Agenda item

To consider the following Motions on Notice under Standing Order B13:

 

Motions submitted for consideration directly by Council

 

(i)      From Cllr Baker

 

Care Leavers Transport Costs

 

“Council notes:

·        That care leavers over the age of 18 are currently offered:

o   10 hours of driving lessons

o   Support with passing the Compulsory Basic Training (for motorcycles

o   The cost of the first driving theory test

o   The cost of the first driving test.

·        That all these are contributions to moving forward with travelling using a private motor vehicle (car or motorcycle) and that these do not offer support for costs relating to public transport or incentives to choose active travel.

 

Council believes:

·        That this disparity is not consistent with our corporate 10 years strategies to reduce carbon emissions, promote healthy lifestyles and promote an inclusive economy including more affordable travel options.

• That it is important to enable care leavers to choose active travel habits in their day to day lives as they move towards independence and that as a corporate parent the Council should assist them to do so.

·         That it is important to ensure that this is addressed in terms of widening the offer to Care Leavers.

 

Council therefore resolves to request that Executive consider what additional offer to Care Leavers could rectify this situation and to assess the feasibility of also offering care leavers the option of:

·         Financial assistance with annual bus travel and discounted access to the TIER e-cycle/ e-scooter scheme up to the age of 25;

·         Free urban cycle skills training if required;

• A contribution towards a bicycle and appropriate protective clothing and through working with partners, find ways to cover the full costs of a new bicycle and appropriate accessories.”

 

(ii)      From Cllr Daubeney

 

Return to Community Policing

 

“This Council notes that:

·        The number of Police Community Support Officers has fallen by 20% (50 full-time equivalent PCSOs) since 2021 across North Yorkshire.

·        Despite a 4.99 per cent rise in the Police percept, which amounts to £14.03 extra for the average band D household, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has paused PCSO recruitment until March 2024.

·        The Home Office is allocating just over £72 per head for police services in North Yorkshire, whilst Kent receives £113 and South Yorkshire Force receives £170.

·        The 2023/24 budget provides £150k investment to improve community safety, tackling anti social behaviour hotspots, including through funding of extra specialist youth support workers.

·        Devolved Ward funding has been used by ward councillors to support youth engagement activities, which support the work of the Safer York Partnership.

·        Antisocial behaviour crime makes up 22.7% of all crimes reported in York.

·        Whilst the number of ASB related incidents in York has decreased since the end of the pandemic, for certain areas, it remains a significant issue.

·        Safer York Partnership provides both the strategic direction for community safety and oversees the coordinated delivery of community safety outcomes across the city of York and has representatives from key voluntary and statutory agencies including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Probation, Public Health, Office of the Police and Fire Commissioner and York CVS.

·        An Independent inspection of York Youth Justice Service has found it to be ‘outstanding’.

 

This Council believes that:

·        Police Community Support Officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. The Government and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner should be empowering them to do their job, not risking the slashing of their numbers, putting more pressure on stretched local council budgets to plug the gaps in community safety.

 

The Council consequently resolves to:

·        Request that Group Leaders write to the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner calling for a reversal of the current freeze in PCSO recruitment and commitment to significantly increase the number of PCSOs in the region.

·        Request that Council officers work with the North Yorkshire Police to produce a report to the Executive Member on how neighbourhood improvement plans can be developed, which review how to best holistically design out anti social behaviour in the area.

·        Invite the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to a public meeting to answer councillor questions and set out plans to improve community policing in York.

·        Request that the Safer York Partnership representatives engage and consult ward councillors in the development of the Community Safety Strategy 2023-2026.

·        Call on Safer York Partnership chair to explore best ways to embed Community Safety Officers within the Community Safety Hub.”

