Agenda item

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

 

"We have a very full agenda tonight so I do not intend to make a long statement.

 

I attended the Leaders meeting of Local Government for North Yorkshire and York on March 11th. The major item on the agenda was the progress on a devolution deal for York, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. The possibility of the inclusion of Hull in the deal was also discussed. The same presentation was given to Members of our Policy and Resources committee on the 31st March by James Farrar – the CEO of our LEP. That power point presentation has been circulated to all Members for information. This topic features on our agenda tonight – if after that Members feel that a further presentation would be useful, then we can arrange a Member Briefing on the subject.

 

On Tuesday of last week, along with other local representatives, I met the Chairman of the National Flood Resilience Review and the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency at the flood defences in Pickering. We were able to put various points about the way forward to continue to improve flood protection in our district. The slowing the flow project continues to generate a lot of interest nationally. It was a great opportunity for us to push for support to roll out the wider Derwent catchment scheme and promote the excellent community and partnership work this project has delivered. Undoubtedly this scheme has helped businesses in Pickering to thrive and the project has been a superb example of what this council can do to help grow the economy in our district.

 

Our transformation programme is underway and we are working Towards 2020, (this is referred to as the mandate for change). The purpose of the transformation is to build on what we have achieved, work through the financial reductions and changes to Local Government funding in order to create a viable authority for the future which can deliver the services the residents of Ryedale need, now and in the future. Some of the decisions we will make tonight are a part of that process and are necessary to deliver the transformation.

 

So, back to our agenda which is has a great emphasis on economic growth. The range of the work we can deliver is well illustrated in the items we shall be discussing tonight . From the community grants that we give, through Ryedale’s Economic Action Plan to the even wider concept of the Northern Power House and the part we shall play in that through a Combined Authority.

 

Finally I would like to add my congratulations to Les Chapman. Les has been the driving force in the North Yorkshire Building Control Partnership for 15 years. Without his vision it would not be the brilliant organisation that it is now."

 

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

 

    1.     From Councillor Potter

 

            "I think it is worth noting that yesterday the Slowing the Flow   Partnership put an official report to approve that the flood defences     above Pickering were effective on Boxing Day, so that's actually quite a             significant relevance to both Pickering, that the fact  that it definitely did        protect Pickering from flooding, and that it is also evidence that this      District Council funding was well worthwhile and that's a little bit of the             money that was spent, and it is also significant for a lot more communities             around the Country, I would rather hope it will be           anyway".

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "I think what we saw as residents in Pickering was that it worked        undoubtedly, what I thought, it was nice to see that they agreed with       us officially."

 

     2.    From Councillor Paul Andrews

 

            "The Leader talks about rolling out the Derwent Catchment Plan. Now I       have been aware of more than one Derwent Catchment Plan and the           one Derwent Catchment Plan that I have a great issue with is the River          Derwent Catchment  Flood Management Plan now the emphasis that I             would put on that title is the word management as opposed to            prevention, it has a lot in it as she knows, the taking down of flood          defences and allowing the river to return to its natural flood plain. Now    we have been through all this before so I would like the Leader to tell            me exactly what she is referring to and I am hoping she is not going to say that it's the Flood Management Plan and I hoping that she will be     able to give some assurance that the Flood Management Plan is not            the one which the Council is supporting because of the iniquitous            proposal in regard to taking down flood defences".

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "I wasn't referring to any particular plan, what I was referring to was an          overall scheme which is yet to be         identified, what we are hoping will             come out of this review that is being carried is some funding to allow us    to continue and try and improve flood management, further down I can't       say how that will be, I am sure farmers would have a lot to say about        their land being flooded."

 

            Councillor Paul Andrews then asked the following supplementary question:

 

            "The Leader refers to Flood Management, can she please confirm that        she will be entrusted  in perusing  flood defences as opposed to flood     management?"

 

            The Leader then replied:

 

            "For me flood management is flood prevention."

 

     3.    From Councillor Ives

 

            "I note that in his statement, Cllr Potter's question, he eluded to the   £950,000 grant that this Council contributed to the Slow the Flow             Scheme, which note was a Conservative controlled Council that agreed             that grant, does the Council Leader agree with me that that grant was             only made possible through the sound financial management that this         Conservative Group had at the Council at that time and that if another           group was in charge which was it a bit more profligate with the     spending it may not have been possible?"

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "Like a lot of other things that have happened in the time that             Conservative have been in control of this Council they have been made      possible by the sound financial management of this group."

 

     4.    From Councillor Burr

 

            "As the Leader of the Council you are very aware that Fracking is a   serious subject within Ryedale and of interest to many residents. At         the March Planning Committee myself and Councillor Farnell proposed       astrong letter of objection to be sent to NYCC on behalf of this Council         and I do think that this was a unanimous decision, forgive if I am wrong         but I think it was nearly unanimous. So in recent light of the statement           made by the Environment Agency to say that a licence has been             granted to Third Energy is concerning and worrying and confusing,  to          residents could you report to us and residents the implications of the            Environment Agency's statement to just help everyone to understand      this?"

