Agenda item

The Leader of the Council, and other members of the Executive, will report on their work since the last meeting of the Council and will respond to questions from Councillors on that work.

Councillor M Crane, Leader of the Council

The Leader of the Council presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken as outlined in his report and added that the first meeting of the Implementation Board regarding Local Government Reorganisation had taken place however the Deputy Leader of the Council had attended as he had not been able to. 

Concern was raised regarding the lack of input from residents into the proposals for Local Government Reorganisation and that decisions were going to be made with little input from residents and local Members. The Leader of the Council explained that as a member of the Implementation Board, he would forward any views expressed to him by any local Members. It was explained that there were differing views from Members on the proposals however the Government had made the decision to proceed with the option of one unitary authority for the area therefore the proposals would be going ahead.

With regard to the number of members in the new authority, the Leader of the Council informed Council that it was proposed to have 90 members in the new authority and due to this number, local members would be representing larger wards than they currently were.

A further query was raised regarding the size of the new wards and that the proposals were being implemented too quickly which meant all considerations could not be taken into account. The Leader of the Council explained that the Government had agreed for elections in 2022 to avoid Members having six year terms in the new authority. It was noted that the Local Government Boundary Commission were unable to review boundaries before the implementation however would be undertaking a review once the new authority had commenced.

Councillor R Musgrave, Deputy Leader and Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping

The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken as outlined in his report.

A query was raised regarding the financial commitments to the work on low carbon as the majority of the budget already seemed to have been committed. The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping explained that a report on the Low Carbon work would be going to the next Executive meeting in October and that further funding was available should there be effective business cases presented.

The following additional discussion took place:

·       Concern was raised regarding plastic sheeting being placed around newly planted trees and whether this was needed. The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping agreed to look into this.

·       Concern around the lack of planning enforcement in an area where planning permission wasn’t followed. The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping explained that there was a backlog of work with planning enforcement however agreed to speak to the respective Member outside of the meeting regarding the issue.

·       In response to a query regarding the removal of the requirement to send neighbours notification letters in respect of planning application, the Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping explained that since the change, he had not received any complaints and that the report regarding the implications of the changes would be sent to Members as soon as possible.

·       Concern was raised at the length of time it took for planning enforcement to be taken against unauthorised planning developments. The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping explained that it was important to engage positively with planning enforcement officers if there were any issues and that they had to operate within a legal framework with regard to their powers.

·       A query was raised regarding conservation areas, in particular in the Riccall ward. The Lead Executive Member for Place Shaping explained that there was a lengthy process for changing conservation areas and that he would look into the issue raised.

Councillor C Lunn, Lead Executive Member for Finance and Resources

The Lead Executive Member for Finance and Resources presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken as outlined in his report and informed Council that quarter two finance reports would be available a month later than expected.

A query was raised regarding the budget relating to the Programme for Growth as 60% of the budget was related to staff salaries however there did not seem to be spend on project delivery. The Lead Executive Member for Finance and Resources explained that the Programme for Growth contained multiyear projects and outlined the amounts of spend that had been spent on project delivery and was forecasted to be spent in future years. The Lead Executive Member for Finance and Resources added that there was an element of spending at the commencement of projects on planning and other administration which was necessary.

Councillor D Buckle, Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development

The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken as outlined in his report and thanked all Councillors for attending the Shining Stars event which had recently taken place.

The following discussion took place:

·       A query was raised regarding an update on the current situation with the sites at 43 Kirkgate and the former NatWest bank in Tadcaster. The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development explained that discussions were still taking place regarding the former NatWest bank and that the property at 43 Kirkgate was looking to be brought back into use.

·       In response to a query regarding skilled jobs in the district, the Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development outlined the various businesses that had brought new skilled and well paid jobs into the district.

·       In response to a query regarding the development of the Legacy Fund Grant Policy, the Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development explained that it was hoped this would be considered by the Executive at their meeting in November.

·       Concern was raised regarding offensive graffiti in Selby town centre which had been there for a considerable time. The Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture stated that details of the graffiti should be sent to him to look into.

·       A query was raised regarding the finances of the Transforming Cities Fund. The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development informed Council that the overall budget for the project was £23.5 with a £20m grant being provided from the Department for Transport. It was explained the other £3.5m was split between North Yorkshire County Council and Selby District Council.

Councillor Tim Grogan, Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture

The Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken as outlined in his report and explained that Selby had been chosen by Arts Council England as one of their 54 priority places. Additionally, the Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture thanked the Police and the Council for their work on the Section 61 notice regarding the unauthorised travellers camp in Lumby.

The following additional discussion took place:

·       In response to a query concerning the £780k funding from the Arts Council, the Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture explained that the funding could be used to enhance the arts and culture across the district.

·       In response to a query concerning the use of covert cameras for the prevention of fly tipping, the Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture stated that cameras were indispensable in the fight against fly tipping and that he would be looking to continue their use.

·       Concern was raised that local Councillors had not been informed of the forthcoming residents festival on 16^th and 17^th October. The Lead Executive Member for Health and Culture stated he would look into this.

RESOLVED:

                    To receive and note the reports of the Executive.