 

(iii)     From Cllr Looker

 

Removing Barriers to an Education and Educational Attainment

 

“Council notes:

·        almost 1 in 4 children live in poverty in York, a figure that rises to almost 1 in 3 nationally;

·        the recent proliferation of formal and informal food banks in York and across the UK as more families become reliant on support to eat;

·        the impact of the cost-of-living crisis being likely to increase those needing support in the years ahead, making free school meals (FSM) vital for an increasing proportion of York children;

·        Obesity, dentistry problems, eating disorders and poor mental health in childhood all being exacerbated by lack of access to healthy food;

·        the significant barriers to learning and achievement, both at school and at home, including fatigue and lack of concentration, for students that haven’t eaten properly due to poverty, and the role those barriers play in widening the educational attainment gap;

·        30% of all children living in poverty in our region are not eligible for free school meals;

·        Decreasing levels of attendance and increasing levels of persistent absenteeism in both FSM and non-FSM students in York, following the height of Covid;

·        recognition at the council-convened Cost of Living Summit of the impact expensive and unnecessary school-branded uniform makes to families living in poverty, including some not attending school.

 

Council recognises the importance of ensuring that every primary age school child in our city has access to at least one hot meal every day.

 

Further, it recognises particular needs of SEN pupils and believes school absence management policies that demonstrate consideration of individual circumstances are more likely to result in improved attendance than standardised, rigid responses that treat all students the same.

 

Council is committed to supporting institutions and their policies where they don’t stigmatise children living in poverty, where they adopt a culture of understanding around uniform, punctuality and difficulty concentrating due to often difficult individual circumstances.

 

Council resolves:

·        to request the Executive commits the council to a policy of working with external organisations to provide FSM to all primary school pupils, starting with those schools most in need;

·        to write to all York secondary schools, highlighting the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) ‘Cost of the School Day’ project to ask that students eligible for FSMs are able to use their allowance at any time during the school day, and to agree to the rolling over of any unspent money to be used in the future;

·        to commit to a twin track approach of working through the LGA on FSM automatic enrolment as well as expanding eligibility for FSM by increasing the income threshold, and through the NEU on ensuring FSM provision becomes universal for every primary school child;

·        to write, through the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, to all local authority-maintained schools and academy schools:

-         requesting information on how they are meeting Government statutory guidance on keeping school uniform affordable, and keeping branded items to a minimum, to reassure Council that schools are not excluding students based on income and are genuinely open to all;

-         inviting all schools to work with the local authority in developing a York protocol which describes ‘What should be ordinarily  available’ for pupils with SEN ensuring there is a fair and consistent application of the SEND Code of Practice by schools to protect the rights of these pupils.”

 

(iv)    From Cllr Pearson

 

Council Backs Haxby Station Project

 

“This Council notes that:

·        The reopening of a station in Haxby has been a long-held ambition for the local community, after the station closed in 1930, and since then the town has expanded over decades.

·        In June 2020, the City of York Council utilised funding to submit a bid for the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund, making the case for funding to unlock the delivery of a new station in Haxby.

·        To date, £1.5m of Government funding has been secured with commitments from York Outer's Conservative MP and the Prime Minister (then Chancellor) to provide the remaining funds, beyond the £4m of match funding pledged by the Council.

·        A thorough evaluation from council officers and Network Rail explored options and the officers advised Executive that Towthorpe Road site presented the only realistic case for delivering the station. Considerations included the ownership of the land, deliverability within the Department for Transport’s required timescales, potential connectivity, and ease of access.  

·        Following the acquisition of the land by the Council, further work has been carried out on the project’s business case and design, with planning application expected to be submitted in May 2023, with determination at planning committee expected in August 2023.

·        A public consultation undertaken in Apr/May 2022 by the Council saw 81% of 1,200 respondents support the station proposals.

·        The new station would provide direct access to the rail network for thousands of local residents from Haxby, Wigginton, Strensall and surrounding communities. This means improved access to new employment, business and leisure opportunities, increasing connectivity for our part of York, and providing faster, more efficient, and sustainable travel.

·        Delays in progressing with the project in the current timeline is likely to result in failing to secure sufficient government funding to deliver the station.

 

This Council believes that:

·        It is crucial that the opportunity to secure the development of a station in Haxby is realised for the benefit of the local community and the whole city.

 

The Council therefore resolves to:

·        Endorse and commit to the Haxby station project and its location at the only deliverable site at Towthorpe Road, and fully back it to ensure its success.

·        Request that all group leaders send a joint letter to the Department for Transport and Network Rail supporting the project and urging for the remaining Government funding to be released from the Restoring Your Railway Fund to enable to proceed with the project at pace.”