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "I understand the decision wasn't totally unanimous but nevertheless           it was a strong, it was 7 for that's quite a strong majority. The        position on fracking of this Council has been reported to NYCC             sometime in March I believe and I think we are all aware that the       application was not supported. I           don't think there will be anybody in           this room who didn't know that, you are right there has been some    confusion as I have been approached by several people over the last           few days who said the fracking has been given  planning permission             and I had to say no it hasn't and they say  what's all this that's been on           the radio then and what has actuallybeen granted is a Environmental             Permit and an Environmental Permit simply says that the Environment        Agency believe that all the       measures are in place which allow fracking        to take place safely, however fracking      cannot take place until         planning permission is granted and that grant of permission would be          by North Yorkshire       County Council,  there is a lot of confusion and I            hope that clarifies the situation it was Environment Permit that was         granted not planning permission."

 

            Councillor Burr then asked the following supplementary question:

 

            "Isn't that rather disappointing, that a government agency has            issued this licence prior to the County Council's decision that's a little    disappointing?"

 

            The Leader then replied:

 

            "Whilst it maybe disappointing it is normal practice Environmental    Permits are often issued prior to planning permission being granted."

 

     5.    From Councillor Clark

 

            "I would like to ask the Leader a question in relation to sound finances,        does she not agree with me that the finances could have been a little      more appropriate and sound, if having the bulk of the capital that came      from    the sale of Council houses, not to anybody's clever handling and             management and a great chunk of that was used to build a small      motorway so that as to reduce the pollution in Norton and Malton which             eventually maybe one day, before long, we will get around too, some       was spent on buying a building that we don't seem to need, some was         squandered   on Wentworth Street car park and now we are in the           position that there is none of that capital left so there is nothing there to       put into affordable housing,  I don't want to be too negative but would it         not have been possible to have used some of the money that came        from housing for housing before we start crowing about how well we     have managed the funds?"

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "Actually I have no doubt John that you remember as well as I do that          the sale of the Council housing allowed this Council to reinvest that      money time after time again in housing and it was like magic money            because you kept getting it back,  unfortunately that isn't the case      nowadays.  The motorway that you refer that we built I think anybody     who supports the economy in Ryedale cannot help but agree that will     benefit.  I think that was looking into the future it was a really good     move and it will benefit the whole of Ryedale  We bought a building      that we don't need, that's a matter of opinion and the cost of Wentworth          Street Car Park I have said it before and I will say it again, yes the     costs were regrettable and what I don't like and what I don't agree with      is the way it keeps  being reported and that some political groups like   to keep saying that it's a cost of £1.5 or is it £1.4 million that you keep             trotting out and actually included in that is the cost of the building that           you refer to, is that magic money too?"

 

            Councillor Clark then asked the following supplementary question:

 

            "I have never mentioned a million or £1.5 million so I know not to      whom             she refers but as for the motorway the main driving reason given             for that was to reduce the traffic and the pollution at Butcher Corner         what it developed into was, oh dear, won't it be in the future good for             the economy of Ryedale, that's not the reason we were sold it in the        first place.  She still hasn't answered my question does she not think     that      it would have been a good idea because  when the magic             money stopped capital has disappeared and none of it brings into     housing, does she not think affordable housing would have been better         than carrying on polluting the people in Malton, wasting in excess of       half a million my figure, or has she got some other thoughts on the matter?"

 

            The Leader then replied:

 

            "It  was  a multi stranded reason for building the Brambling Fields     Junction, air quality being a main driving factor, also the economy was          very important to us. I think you also know John exactly how important           affordable homes are to me and that I have looked at all sorts of way of        trying to deliver and it's no good you pretending that we have no           money because we do have money in our New Homes Bonus."

 

     6.    From Councillor Keal

 

            "Does the Leader remember who actually proposed the funding        towards the Pickering Flood defences and which party that was            because my view is that in order for this Council to achieve anything         there were some subjects that rise above party politics, flooding being         one of them, Fracking being one of them and there are others, and we        should stop revisiting history and actually and look to the future which I          hope my motion this evening will do."

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "If my memory serves me correctly either you or your husband

                      

     7.    From Councillor Burr

 

            "I just wanted to bring up the proposed weight restriction consultation           papers, it's relevant tonight because the papers are actually on your            desk or have been sent out by e-mail,  I aren't sure if all members are    aware on Tuesday night at the Planning Committee we voted            unanimously to support to 7.5 tonne weight restriction of heavy lorries in central highways network of Malton and Norton and this request        came from the area committee myself as NYCC Member, Cllr Shields,        Cllr Sanderson, Cllr Goodrick it was agreed from the Area Committee     that it   had actually come down and we all agreed to support that at the            Planning Committee so it is prudent that I ask this question and in         doing so the ban was going to improve the air quality of Butcher Corner       and Castlegate which is the worst polluted corner in Ryedale, and in        addition we talked about the safety aspects and the pushchairs and the buggies and the cyclists and the people walking up and down Malton,          so we had a very very thorough debate at the planning, so as Leader of Council could I ask if we could have maybe your support for us sending            that up to Richard Marr at County Council?"

 

            The Leader replied:

 

            "Yes".