Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Keal and Evans.

Councillor Farnell, the Member Champion for Equalities/Staff Issues, presented the following staff celebration awards:

 

Excellence in Leadership - Awarded to Marcus Lee, Team Leader Revenues and Benefits.

 

Outstanding Achievement by a Team -  Awarded to the group of staff who successfully worked together and implemented IER, Individual Electoral Registration. - Lynne Bayes, Paul Haworth, Kath Bower, Anne Smith, Will Baines and Jo Dodgson.

 

Excellence in Customer Service and also Community Focus -  Awarded to the Housing Benefits Team - Carroll Welburn, Jenny Knowles, Kevin Jackson, Mark Smith, Sally Roger, Simon King, Tracey Brown, Zoe Nixon, Debbie Armitage, Margaret Douthwaite, Jane Kitching and Janette Young.

The following interests were declared:

 

Councillor Goodrick declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 16 (Funding for Citizen's Advice Bureau)as she is the councils representative.

 

Councillor Steve Arnold declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 24 (Helmsley Plan Adoption) as he was involved in the plan.

 

Councillor Bailey declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 24 (Helmsley Plan Adoption) as he is the Chairman of the North York Moors National Park Authority.

 

Councillor Frank declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 24 (Helmsley Plan Adoption) as she was involved in the plan.

 

Councillor Val Arnold declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 24 (Helmsley Plan Adoption) as she is involved as a member of the North Yorkshire County Council.

 

Councillor Clark declared a personal non-pecuniary but not prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 12 Minute 16 (Funding for Citizen's Advice Bureau) as he is representative of North Yorkshire County Council.

 

The Leader of the Council made the following announcement :

 

·        That the Citizen's Advice Bureau are to make a presentation on Monday 3 August 2015 at the Policy and Resources Committee  meeting.

 

The Chief Executive made the following announcement :

 

·        That the  High Court judge Mr Justice Dove has quashed a decision to grant planning permission for a supermarket and petrol filling station at the Wentworth Street Car Park Malton.

 

            The decision follows a court hearing before Mr Justice Dove in the       Leeds High Court on Wednesday and Thursday of 10th and 11th June             2015.

 

            The judgement of Mr Justice Dove was delivered in the High Court in   London at 2 pm on 9 July 2015.

 

Councillor Cowling, the Leader of the Council, presented the following statement:

 

"I attended the Local Government Conference last week- where Leaders spent most of the time discussing devolution!   The general consensus among Leaders is that any bid for a Combined Authority for our district should be based on an area that would include North Yorkshire, Ryedale, Scarborough, Hambleton, Craven, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Selby, East Riding, Hull, York and Leeds city region.  You may have heard that Leeds have put in a bid for a combined authority that includes York, Harrogate, Craven and Selby. I understand that under the present rules, the North Yorkshire district councils cannot be split up. I also understand that authorities in a combined authority have to have adjoining boundaries – so that doesn’t bode well for the Leeds City Region bid.   Officers will work on the "asks" for our bid and then Leaders will bring the detail to their members for support - or not! Further consultation will be undertaken.

 

Greg Clark was very clear that devolution is what it says on the box - power devolved down from the government – not another tier of local government.  He was also very clear about the value of the work that district councils do and that no one should be hoping that devolution means unitaries by the back door."

 

Just a few snippets from the budget yesterday:

 

·        Compulsory new National Living Wage of £9 an hour by 2020 - starts at £7.20 next April

 

·        Tax free-personal allowance rising to £11,000 in 2016 - higher rate threshold rising to £43,000

 

·        Three million more apprentices with new scheme

 

·        No increase in main rates of income tax, NI or VAT

 

·        Corporation tax rate – will fall by 2% to 18% by 2020

 

 

The following questions were received on the Leader’s Statement:

 

1.            From Councillor Ives

 

"The Council Leader will be aware that there were discussions about potentially having a combined authority for all of Yorkshire, which I believe are now dead, judging by what I have read in the papers. Does the Council Leader support movements to create a joint authority for all of Yorkshire?"