 

(i)      Care Leavers’ Transport Costs

 

Cllr Baker sought consent to alter her motion to incorporate the amendment submitted by Cllr Webb.

 

Council having granted consent, the altered motion was moved by Cllr Baker and seconded by Cllr D’Agorne, as follows:

 

“Council notes:

·        That all Councillors are corporate parents and that a key principle of this responsibility is to help ensure that children & young people in our care are provided with the same opportunities that children and young people might reasonably expect to be provided with in any family;

·        That care leavers over the age of 18 are currently offered:

o   10 hours of driving lessons

o   Support with passing the Compulsory Basic Training (for motorcycles

o   The cost of the first driving theory test

o   The cost of the first driving test.

·        That such support around private transport can help care leavers to access employment and leisure opportunities;

·        That the council does not currently offer equivalent support for costs relating to public transport or incentives to choose active travel.

Council believes:

·        That care leavers often face a significant range of barriers, crossing all spheres of life, and that we as corporate parents should always be mindful of our responsibility to work to remove these barriers wherever and however we can, acknowledging that just like in any family, the priorities of children and young people might not always align with those of the people responsible for them;

• That it is important to enable care leavers to choose low or no carbon travel options through the use of public transport andactive travel habits in their day to day lives as they develop into adulthood and that as a corporate parent the Council should assist them to do so.

·        That being able to travel beyond the city’s boundaries is important for both job opportunities and broader life experiences. 

 

Council therefore resolves to request that following May’s elections, the new Executive consider what additional offer could be made to Care Leavers including assessing the feasibility of also offering care leavers the option of:

·        Financial assistance with annual bus travel, a 16–25 rail card and discounted access to the TIER e-cycle/ e-scooter scheme up to the age of 25;

·        Free urban cycle skills training;

·        A contribution towards a bicycle and appropriate protective clothing and through working with partners, find ways to cover the full costs of a new bicycle and appropriate accessories.”

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED and it was

 

Resolved:  That the above motion be approved.¹

 

(ii)      Return to Community Policing

 

Moved by Cllr Daubeney, seconded by Cllr Smalley.

 

“This Council notes that:

·        The number of Police Community Support Officers has fallen by 20% (50 full-time equivalent PCSOs) since 2021 across North Yorkshire.

·        Despite a 4.99 per cent rise in the Police percept, which amounts to £14.03 extra for the average band D household, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has paused PCSO recruitment until March 2024.

·        The Home Office is allocating just over £72 per head for police services in North Yorkshire, whilst Kent receives £113 and South Yorkshire Force receives £170.

·        The 2023/24 budget provides £150k investment to improve community safety, tackling anti social behaviour hotspots, including through funding of extra specialist youth support workers.

·        Devolved Ward funding has been used by ward councillors to support youth engagement activities, which support the work of the Safer York Partnership.

·        Anti-social behaviour crime makes up 22.7% of all crimes reported in York.

·        Whilst the number of ASB related incidents in York has decreased since the end of the pandemic, for certain areas, it remains a significant issue.

·        Safer York Partnership provides both the strategic direction for community safety and oversees the coordinated delivery of community safety outcomes across the city of York and has representatives from key voluntary and statutory agencies including City of York Council, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, Probation, Public Health, Office of the Police and Fire Commissioner and York CVS.

·        An Independent inspection of York Youth Justice Service has found it to be ‘outstanding’.

This Council believes that:

·        Police Community Support Officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. The Government and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner should be empowering them to do their job, not risking the slashing of their numbers, putting more pressure on stretched local council budgets to plug the gaps in community safety.

The Council consequently resolves to:

·        Request that Group Leaders write to the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner calling for a reversal of the current freeze in PCSO recruitment and commitment to significantly increase the number of PCSOs in the region.

·        Request that Council officers work with the North Yorkshire Police to produce a report to the Executive Member on how neighbourhood improvement plans can be developed, which review how to best holistically design out anti-social behaviour in the area.

·        Invite the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to a public meeting to answer councillor questions and set out plans to improve community policing in York.

·        Request that the Safer York Partnership representatives engage and consult ward councillors in the development of the Community Safety Strategy 2023-2026.

·        Call on Safer York Partnership chair to explore best ways to embed Community Safety Officers within the Community Safety Hub.”

