllr Craghill then moved, and Cllr Fenton seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:
“In the fourth paragraph:
- delete ‘the time has come to revisit’
- delete all after ‘Supplementary Planning Document 2012 (revised 2014)’ and insert: ‘should be kept under review’.
In the sixth paragraph:
After ‘Council resolves’:
· delete ‘therefore in the interests of protecting residential family homes for family use’;
· in the first bullet point, after ‘HMO Supplementary Planning Document’ insert: ‘to be carried out by Housing Scrutiny, working together with planning officers and other relevant scrutiny committees,’ and delete everything from ‘with a view to’ up to ‘whilst’.
A named vote* was taken on the amendment, with the following result:
|
For |
Against |
Abstained |
|
Cllr Aspden |
Cllr Barnes |
|
|
Cllr Ayre |
Cllr Carr |
|
|
Cllr Barker |
Cllr Crawshaw |
|
|
Cllr Craghill |
Cllr Doughty |
|
|
Cllr Cuthbertson |
Cllr Douglas |
|
|
Cllr D’Agorne |
Cllr Fitzpatrick |
|
|
Cllr Daubeney |
Cllr Galvin |
|
|
Cllr Fenton |
Cllr Heaton |
|
|
Cllr Fisher |
Cllr Kilbane |
|
|
Cllr Hollyer |
Cllr Lomas |
|
|
Cllr Hook |
Cllr Melly |
|
|
Cllr Hunter |
Cllr Musson |
|
|
Cllr Mason |
Cllr Myers |
|
|
Cllr Orrell |
Cllr Norman |
|
|
Cllr Pearson |
Cllr Pavlovic |
|
|
Cllr Runciman |
Cllr Perrett |
|
|
Cllr Smalley |
Cllr Rowley |
|
|
Cllr Vassie |
Cllr D Taylor |
|
|
Cllr Waller |
Cllr K Taylor |
|
|
Cllr Wann |
Cllr Warters |
|
|
Cllr Waudby |
Cllr Webb |
|
|
Cllr Widdowson |
Cllr Wells |
|
|
|
Cllr Looker (Deputy Lord Mayor) |
|
|
22 |
23 |
0 |
The amendment was therefore declared LOST.
A named vote* was then taken on the altered motion, with the following result:
|
For |
Against |
Abstained |
|
Cllr Aspden |
|
|
|
Cllr Ayre |
|
|
|
Cllr Barker |
|
|
|
Cllr Barnes |
|
|
|
Cllr Carr |
|
|
|
Cllr Craghill |
|
|
|
Cllr Crawshaw |
|
|
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Cllr Cuthbertson |
|
|
|
Cllr D’Agorne |
|
|
|
Cllr Daubeney |
|
|
|
Cllr Doughty |
|
|
|
Cllr Douglas |
|
|
|
Cllr Fenton |
|
|
|
Cllr Fisher |
|
|
|
Cllr Fitzpatrick |
|
|
|
Cllr Galvin |
|
|
|
Cllr Heaton |
|
|
|
Cllr Hollyer |
|
|
|
Cllr Hook |
|
|
|
Cllr Hunter |
|
|
|
Cllr Kilbane |
|
|
|
Cllr Lomas |
|
|
|
Cllr Mason |
|
|
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Cllr Melly |
|
|
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Cllr Musson |
|
|
|
Cllr Myers |
|
|
|
Cllr Norman |
|
|
|
Cllr Orrell |
|
|
|
Cllr Pavlovic |
|
|
|
Cllr Pearson |
|
|
|
Cllr Perrett |
|
|
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Cllr Rowley |
|
|
|
Cllr Runciman |
|
|
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Cllr Smalley |
|
|
|
Cllr D Taylor |
|
|
|
Cllr K Taylor |
|
|
|
Cllr Vassie |
|
|
|
Cllr Waller |
|
|
|
Cllr Wann |
|
|
|
Cllr Warters |
|
|
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Cllr Waudby |
|
|
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Cllr Webb |
|
|
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Cllr Wells |
|
|
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Cllr Widdowson |
|
|
|
Cllr Looker (Deputy Lord Mayor) |
|
|
|
45 |
0 |
0 |
*The Lord Mayor did not participate in either vote, having declared an interest in this motion.
The motion was therefore declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was
Resolved: That the Chief Operating Officer be recommended to approve the above motion.1
[Between 21:04 and 21:21 the meeting was adjourned for a break, after which the Lord Mayor resumed the Chair.]
(ii) End Violence Against Women and Girls
Cllr Runciman sought consent to alter her motion to incorporate the amendment submitted by Cllr Douglas.
