Thursday, 26 June 2008
Ryedale House, Malton
Present
Councillors Wainwright (in the Chair), Acomb, Arnold, Aslett,Cottam, Keal, Knaggs and Legard.
Substitute: Councillor Jackson (for Councillor Maud).
By Invitation
Councillors Andrews, Mrs Shields and Ms Warriner.
In Attendance
T Anderson, Ms J Baldwin, Mrs L Carter, P Cresswell, P Hancock,J R Rudd, Miss J Waggott and A Winship.
Minutes
75. Apologies for Absence
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Mrs Burrand Maud.
76. Minutes
The Minutes of a meeting of the Policy & ResourcesCommittee held on
17 April 2008 were submitted (previouslycirculated).
Resolved
That the minutes of a meeting of thePolicy & Resources Committee held on 17 April 2008 be approvedand signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
77. Urgent Business
The Chairman reported that there were two items to beconsidered at the meeting as a matter of urgency by virtue ofSection 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The itemsrelated to potential industrial action by Unison and to the BTconsultation on the removal of telephone boxes.
78. Declarations of Interest
The following declarations of interest were received:
In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct CouncillorAndrews declared a personal interest in items 6, 9 and 10 as he haddiscussions with local business people.
Councillor Legard declared a personal interest in items 6, 9and 10 as he has an interest in a shop in Malton.
79. Minutes of a Meeting of the Resources WorkingParty held on 21 May 2008
The minutes of a meeting of the Resources Working Party heldon 21 May 2008 were submitted (previously circulated).
Resolved
That the minutes of a meeting of theResources Working Party held on 21 May 2008 as submitted beendorsed.
80. Minutes of Meetings of the Malton DevelopmentStrategy Steering Group held on 23 April and 11 June2008
The above minutes were considered under item 9 - Malton TownCentre Strategy Steering Group (Minute No. 83 refers).
81. Annual Statement of Accounts and Annual GovernanceStatement
The Corporate Director (S151) submitted a report (previouslycirculated), which provided a summary of the Council’s Accounts forthe financial year 2007/2008 as required under the Accounts andAudit Regulations 2003, together with the Annual GovernanceStatement. The report had been considered at the Special Meeting ofthe Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 24 June 2008. TheCorporate Director (s151) circulated a revised Annual GovernanceStatement Action Plan, which had been prepared followingdiscussions at the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting.
The Statement of Accounts was prepared in accordance with TheCode of Practice on Local Authority Accounting issued in 2007 bythe Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)and also in accordance with various accounting standards, whichCIPFA had adopted.
The Annual Governance Statement was prepared in accordancewith the framework for corporate governance recommended by CIPFAand the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and SeniorManagers.
The Accounts were subject to external audit and would beavailable for public inspection during a period to be specified bythe Council’s external auditor Deloitte & Touche.
The report outlined the following:
- Overview and Revenue Accounts
- Capital Accounts
- Reserves
- Annual Governance Statement
The Statement of Accounts, which were appended to the report,were set out in a statutory format with explanatory notes for thefinancial year to 31 March 2008. In accordance with the regulatoryrequirements of the 2007 Code presentational changes had been madein order to put them more ‘in line’ with commercial practice.However, as a result of these changes it was difficult to compareperformance with the original budget for 2007/08.
The report concluded that the Statement of Accounts had beenprepared in accordance with the relevant statutory regulations andthe local authority code of accounting practice and within thestatutory deadline of 30 June.
In the view of the Council’s Chief Financial Officer(Corporate Director/S151) the Council’s financial standing wassatisfactory.
A summarised version of the approved accounts was to beincluded in the Council’s Annual Report. The summary would also beavailable on the Council’s website and would be available inleaflet form at all Council outlets.
The Corporate Director (s151) reported that, given thecomplexity of the Accounts, Overview & Scrutiny CommitteeMembers had requested that training be given. Councillor Legard wasof the opinion that a summary of the Accounts would be helpful. TheCorporate Director (s151) reported that the comments would be takenon board for future years. In addition, it was reported that areport on the Council’s reserves was to be submitted to a futuremeeting of the Committee.
Resolved
(a) That the Statement of Accounts for2007/08 be approved for endorsement by Council
(b) That the Annual Governance Statementbe approved for endorsement by Council
(c) That the levels of reserves benoted
(d) That the use of surplus funds as setout in the report be approved.