 

Notice had been received of an amendment to the above motion.  The Monitoring Officer explained that, due to an error, some wording had been omitted from the published version of the amendment.  He read out the missing wording for clarification.

 

Cllr Fitzpatrick then moved and Cllr Crawshaw seconded the amendment, as follows:

 

“In the first paragraph, under ‘This Council notes that:’

- in the 1^st bullet point:

o   before ‘2023/24’, insert ‘council’

o   after ‘workers’, insert ‘,a one-off, one year gimmick demonstrating no long-term commitment to tackling ASB’

- add a further bullet point to the end:

·        ‘Council supports any cross-party working on positive interventions to tackle ASB such as additional youth activity and advice sessions across the city.’

In the second paragraph, under ‘This Council believes that:’

- insert a new 1^st bullet point:

·        ‘responses to ASB need to be multi-agency, including local councillors and residents, focussed, determined and committed over the long term in order to have any lasting and real impact on the problem;’

 

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

 

The original motion was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED, and it was

 

Resolved:  That the above motion be approved.²

 

(iii)     Removing Barriers to an Education and Educational Attainment

 

Moved by Cllr Looker and seconded by Cllr Webb.

 

“Council notes:

·        almost 1 in 4 children live in poverty in York, a figure that rises to almost 1 in 3 nationally;

·        the recent proliferation of formal and informal food banks in York and across the UK as more families become reliant on support to eat;

·        the impact of the cost-of-living crisis being likely to increase those needing support in the years ahead, making free school meals (FSM) vital for an increasing proportion of York children;

·        Obesity, dentistry problems, eating disorders and poor mental health in childhood all being exacerbated by lack of access to healthy food;

·        the significant barriers to learning and achievement, both at school and at home, including fatigue and lack of concentration, for students that haven’t eaten properly due to poverty, and the role those barriers play in widening the educational attainment gap;

·        30% of all children living in poverty in our region are not eligible for free school meals;

·        Decreasing levels of attendance and increasing levels of persistent absenteeism in both FSM and non-FSM students in York, following the height of Covid;

·        recognition at the council-convened Cost of Living Summit of the impact expensive and unnecessary school-branded uniform makes to families living in poverty, including some not attending school.

Council recognises the importance of ensuring that every primary age school child in our city has access to at least one hot meal every day.

Further, it recognises particular needs of SEN pupils and believes school absence management policies that demonstrate consideration of individual circumstances are more likely to result in improved attendance than standardised, rigid responses that treat all students the same.

Council is committed to supporting institutions and their policies where they don’t stigmatise children living in poverty, where they adopt a culture of understanding around uniform, punctuality and difficulty concentrating due to often difficult individual circumstances.

Council resolves:

·        to request the Executive commits the council to a policy of working with external organisations to provide FSM to all primary school pupils, starting with those schools most in need;

·        to write to all York secondary schools, highlighting the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) ‘Cost of the School Day’ project to ask that students eligible for FSMs are able to use their allowance at any time during the school day, and to agree to the rolling over of any unspent money to be used in the future;

·        to commit to a twin track approach of working through the LGA on FSM automatic enrolment as well as expanding eligibility for FSM by increasing the income threshold, and through the NEU on ensuring FSM provision becomes universal for every primary school child;

·        to write, through the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, to all local authority-maintained schools and academy schools:

-         requesting information on how they are meeting Government statutory guidance on keeping school uniform affordable, and keeping branded items to a minimum, to reassure Council that schools are not excluding students based on income and are genuinely open to all;

-         inviting all schools to work with the local authority in developing a York protocol which describes ‘What should be ordinarily  available’ for pupils with SEN ensuring there is a fair and consistent application of the SEND Code of Practice by schools to protect the rights of these pupils.”

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared CARRIED unanimously, and it was

 

Resolved:  That the above motion be approved.³

 

(iv)    Council Backs Haxby Station Project

 

Cllr Pearson sought consent to alter his motion in accordance with the altered wording set out on pages 11-12 of the supplementary papers.

 

Cllr Douglas then sought consent to alter her amendment to that motion in accordance with the altered wording set out on pages 12-14 of the supplementary papers.