Council having granted consent, the altered motion was moved by Cllr Runciman and seconded by Cllr Barker, as follows:
“This Council notes:
· Its commitment to making York a safe place for everyone.
· Work carried out by IDAS (Independent Domestic Abuse Services) and regional organisations and charities supporting women who have experienced abuse or harassment.
· That across the UK harassment and violence towards women and girls is endemic.
· When combining the data from the region's four police forces, it shows an average of 10 women are sexually assaulted every day in Yorkshire.
· Over the last 24 months in York there have been 878 sexual offences and 2,278 stalking and harassment offences reported. 3,117 domestic abuse crimes were reported in York between January 2019 and June 2021 (according to North Yorkshire Police data). Due to underreporting the real extent of the committed offences is likely to be much higher.
· Domestic abuse support referrals in York and North Yorkshire have risen significantly – with the number of requests for help increasing by 80 per cent. Number of victims seeking help from community-based support services rising by about 4,000 people since 2019.
· That the council itself needs to catch up with how its own services treat residents on the issue of coercive control.
· Studies have shown that the intersectional nature of discrimination means that women with additional protected characteristics, such as those who are from Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority communities, disabled or LGBT+, are even more likely to experience discrimination, harassment, and abuse.
Council welcomes:
· The introduction of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the new statutory responsibilities for local authorities under the Act, however recognises that it does not provide equal protection for migrant women and fails to allocate comprehensive funding to local authorities and organisations.
· The establishment of a multi-agency Domestic Abuse Local Partnership Board to provide strategic leadership and co-ordination of the domestic abuse work across York.
Council believes:
- Victim-blaming narratives and misogyny must be challenged at all levels of society wherever encountered.
· That we must do all we can as a Council and representatives in our communities to champion the rights of women and girls and to tackle violence against them. Raising awareness plays a huge part in changing the cultural and social norms which are recognised as being highly influential in shaping individual behaviour, including the use of violence.
Consequently, Council resolves to:
1) Endorse the Council’s application to become a White Ribbon Accredited local authority.
2) Encourage all Councillors to take the White Ribbon pledge, never to take part in, condone or stay silent about violence against women.
3) Updates its own housing services policies as a matter of urgency to ensure that coercive control is taken into account in the same way that domestic violence is, when considering property moves for vulnerable tenants.
4) Arrange awareness training around violence against women and girls and misogyny.
5) Support the summit regarding violence against women and girls with key city and regional representatives set to be held early next year and support the implementation of the forthcoming North Yorkshire Police strategy to help make York a safer place for women and girls.
6) Encourage schools, academies and colleges to develop and implement policies on tackling physical, mental or emotional harassment of female pupils or staff, separate to their bullying policy.
7) Support and work to expand such campaigns as the ‘Ask for Angela’, ‘Ask for Clive’ and the Our Streets Now.
8) Write to the new Police, Crime and Fire Commissioner to ask them to report on performance on tackling violence against women and the progress of implementing a region-wide strategy to support this work.”
A named vote* was taken on the altered motion, with the following result.
|
For |
Against |
Abstained |
|
Cllr Aspden |
|
|
|
Cllr Ayre |
|
|
|
Cllr Barker |
|
|
|
Cllr Barnes |
|
|
|
Cllr Carr |
|
|
|
Cllr Craghill |
|
|
|
Cllr Crawshaw |
|
|
|
Cllr Cuthbertson |
|
|
|
Cllr D’Agorne |
|
|
|
Cllr Daubeney |
|
|
|
Cllr Doughty |
|
|
|
Cllr Douglas |
|
|
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Cllr Fenton |
|
|
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Cllr Fisher |
|
|
|
Cllr Fitzpatrick |
|
|
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Cllr Galvin |
|
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Cllr Heaton |
|
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Cllr Hollyer |
|
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Cllr Hook |
|
|
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Cllr Hunter |
|
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Cllr Kilbane |
|
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Cllr Lomas |
|
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Cllr Looker |
|
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Cllr Mason |
|
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Cllr Melly |
|
|
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Cllr Musson |
|
|
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Cllr Myers |
|
|
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Cllr Norman |
|
|
|
Cllr Orrell |
|
|
|
Cllr Pavlovic |
|
|
|
Cllr Pearson |
|
|
|
Cllr Rowley |
|
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|
Cllr Runciman |
|
|
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Cllr Smalley |
|
|
|
Cllr D Taylor |
|
|
|
Cllr K Taylor |
|
|
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Cllr Vassie |
|
|
|
Cllr Waller |
|
|
|
Cllr Wann |
|
|
|
Cllr Warters |
|
|
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Cllr Waudby |
|
|
|
Cllr Wells |
|
|
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Cllr Widdowson |
|
|
|
Cllr Cullwick (Lord Mayor) |
|
|
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44 |
0 |
0 |
*Cllrs Perrett and Webb did not participate in the vote, having declared an interest in the motion.