82. Insurance Tender
The above item was deferred to the next meeting of theCommittee on 31 July 2008.
83. Malton Development Strategy SteeringGroup
The Leader of the Council submitted a report, which had beenprepared on behalf of, and endorsed by, Members of the MaltonDevelopment Strategy Steering Group.
Members and Officers were asked to consider therecommendations set out in the report and to agree how to takematters forward against the background of a deteriorating economyand announcements of shop closures.
Members were reminded that in February 2008, a report had beenpresented to the Council and Yorkshire Forward entitled “A Strategyfor Malton Town Centre”. Although the strategy was an overviewdocument it was based on ten months of investigation, consultationand analysis. This included presentations to Malton and Norton TownCouncils and the Malton & Norton Area Partnership. There hadbeen two public consultation exercises, including a well-attendedtwo-day event in the Market Square. Written responses from theseconsultations on site-by-site options informed and were referred toin the document.
A Special Meeting of the Policy & Resources Committee hadbeen held on 5 March to consider the report, which had recommendedgeneral endorsement of the conclusions in the Strategy, that theStrategy be treated as a material planning consideration and thatdetailed development briefs for individual town centre sites beprepared. Members had unanimously supported a recommendation fromthe Leader of the Council “that the Strategy be received as a basisfor further consultation and debate”. In addition, it had beenagreed that a Steering Group be formed and that the four GroupLeaders and Malton Ward Members determine the Steering Group’smembership.
The Group was comprised of the four Group Leaders and threeMalton Ward Members, chaired by Councillor Hemesley, and included anumber of consultees. The Terms of Reference were “To examine indetail the recommendations of the WSP Group with those who have aprofessional, commercial or public interest and to present anopinion to the Policy & Resources Committee”.
The report detailed the meetings, which had taken place andincluded comments submitted by consultees on the issues consideredi.e. the Livestock Market, Supermarkets and traffic implications.In addition the report detailed the Steering Group’srecommendations with regard to future process and policy.
The report detailed the following recommendations:
(a) With reference to the process it was suggested that anyfuture groups should be adequately resourced so as to ensure thatfull reports of meetings were prepared rather than the conventionalCouncil minutes. The Steering Group was part of a process ofcommunity engagement and required openness and clarity.
The group recommend a proper Statement of CommunityInvolvement or Engagement, which could be adopted by the Council.Within that the Group sought guidance as to how it should proceedas part of the continuing process.
(b) We recommend that the Council should decide whether itwishes to retain a Livestock Market in Malton. That decision shouldbe informed by an up-to-date appraisal of the practical andrealistic prospects for relocation and by an assessment of thepractical consequences of retaining a market (not necessarily whatwe have today) on the present site. This decision on the principledrives many other decisions on the Strategy.
(c) We recommend that P & R should insist on more detailas to transport assessment. This means that the committee will haveto decide whether it is prepared to fund the work. Even for anoverview document, the traffic aspect is considered light-weight.One would normally expect a report of this kind to have a secondvolume containing all the technical data, and not only on traffic..We have asked to see the supporting technical data but in the mainit has not been forthcoming.
(d) We recommend that Council decide whether in principle itis prepared to consider redevelopment of part of Wentworth Streetfor alternative uses. If the answer is yes then a development briefshould be prepared for a range of alternative uses, not just thesupermarket plus housing proposed in the strategy. The brief shouldincorporate consideration of the potential use to the community ofany capital gain created, not just “development control” aspects.We think it unlikely that any proposal will obtain much acceptanceunless it can clearly demonstrate benefits for the community as awhole.
(e) We recommend that Council decide whether in principle itis willing to part-pedestrianise Market Square. In doing so itshould consider the desirability of agreeing the detail with theFitzwilliam Estate in view of the lease termination date of April2009, and the desirability/feasibility of doing a trial.
(f) We recommend that P & R invite officers to look atother alternatives for car-parking spaces including Water Lane.There is a view that we may have enough car-parking spaces but itis not always in the right place.
(g) We recommend that P & R re-assess the strategy in thelight of Norton as well as Malton. We accept the dangers of“paralysis through analysis” and the fact that if we try and covereverything we end up taking 15 years to produce a strategy for thenext 15 years. But would taking a “whole-town” approach make adifference to the strategy? We need to know.
