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 Mark 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 thanked Council officers for their hard work during the recent flooding that had occurred in the district.

A query was raised regarding the devolution deal for North Yorkshire as this was linked to Local Government Reorganisation. The Leader of the Council explained that recently that there had been increased action and discussion with the Government on the devolution deal for the area.

Concern was raised on staffing resources with Local Government Reorganisation as a number of staff had been seconded to North Yorkshire County Council and that complaints had been received from residents that emails were not being forwarded in their absence. It was added that Members should be kept informed of staffing changes. The Leader of the Council explained that as time progressed, officers would be increasingly needed for work associated with Local Government Reorganisation and that there should be systems in place for reading emails.

A query was raised regarding the lack of timetable information at Selby Bus Station and there being no bus stop at the Selby War Memorial Hospital site when buses visited there on a regular basis. The Leader of the Council agreed to look into this.

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

The Deputy Leader of the Council presented his update on the work he had recently undertaken, as outlined in his report.

There were no questions or comments on the report.

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 brought Members’ attention to the additional document that had been circulated concerning the updated budget profile on the Selby Gateway project.

A query was raised regarding the spend for the Programme for Growth as the spend to the end of November had been £1m however the spend forecast to the end of the financial year was £5.4m, The Lead Executive Member for Finance and Resources explained that the spend on the project had been difficult to predict however would obtain a response on the queries raised.

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 added that with regard to locality grants, there would be a Panel meeting to discuss the grants next week.

In response to a query regarding the town centre in Tadcaster including the former Natwest Bank, the Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development explained that he would be visiting business in Tadcaster to understand the issues they are facing. With regard to the Bank, Council was informed that the building was in an important location which would be linked to the redevelopment of the town therefore the Council would be retaining it for the immediate future. 

A query was raised regarding the timescales for approving grants under the Town Centres Revitalisation Programme. The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development explained that there was a 8 to 12 week timeframe for the consideration of applications.

Concern was raised over the removal of the Selby Canal bridge and the delays in replacing the bridge by the Canals and River Trust. The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development agreed to look into the issue.

Concern was raised regarding parking in Selby town centre with a number of cars parked for a number of days in the same space and the lack of enforcement activity being undertaken. The Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development agreed that this would be looked into.

In response to a query concerning the timeframes for the Selby Station Gateway project including the installation of the lift at Selby Railway Station, the Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development explained that it was hopeful the project would be completed in 2024 with the lift being installed at the same time.

Clarification was sought on the meaning of neurodiversity as outlined in the report and what specifically had been spent on the Welcome Back Fund. It was agreed responses to this queries would be circulated.

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 added that the Council had successfully prosecuted someone for fly tipping with evidence from CCTV footage.

RESOLVED:

                    To receive and note the reports of the Executive.