The motion was therefore declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was
Resolved: That the Chief Operating Officer be recommended to approve the above motion. 2
(iii) Caring and Dignity for York’s Elderly Residents
Moved by Cllr Looker and seconded by Cllr Douglas.
“Council notes the passage through Parliament of the Government’s £86,000 lifetime care cap policy, incorporating a new and punitive condition that will hit those York residents in receipt of council support with their care costs hard.
Council notes the Government’s requirement that those individuals will be expected to personally fund £86,000 of care costs – the same amount as those with millions in the bank – contrary to the recommendations of the national Dilnot Commission on Social Care.
It further notes that the care cap excludes the cost of food and accommodation in care homes, which could cost residents up to an additional £10,400 a year.
Council also notes:
· The debacle of the council’s transfer of Haxby Hall Care Home to Yorkare, resulting in low paid York workers caring for our elderly residents being targeted with fire and rehire within six months of the transfer;
· The huge expense to both the council and to affected York residents required to fund care home places in York.
Council believes the financing of the care system is broken, and will remain so in 2023 when the care cap comes into effect, leaving too many, mostly elderly, York residents without the dignity they deserve in the latter stages of their lives.
It further believes that the Government’s decision to target the least well off, combined with the living costs of being in a care home in York, will result in a significant number of York residents being forced to sell their homes to fund their personal care.
Council resolves to:
· state its written opposition to Government on the exclusion of financial support for York’s least well off residents in calculating when the care cap threshold is reached;
· write to both York MPs, highlighting the number of York residents currently in receipt of support with care costs in their respective constituencies, as an indication of how many are likely to be hard hit by the new policy from 2023;
· request that Executive:
o commissions a study to investigate more cost-effective market structures for care places in York;
o carries out a full review of its Haxby Hall transfer decision, both to learn lessons and to determine what support it can provide Yorkare to enable it to honour its legal obligations around staff transfers;
in order to provide a secure, safe and stable local care market, that York residents can better afford.”
Cllr Runciman then moved, and Cllr Daubeney seconded, an amendment to the above motion, as follows:
“In the fourth paragraph, (under ‘Council also notes’), in the 1st bullet point:
- delete ‘The debacle of’
- delete all after ‘Yorkare’, and insert: ‘to support people to live independently and secure the future and renovation of Haxby Hall, after which, due to ongoing Covid pressures, the provider began a consultation with staff’.”
A named vote* was taken on the amendment, with the following result:
|
For |
Against |
Abstained |
|
Cllr Aspden |
Cllr Barnes |
Cllr Galvin |
|
Cllr Ayre |
Cllr Crawshaw |
Cllr D Taylor |
|
Cllr Barker |
Cllr Doughty |
|
|
Cllr Craghill |
Cllr Douglas |
|
|
Cllr Cuthbertson |
Cllr Fitzpatrick |
|
|
Cllr D’Agorne |
Cllr Heaton |
|
|
Cllr Daubeney |
Cllr Kilbane |
|
|
Cllr Fenton |
Cllr Lomas |
|
|
Cllr Fisher |
Cllr Looker |
|
|
Cllr Hollyer |
Cllr Melly |
|
|
Cllr Hook |
Cllr Musson |
|
|
Cllr Hunter |
Cllr Myers |
|
|
Cllr Mason |
Cllr Norman |
|
|
Cllr Orrell |
Cllr Pavlovic |
|
|
Cllr Pearson |
Cllr Perrett |
|
|
Cllr Runciman |
Cllr Rowley |
|
|
Cllr Smalley |
Cllr K Taylor |
|
|
Cllr Vassie |
Cllr Warters |
|
|
Cllr Waller |
Cllr Webb |
|
|
Cllr Wann |
Cllr Wells |
|
|
Cllr Waudby |
|
|
|
Cllr Widdowson |
|
|
|
Cllr Cullwick (Lord Mayor) |
|
|
|
23 |
20 |
2 |
*Cllr Carr did not participate in the vote, due to technical issues.
The amendment was therefore declared CARRIED.
The motion, as amended, now read as follows:
“Council notes the passage through Parliament of the Government’s £86,000 lifetime care cap policy, incorporating a new and punitive condition that will hit those York residents in receipt of council support with their care costs hard.