 

Council having granted consent to alter both motion and amendment, Cllr Pearson moved and Cllr Cullwick seconded the altered motion, as follows:

 

“This Council notes that:

·        The reopening of a station in Haxby has been a long-held ambition for the local community, after the station closed in 1930, and since then the town has expanded over decades.

·        In June 2020, the City of York Council utilised funding to submit a bid for the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund, making the case for funding to unlock the delivery of a new station in Haxby.

·        To date, £1.5m of Government funding has been secured with commitments from York Outer's Conservative MP and the Prime Minister (then Chancellor) to provide the remaining funds, beyond the £4m of match funding pledged by the Council.

·        A thorough evaluation from council officers and Network Rail explored options and the officers advised Executive that Towthorpe Road site presented the only realistic case for delivering the station. Considerations included the ownership of the land, deliverability within the Department for Transport’s required timescales, potential connectivity, and ease of access.

·        Following the acquisition of the land by the Council, further work has been carried out on the project’s business case and design, with planning application expected to be submitted in May 2023, with determination at planning committee expected in August 2023.

·        A public consultation undertaken in Apr/May 2022 by the Council saw 81% of 1,200 respondents support the station proposals.

·        The new station would provide direct access to the rail network for thousands of local residents from Haxby, Wigginton, Strensall and surrounding communities. This means improved access to new employment, business and leisure opportunities, increasing connectivity for our part of York, and providing faster, more efficient, and sustainable travel.

·        Delays in progressing with the project in the current timeline is likely to result in failing to secure sufficient government funding to deliver the station.

This Council believes that:

·        It is crucial that the opportunity to secure the development of a station in Haxby is realised for the benefit of the local community and the whole city.

The Council therefore resolves to:

·        Endorse and commit to the Haxby station project, and fully back it to ensure its success.

·        Request that all group leaders send a joint letter to the Department for Transport and Network Rail supporting the project and urging for the remaining Government funding to be released from the Restoring Your Railway Fund to enable to proceed with the project at pace.”

 

Cllr Douglas then moved and Cllr Norman seconded the altered amendment, as follows:

 

“In the first paragraph, under ‘This Council notes that’

- In the 4^th bullet point; after ‘explored’ insert ‘a limited number of’, after ‘advised Executive that’ insert ‘of the options under consideration’, and after ‘realistic case’ insert ‘within the tight parameters presented at that time,’.

- In the 5^th bullet point, after ‘Following the’ insert ‘potentially premature’.

- In the 6^th bullet point, after ‘respondents’, delete ‘support the station proposals’ and insert ‘support the principle of a new station in the Haxby area, but respondents were not asked to preference a specific location’.

- In the 7^th bullet point; after ‘local residents’, delete all up to ‘This means’ and insert ‘giving’, and delete all after ‘opportunities’ and insert ‘but making it more difficult to access than alternative sites for residents in nearby neighbouring communities’.

- To the end of the 8^th bullet point, add: ‘depending on the Government’s flexibility over timescales and commitment to reducing the carbon impact of the scheme.  Such flexibility would provide an opportunity to review the siting and construction of a station, enabling it to better deliver for local residents and help contribute to the city’s sustainable transport ambitions.’

In the second paragraph, under ‘This Council believes that’

- Add 2 further bullet points:

·        ‘Providing sustainable, low carbon alternatives to car dependency – especially in outer wards of the city – is crucial if York is reduce air pollution, improve accessibility and meet its ambitions of becoming net zero by 2030.

·        The views of local people, including those of Haxby Town Council, must be respected and considered before making decisions which will have long-term implications for transport and sustainability.’

In the third paragraph, under ‘The Council therefore resolves to’

- In the 1^st bullet point, after ‘commit to’, delete ‘the Haxby station project’ and insert ‘a railway station for Haxby.’

- Insert a new 2^nd and 3^rd bullet point:

·        ‘Work closely with Haxby Town Council, local residents, Network Rail and the DfT to ensure that Haxby Station is delivered at the right location, not simply the most expedient one.

·        Ensure that sustainability, accessibility and the city’s carbon-neutral ambitions are at the forefront of decision-making in relation to all transport projects in the city.’

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment, as altered, was declared LOST.

 

The original motion, as altered, was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED, and it was

 

Resolved:  That the above motion be approved.⁴