(h) We recommend that officers consider with great care howsmart our approach to the monitoring and reporting of air-qualityin and around Malton town centre really is. There is thepossibility that this technical work may be absolutely crucial tothe prospects of securing improvements to the A64 junctions.
In presenting the report the Leader of the Council thanked allcontributors for their participation in the process. It was movedby the Leader of the Council, Councillor Knaggs, and seconded byCouncillor Keal:
(i) That the minutes and recommendations of the MaltonDevelopment Strategy Steering Group meetings held on 23 April 2008and 11 June 2008 be received
(ii) That those recommendations of the Steering Group relatingto policy matters be referred to Officers for consideration andreport to a future meeting of the Policy & ResourcesCommittee
(iii) That those recommendations of the Steering Grouprelating to process be the subject of an Officer report
(iv) That the Council consider and explore all the optionsavailable to maintain a livestock market presence in the Districtof Ryedale.
Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
The Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee reportedthat all Members of the Council would be invited to meetingoutlined in (ii).
Resolved
(a) That the minutes and recommendationsof the Malton Development Strategy Steering Group meetings held on23 April 2008 and 11 June 2008 be received.
(b) That those recommendations of theSteering Group relating to policy matters be referred to Officersfor consideration and report to a future meeting of the Policy& Resources Committee.
(c) That those recommendations of theSteering Group relating to process be the subject of an Officerreport.
(d) That the Council consider and exploreall the options available to maintain a livestock market presencein the District of Ryedale.
NB In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, CouncillorAndrews declared a personal interest in the above item as he haddiscussions with local business people. Councillor Legard declareda personal interest as he has an interest in a retail premises inMalton.
84. Malton Town CentreConsultation
The Forward Planning and Economic Development Managersubmitted a report (previously circulated), which soughtendorsement of further consultation arrangements for the MaltonTown Centre Strategy.
The proposed approach was two-pronged. This sought generalviews about shopping habits and about Malton town centre andpotential improvements, together with a more specific consultationabout the proposals for identified sites in the draft Malton TownCentre Strategy. The detailed elements of the proposed consultationhad been set out in a Community Engagement Plan, prepared withsignificant input from the Council’s Policy Manager, and approvedby the Corporate Management Team.
The key elements of the consultation approach were:
- A questionnaire asking broad questions about Malton town centreand shopping habits and preferences. This had already been sent toall Parish and Town Councils and was to go to all Ryedalehouseholds via the Ryedale News (June edition). This was also to bemade available on the Ryedale DC website and people were to beencouraged to fill this in via a variety of publicity methods,including working with partners such as Ryedale Voluntary Action touse the questionnaire as a basis for discussion at their events. Afreepost address was to be used to further encourage people tocomplete the questionnaire.
- A two-day event in Malton town centre in August (date to beconfirmed) at which people are fully informed about the issuesdriving the need for change and improvement in Malton, togetherwith a detailed explanation of the specific proposals in theStrategy and the reasons for choosing these. People would thenfeedback at the event by indicating their preferences for eachsite. To assist the process of relaying important information andthe driving factors behind the Strategy, a video presentation wasbeing produced that all attendees would view before entering themain exhibition. This video would also be used on the Ryedalewebsite (a first) to inform those who could not attend the eventand who wished to comment on-line. The video was also to bereproduced on DVD to send to town and parish councils and localgroups as part of a Town Centre Strategy consultation pack, inorder to gain the views of the widest possible audience.
- Member visits to two thriving and broadly comparable townswithin the region were also proposed during July to observe andlearn about the measures that had been taken to achieve theirsuccess.
The Forward Planning & Economic Development Managerreported that the Council’s Corporate Management Team had recentlyagreed to the use of some of the 2007/08 Planning Delivery Grantallocation of £65,000 to fund the additional consultation work onthe Town Centre Strategy. It was reported that there were likely tobe further one-off costs associated with the extended consultationexercise that also did not fall into the original contract with WSPand Atisreal, such as attendance at Steering Group events andfurther consultation/investigations with NYCC Highways. TheCorporate Management Team had also agreed that such costs be fundedthrough this element of allocated Planning Delivery Grantexpenditure.
Given the importance of the Town Centre Strategy to the futurewell being of Malton, the above approach was considered necessaryand appropriate.