Council notes the Government’s requirement that those individuals will be expected to personally fund £86,000 of care costs – the same amount as those with millions in the bank – contrary to the recommendations of the national Dilnot Commission on Social Care.
It further notes that the care cap excludes the cost of food and accommodation in care homes, which could cost residents up to an additional £10,400 a year.
Council also notes:
· The council’s transfer of Haxby Hall Care Home to Yorkare, to support people to live independently and secure the future and renovation of Haxby Hall, after which, due to ongoing Covid pressures, the provider began a consultation with staff.
· The huge expense to both the council and to affected York residents required to fund care home places in York.
Council believes the financing of the care system is broken, and will remain so in 2023 when the care cap comes into effect, leaving too many, mostly elderly, York residents without the dignity they deserve in the latter stages of their lives.
It further believes that the Government’s decision to target the least well off, combined with the living costs of being in a care home in York, will result in a significant number of York residents being forced to sell their homes to fund their personal care.
Council resolves to:
· state its written opposition to Government on the exclusion of financial support for York’s least well off residents in calculating when the care cap threshold is reached;
· write to both York MPs, highlighting the number of York residents currently in receipt of support with care costs in their respective constituencies, as an indication of how many are likely to be hard hit by the new policy from 2023;
· request that Executive:
o commissions a study to investigate more cost-effective market structures for care places in York;
o carries out a full review of its Haxby Hall transfer decision, both to learn lessons and to determine what support it can provide Yorkare to enable it to honour its legal obligations around staff transfers;
in order to provide a secure, safe and stable local care market, that York residents can better afford.”
A named vote was then taken on the amended motion, with the following result:
|
For |
Against |
Abstained |
|
Cllr Aspden |
|
Cllr Carr |
|
Cllr Ayre |
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Cllr Doughty |
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Cllr Barker |
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Cllr Rowley |
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Cllr Barnes |
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Cllr Craghill |
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Cllr Crawshaw |
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Cllr Cuthbertson |
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Cllr D’Agorne |
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Cllr Daubeney |
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Cllr Douglas |
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Cllr Fenton |
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Cllr Fisher |
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Cllr Fitzpatrick |
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Cllr Galvin |
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Cllr Heaton |
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Cllr Hollyer |
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Cllr Hook |
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Cllr Hunter |
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Cllr Kilbane |
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Cllr Lomas |
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Cllr Looker |
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Cllr Mason |
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Cllr Melly |
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Cllr Musson |
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Cllr Myers |
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Cllr Norman |
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Cllr Orrell |
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Cllr Pavlovic |
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Cllr Pearson |
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Cllr Perrett |
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Cllr Runciman |
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Cllr Smalley |
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Cllr D Taylor |
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Cllr K Taylor |
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Cllr Vassie |
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Cllr Waller |
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Cllr Wann |
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Cllr Warters |
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Cllr Waudby |
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Cllr Wells |
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Cllr Widdowson |
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Cllr Cullwick (Lord Mayor) |
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43 |
0 |
3 |
The motion was therefore declared CARRIED, and it was
Resolved: That the Chief Operating Officer be recommended to ` approve the above motion, as amended.3
(iv) Clean Up York’s Rivers
Cllr Widdowson sought consent to alter her motion to incorporate the amendments submitted by Cllrs Craghill and Crawshaw.
Council having granted consent, the altered motion was moved by Cllr Widdowson and seconded by Cllr Waller, as follows:
“This Council notes that:
· York’s Rivers are a vital part of the city’s environment and that the confluence of The Foss and The Ouse at this location is the very reason York was established as a settlement.
· The My Castle Gateway and My City Centre consultations have made clear that York residents wish to make more of the city’s rivers.
· Close and effective work is ongoing with the Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water on a wide range of river management issues.
· Environment Agency data gathered to evidence the performance of England’s rivers under the Water Framework Directive has indicated that only 14% of rivers were of good ecological status in 2019.
· According to The Rivers Trust, in 2020 water companies dumped raw sewage 2,392 times into the rivers in York, for a total of 14,838 hours.
· Government funding to the Environment Agency to monitor river quality, and regulate farms and water companies has dropped by almost two thirds in the last decade.
· In 2020 just 3.6% of pollution complaints made to the Agency resulted in penalties.
· In 2016 Yorkshire Water Services was fined £1.1m for discharging sewage into the River Ouse.
· The Government has failed to include any meaningful targets or a clear action plan to end the regular dumping of sewage into rivers as part of the recently approved Environment Bill, ignoring millions of people who demanded action as part of one of the boldest and more inspiring environmental campaigns in recent years.
