Agenda item

 To receive and consider a written report from the Leader and ask questions on the work of the Executive, and to consider the Executive recommendations for approval, as set out below:

Members were invited to question the Leader on her report. Questions were received from the floor from the following Members in relation to the subjects listed and replied to as indicated:

Our City, Our Community

From Cllr Widdowson: Can you tell us what discussions you have had with employers in the city across all sectors about the impact of the labour government’s decision to increase employers’ national insurance contributions and lower the threshold above which contributions are payable?

Response: I am always open to speaking with employees about any impacts that they are feeling from labour party government policy but that is not a request that I have had so far. I would say that our MPs are engaging in that more than I have. In fact, I have not had any requests for it.

Supplementary from Cllr Widdowson: So, from all the meetings that you have had nobody has mentioned the national insurance issues with yourself?

Response: No

Supplementary from Cllr Ayre: I am aware that some councils in West Yorkshire have agreed to uplift all their third sector contracts to offset the national insurance, will that be something that York will do?

Response: We will always consider any challenges that our sectors are facing within our budget setting. We do have to operate within our £150million budget so it will be considered under the process that we are going through now and that is conversations that we have been having internally about any impact that this will raise. We are as always open to suggestions, and we will move forward in an appropriate and responsible manner.

From Cllr Taylor: I know that the council’s leadership has taken the National Railway Museum walkway agreement issue very seriously, can the Leader explain where discussions are up to now with the Railway Museum in representing the interests of Leeman Road residents?

Response: It’s not been a quick and straightforward process and there has been a lot of negotiation, but we are in the final stages on a letter of agreement to allow Leeman Road residents access through the Great Hall when it is completed from 7:30am in the morning until 7:00pm at night, I may have that slightly wrong, other than when there are notified events. It is a great improvement. There is more work to do in this area and we will continue the conversation. Partnership working gets results for our residents.

Delivering for Our City

From Cllr Healey: Your report refers to the local transport strategy and the ambition to get more people cycling but for this to happen we need road surfaces that are safe to cycle on. Can the Leader say how this ambition fits with the proposal in the current budget consultation for cuts to be made to funding for road maintenance?

Response: It is important that we have safe and good road surfaces and actually at the moment City of York Council puts about five million pounds a year into road surfacing and improvements. That is a discretionary spend on top of what the government currently provides to us. We are looking forward to hearing what residents are going to say to us and those considerations will be taken into account in budget setting.

Supplementary from Cllr Healey: The budget mentions a figure of £60,000, is that £60,000 off the revenue budget or is that £60,000 the capital repayment so the actual reduction in road maintenance will be £500,000 from the capital budget not £60,000 from the revenue budget.

Response: £60,000 is revenue spend.

Supplementary from Cllr Ayre: Where did that figure of £60,000 came from? Why was that figure of £60,000 a year chosen?

Response: It is the revenue cost of the actual spend.

Supplementary from Cllr Ayre: You can pick any figure, why £60,000?

Response: I will get an answer to you.

From Cllr Steward: What were the biggest changes last year that were made to the budget after the consultation?

Response: I will get back to you on that.

From Cllr Clarke: Centre for Cities has recently produced a report comparing visitor spend across the UK’s largest sixty-three cities, what does this tell us about York’s visitor economy?

Response: York is at the top of the list for the level of spend for overnight visitors across the whole country. This I know has been an aspiration of the hospitality industry in York for a number of years and they have finally reached it. It shows that people who come into York and stay and visit with us really enjoy the vibrancy of our city centre, the retail offer, the restaurants and bars and they are spending their money in York.Tourism is tremendously important to our economy. It is a baseline of what we deliver and so many people work in that industry in York. I would like to thank and congratulate everyone who makes York a fantastic area for visitors and residents.

B – Executive Recommendations

Cllr Douglas moved, and Cllr Kilbane seconded, the following recommendations contained in Minute 46 of the Executive meeting held on 10 October 2024 and Minute 58 of the Executive meeting held on 14 November 2024.

Minute 46: York Youth Justice Service Plan

Recommended:

i.             To Full Council the York Youth Justice plan for approval.

Reason: To ensure the Council fulfils its statutory duty to submit an annual Youth Justice Plan.

Minute 58:  Capital Programme Update Monitor 2

Recommended:

i.             To Full Council the adjustments resulting in a decrease in the 2024/25 budget of £10.384m as detailed in the report.

Reason: To enable the effective management and monitoring of the Council’s capital programme.

On being put to the vote, the recommendations were declared CARRIED, and it was:

Resolved: That the above recommendations be approved.^1,2