 

 

The Leader replied:

"It's very difficult for me to answer that question Luke, I haven't taken a stance on it because I believe that any combined authority has got to be the will of the various councils that belong to it. My preference would have been for a combined authority for the whole of Yorkshire and then I would have liked to see it split into perhaps 3 further tiers of combined authority below the Mother Body, if you like. At the moment as far as I can make out South Yorkshire is very determined on their own combined authority and not really looking to join with anyone else. They feel that they're strong enough and big enough on their own to be able to put in a successful bid by themselves. I'm very open to persuasion about what will be the best -  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The Chief Executive submitted a report (previously circulated) which presented the delivery against the Councils priorities in 2014/15, highlighted the challenges facing the Council for the next 12 months and reaffirmed the Aims and Strategic objectives of the Council Business Plan for 2015/16 within this context.

 

Councillor Cowling moved and Councillor Arnold seconded the recommendations in the report.

 

(i)            That Members note the progress made by the Council in delivering its priorities in 2014/15 and the challenges to be faced in 2015/16;

 

(ii)          That Members agree the Aims and Strategic Objectives of the Council Business Plan for 2015/20 as attached at Annex A.

 

 

Councillor Clark moved and Councillor Thornton seconded the following amendment:

 

After (i) "This council recognises that one of the largest challenges that may be faced is that of 'fracking'.  So as to be prepared this council will create an all party working group to investigate any potential concerns and impacts"

 

Upon being put to the vote the amendment was lost.

 

Recorded Vote

 

For

Councillors Joy Andrews, Paul Andrews, Burr, Clark, Jowitt, Shields and Thornton.

 

Against

Councillors Val Arnold, Steve Arnold, Cleary, Cowling, Cussons, Duncan, Farnell, Frank, Gardiner, Hope, Ives, Jainu-Deen, Maud, Oxley, Raper, Sanderson, Wainwright and Windress

 

Abstentions

Acomb, Bailey, and  Goodrick

 

Upon being put to the vote the recommendation was carried.

 

Resolved

 

(i)            That Council notes the progress made by the Council in delivering its priorities in 2014/15 and the challenges to be faced in 2015/16;

 

(ii)          That Council approves the Aims and Strategic Objectives of the Council Business Plan for 2015/20 as attached at Annex A to the report.

 

 

 

Voting Record

23  For

1  Against

4  Abstentions

Policy and Resources Committee – 18 June 2015

 

Minute 10 – Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy

 

It was moved by Councillor Cowling and seconded by Councillor Goodrick that the following recommendations of the Policy & Resources Committee be approved and adopted.

 

That Council be recommended:

 

i.    That approval be given to introduce the attached Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy attached at Appendix A of the report, incorporating powers to grant relief under section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

 

ii.   That delegated authority be given to the Finance Manager to determine such applications for Council Tax Discretionary Relief where they relate to cases of exceptional hardship.

 

iii. That application of Council Tax Discretionary Relief to a class of case be determined by the Policy and Resources Committee, the application of the relief is then delegated to the Finance Manager as under (ii).

 

Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.

 

Resolved

 

i.    That Council approves the Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy attached at Appendix A of the report, incorporating powers to grant relief under section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

 

ii.   That Council authorises the Finance Manager to determine such applications for Council Tax Discretionary Relief where they relate to cases of exceptional hardship.

 

iii. That application of Council Tax Discretionary Relief to a class of case be determined by the Policy and Resources Committee, the application of the relief is then delegated to the Finance Manager as under (ii).

 

Voting Record

Unanimous

 

 

Minute 11 – NNDR Transitional Relief

 

It was moved by Councillor Cowling and seconded by Councillor Arnold that the following recommendations of the Policy & Resources Committee be approved and adopted.

 

That Council be recommended:

 

That the policy to award discretionary rate “Transitional Relief”, attached at Appendix A of the report, be approved.

 

Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.

 

Resolved

 

That Council approves the policy to award discretionary rate “Transitional Relief”, attached at Appendix A of the report.

 

Voting Record

26  For

0   Against

2   Abstentions

 

Minute 12 – Draft York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Housing Strategy 2015-2021

 

It was moved by Councillor Cowling and seconded by Councillor Arnold that the following recommendations of the Policy & Resources Committee be approved and adopted.