· The MP for York Outer and other Conservative MPs failed to support amendments which would have ensured urgent action to clean up the country’s rivers.
· The Liberal Democrats have proposed a “Sewage Tax”, which would tax the profits of water companies. The proposal would be a 16% tax on pre-tax profits, providing a £340 million fund to fix the sewage system.
Council believes that:
· The city’s rivers are a huge and under-appreciated asset to the city.
· Many York residents are not aware of the significance of the confluence of York’s two rivers to the city’s history and that more could be done to enhance this area of York.
· Any discussion about York’s rivers must also acknowledge the importance of river-safety and recognise the unacceptable number of fatalities that have occurred in York’s rivers in recent times.
· Government must urgently restore Environment Agency budgets to deliver the necessary oversight.
· Inspection regularity of water companies and farms should be increased and offenders rigorously prosecuted through the Environmental Audit Committee and Ofwat.
· Comprehensive funding must be provided to local and highways authorities to introduce systems to prevent road pollutants from entering our water courses.
Council resolves to request the Chief Operating Officer to:
· Consider what further enhancements to the city’s riverside offer can be made
· Confirm that all available measures are being taken to ensure that any development which takes place in proximity to York’s rivers is sympathetic to the significance and historic context of its setting, in particular ensuring that where the Council is the developer itself, all opportunities are taken to maximise enjoyment of the rivers and riverside areas.
· Consider whether through working in partnership with all relevant stakeholders more can be done to enhance river safety, including the introduction grab-chains, CCTV and other such safety measures as well as enhanced and improved ongoing river-safety advertising campaigns.
· Write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the Government to commit to granting the necessary funding, regulatory powers and policy changes to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.
· Write to The Chief Executive of Yorkshire Water calling for urgent action to address the impact of waste-water discharges on our local rivers and to consider the implications of the work of the Storm Overflows Taskforce, the recently published Storm Overflow Evidence Project report and their implications in York, particularly relating to the use of real time data releases on overflow spills.
· Write to the Regional Director of the Environment Agency to request an update on the current testing regime in the Ouse and Foss to understand if improvements could be made. As well as to request that consideration is made to house the data on the CYC York Open Data platform and explore if the tests undertaken and information on their findings can be publicised on the Council website and social media channels.
· Write to the charities River Action and The Rivers Trust expressing this Council’s support for their campaign to restore the health of Britain’s rivers.
Council also resolves:
· In the light of the above, to request that Executive commission an update report on the actions that the council is able to take, along with the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, the Canals and Rivers Trust and other local and regional partners to prevent incidents and protect the health and cleanliness of York’s rivers;
· To request that this report cover current local powers that are available to control and limit fly-tipping in water courses, control other discharges and require water courses to be kept free from pollution, as well as exploring the options for producing an overarching Strategy for York’s Rivers and Becks. This strategy would bring together a single overview of work on flood management, climate change adaptation, water course related biodiversity and land management and pollution control.
A named vote was then taken on the altered motion, with the following result:
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For |
Against |
Abstained |
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Cllr Aspden |
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Cllr Doughty |
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Cllr Ayre |
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Cllr Rowley |
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Cllr Barker |
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Cllr Barnes |
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Cllr Carr |
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Cllr Craghill |
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Cllr Crawshaw |
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Cllr Cuthbertson |
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Cllr D’Agorne |
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Cllr Daubeney |
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Cllr Douglas |
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Cllr Fenton |
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Cllr Fisher |
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Cllr Fitzpatrick |
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Cllr Galvin |
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Cllr Heaton |
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Cllr Hollyer |
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Cllr Hook |
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Cllr Hunter |
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Cllr Kilbane |
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Cllr Lomas |
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Cllr Looker |
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Cllr Mason |
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Cllr Melly |
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Cllr Musson |
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Cllr Myers |
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Cllr Norman |
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Cllr Orrell |
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Cllr Pavlovic |
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Cllr Pearson |
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Cllr Perrett |
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Cllr Runciman |
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Cllr Smalley |
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Cllr D Taylor |
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Cllr K Taylor |
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Cllr Vassie |
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Cllr Waller |
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Cllr Wann |
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Cllr Warters |
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Cllr Waudby |
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Cllr Wells |
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Cllr Widdowson |
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Cllr Cullwick (Lord Mayor) |
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44 |
0 |
2 |
The motion was therefore declared CARRIED, and it was
Resolved: That the Chief Operating Officer be recommended to approve the above motion.4