In considering the report confirmation was sought as towhether the Malton Town Centre Strategy Steering Group was to bedisbanded. The Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committeereported that this was not the case. The Leader of the Councilreported that difficulties with the consultation process had arisendue to the rules that Members must observe so as not to be seen topredetermine the pending planning application for the livestockmarket site. Following from the previous report Officers were askedto consider the inclusion of the livestock market in theconsultation. The Leader of the Council suggested that the work ofthe Steering Group should be placed within the Malton & NortonArea Partnership.
Members commented that at the present time there were too manydisparate groups considering the town’s future. It was importantthat a satisfactory outcome was reached for the benefit of thecommunity.
Resolved
(a) That the consultation arrangements asdetailed in the report be endorsed.
(b) That Member visits be arranged to twothriving and broadly comparable towns within the region to enableMembers to observe and learn about the measures taken to achievesuccess.
NB In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, CouncillorAndrews declared a personal interest in the above item as he haddiscussions with local business people. Councillor Legard declareda personal interest as he has an interest in a retail premises inMalton.
85. Appointment of Working Parties
The Committee was requested to consider the appointment ofMembers to the following Working Parties and Steering Groups:
(a) Senior Management Contracts Working Party
(b) Resources Working Party
(c) Community Investment Fund Panel
(d) Malton Development Strategy Steering Group
(e) Constitution Review Working Party
Resolved
That Members be appointed to the WorkingParties and Steering Groups as follows:
(a) Senior Management Contracts WorkingParty
Chairman of the Council, Group Leaders,Committee Chairmen and the Staff Champion
(b) Resources Working Party
3 Conservative Members - Councillors MrsCowling, Knaggs and Legard
2 Liberal Democrat Members - CouncillorsAslett and Keal
1 Independent Member - CouncillorWainwright
(c) Community Investment Fund Panel
Councillors Acomb, Clark, Cottam, Mrs DeWend Fenton and Wainwright
(d) Malton Development Strategy SteeringGroup
Group Leaders and Malton WardMembers
(e) Constitution Review WorkingParty
Group Leaders and Chairman of theCouncil
86. Annual Report 2007/08
The Performance Manager submitted a comprehensive report(previously circulated), which sought approval of the Best ValuePerformance Indicators as reported in the Annual Report 2007/08.Amendments were circulated at the meeting.
The Council was required each year to publish to thecommunity, stakeholders and others its best value performanceindicator figures. In order to do this an Annual Report wasproduced, based on the Council’s Corporate Plan and showingprogress against that Plan. The Annual Report was also a usefulsource of information for Members and staff as well as otherstakeholders.
Accordingly, the Annual Report brought together the followinginformation:
- Details of all national best value and local performanceindicators (BVPIs)
- Information about how the Council was performing, both againstthe targets the Council had set and against the performance ofother Councils
- The results of consultation with the community
- Reports of the Audit Commission on the work of the Council
- What the Council had done during the past year
- What the Council planned to do to improve services inRyedale
This information helped residents and other stakeholders todecide how well the Council was doing.
A new framework of national indicators had been introducedfrom April 2008, which replaced BVPIs. These formed the basis onwhich the government would judge the Council’s performance and alsothe delivery of the wider Local Area Agreement for North Yorkshireto which the Council also contributed. The Annual Report includeddetails of the new framework.
Copies of the Annual Report were to be made available inCouncil offices, libraries and on the Council’s website. Copieswould also be sent on request to Town and Parish Councils and otherstakeholders. The report was also available in other languages,large print and audio format.
Resolved
That the Best Value Performance Indicatorsin the Annual Report 2007/08 (as amended) be noted andapproved.
87. Items Referred from Council and/orCommittees
There were no referred items.
88. Urgent Business
The following two items were considered as they were decidedby the Chairman to be urgent by virtue of Section 100B(4)(b) of theL:ocal Government Act 1972.
89. UNISON - Industrial Action
The Chief Executive reported for information that potentialstrike action was to be taken on the 16 and 17 July 2008. Memberswere to be informed of any impact on Council services.
90. Removal of BT Telephone Boxes
The Chief Executive reported that the Council had beenconsulted on the potential removal of phone boxes in the District.Responses were required by 18 July 2008.
Members requested that a response be sent to theconsultation:
- Objecting to the removal of phone boxes in areas of poor mobilephone coverage, such as the Wolds
- Emphasising ‘need’ as opposed to use
- Objecting to the removal where the local community wanted toretain the phone box as part of the local heritage.
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