 

That Council be recommended:

 

That the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Housing Strategy for 2015/21 be approved.

 

Councillor Goodrick moved and Councillor Clark seconded the following amendment:

 

            Add "This council rejects any moves by York Council to off load its       housing delivery in Ryedale"

 

Upon being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

 

Voting Record

15 For

11 Against

1 Abstention

 

On being put to the vote, the substantive motion was then carried.

 

Resolved

 

(i) That Council approves the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding                      Housing Strategy for 2015/21.

 

(ii)This council rejects any moves by York Council to off load its                 housing delivery in Ryedale.

 

Voting Record

22  For

1  Against

4 Abstentions

 

 

Minute 13 – Homelessness Strategy and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

1.     It was moved by Councillor Clark and seconded by Councillor Thornton

 

Ryedale Council has an objective of increasing the average wage level in Ryedale.

So as to set an example and show sound leadership this Council resolves to:

i)    “Pay all RDC employees at the living wage or above”;

and

ii)   “That preference will be given to external contracts where the applicant pays the living wage or above.”

 

Any cost of the above to be financed in 2015/16 year from the reserves.

 

The Chairman referred the Motion to the Policy and Resources Committee  since the motion concerned a matter within the purview of the committee.

The Head of Planning and Housing submitted a report (previously circulated) which sought to agree a formal declaration that the Council has complied with the relevant legislation in preparing the Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule (DCS).

 

Councillor Windress moved and Councillor Burr seconded the recommendations in the report.

 

Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.

 

Resolved

 

That Council agree:

 

(i)         The formal declaration at Appendix 1;

           

(ii)        Minor changes to the Council’s Regulation 123 list as outlined in italics at Appendix 2.

 

Voting Result

Unanimous

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chief Executive submitted a report (previously circulated) which provided the Members of Council the opportunity to agree a response to the consultation documents issued by the North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board:

 

a. Realising Our Potential – Our New North Yorkshire

A North Yorkshire Approach to Integration, Prevention and New Models of Care

 

b. North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board Draft Mental Health Strategy

 

c. North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board Draft Joint Health and   Wellbeing Strategy

 

The following questions were raised:

 

Councillor Ives asked the Chairman Councillor Arnold :

"Why has this item come straight to Council, when I believe that it went before the O&S Committee? I would presume that under normal circumstances this report would come from the O&S Committee, it would then be for the Chairman of the O&S to move the report and to be seconded by the Vice Chairman and for questions to be directed to the Chairman  of the O&S seeing as it is his Committee that has studied this report and debated it. So once again we seem to be completely omitting standard procedure."

 

The Chairman Replied:

"We'll take a note of that."

 

Councillor Clark asked the Chair Councillor Arnold:

"I'd like to ask the question - if you have a hernia op, if you have a length of time in hospital with a broken leg, if you have a waiting time before you have your tonsils removed etc, all the physical health side, they've all got targets, they've all got timescales. I wonder if you could tell me why there are no timescales worth a light in the draft mental health strategy?"

 

The Chief Executive replied:

"I can't but we can take the comments from this Council to the County Council and Members of the County Council might be able to ask directly themselves."

 

Councillor Clark replied:

"We have 2 representatives on this body  - 1 is the CX and 1 is a Councillor somewhere else because the other one lost the leadership of Richmondshire Council - it said in the paperwork for that lot that the district councils have made a submission. Now I don't know where that was ..... I didn't know we'd made a submission or even that collectively that we'd made a submission.............some councils take scrutiny of health seriously as a district authority and I can't explain the question that Cllr Burr was asking about obesity. I can explain the one about serious road accidents and deaths that Cllr Raper mentioned because we're a very small population with a large amount of roads with a lot of tourists travelling through and those tourists do not figure in the number of people that are here but they figure in the deaths and so on ....... Would you agree with me that it may be worth this Council considering looking at health on an ongoing basis rather than the scrutiny and health committee doing it................?"

 

Councillor Thornton asked the Chairman Councillor Arnold:

"Can I  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 10.25pm.