Minutes:
Councillor Cowling, the Leader of the Council, presented the following statement:
I am pleased to be able to tell you tonight that our officers have again been successful in attracting funding into yet another project in Ryedale. Almost half a million pounds has been awarded through the National Productivity Investment Fund. The money is to upgrade Ings Lane at Kirkbymoorside in order to support the growth of Marshalls and Forum Technologies - two high tech businesses which help us to grow our economy and provide good quality jobs for our residents. Both Marshalls and Forum are very supportive of our work with young people, being regular attendees at Opportunity Knocks.
Tonight on our agenda we shall be discussing the improvement plan that flows from the recent Peer Review of Ryedale District Council. It is an important document for us as it maps the improvements we wish to make to this council in the future. There may be things in the plan that you would rather not hear - but there is much that is positive and will help us to be a better council.
The proposed waste transfer station at Kirby Misperton has been brought forward on our agenda tonight - again a very important decision for this council, with significant financial implications.
We shall also be looking at the allocation of £431,000.00 of Community Housing Funds which have been allocated to help provide housing in areas where there is a large number of second homes. Our success in using this award may well affect the money we are awarded in future rounds of funding.
The following questions were received on the Leader’s Statement:
1. From Councillor Jowitt
Cllr Andrews requested at the last Council meeting if the Council could obtain monies from the Local Enterprise Council to improve drainage and sewerage systems in Malton and Norton. I think the from the Council Leader - Paul's got the letter - but I wonder if the Council Leader would like to inform the rest of Council of the answer to his question?
The Leader replied:
Yes I'm quite happy to do that. It's not actually part of my Leaders Statement but we'll go with it. So, a bid for £5million was made in Round 3 last July for money towards flood schemes in our patch. There had been 5 schemes put forward by local authorities and these were prioritised by the LEP according to the amount - by various factors including the amount of growth they unlocked. Malton came 4th which was disappointing but the scheme doesn't deliver new housing or jobs to any great degree. We only got £0.5 million of the £5 million of the money that we bid for and this money is going into Pocklington, which was the highest scored project as it releases 200 new homes. The LEP will continue to press when more funding for flood defences opportunities arise but it is their role to support growth and not the Environment Agency. This means the schemes like Malton we at Ryedale District Council will need to pursue a range of opportunities to raise the necessary funds.
Councillor Jowitt then asked the following supplementary question:
Given that we haven't obtained money from the LEP to improve the drainage and sewerage system in Malton and Norton, I wonder if there's been or if there'll be any other exploratory enquiries regarding further sources of funding?
The Leader then replied:
Part of the money that we awarded was to employ someone or to fund a post to put someone in position to take this scheme forward so yes, other opportunities will be looked at.
2. From Councillor Shields
In your last paragraph you refer to housing in areas with a large number of second homes. Could you give some examples of where those are please?
The Leader replied:
I would have to give you a written answer to that. Our Council Tax department would be able to give the answer to that because I think they are identified through Council Tax as second homes. It's very difficult because some people buy a home in Ryedale, we don't necessarily know that it is a second home and these second homes tend to be in the price bracket that would be suitable for first time home buyers. It is a big concern for us, so therefore it was really good to get this money to allow us to try and do something about it. Scarborough were also very successful because they have a higher proportion than we have but if you like I can get that information from our Council Tax department for you.
Councillor Shields then asked the following supplementary question:
I just hope that some them are not going to be in Norton. We've had a huge amount of development over the course of the last 5 - 6 years up Scarborough Road and up Beverley Road and as a result the traffic that's mounting up on our side of the bridge is quite incredible and providing a lot of problems. These are being looked into now by the highways but I'm just anxious that we don't have a whole lot more houses on our side of the river. Hopefully they're going to be in some of the rather nice villages, perhaps where people have got their second homes.
The Leader then replied:
This money is targeted at rural housing and it is called Community Led Housing, so it is housing schemes that the community itself brings forward and it is particularly targeted in rural areas.
3. From Councillor Thornton
I would hate to disappoint the Leader of the Council by informing her that I haven't heard her every word and for the last 2 meeting we've had a lot of interference on the microphone system. Could we please look into this and ensure that we have a properly effective microphone system working, also for the recordings?
The Leader replied:
Yes we are looking into it. It appears to be something in this room at Full Council meetings that is causing the interference. We don't seem to get the problem quite so often in Committee meetings. So whether it's the number of iPads or something else that's causing the problem we're not quite sure.
The Chairman added:
I can add to that, I think a manufacturers' technician has been here or is coming here to try and solve the problem.
4. From Councillor Potter
For information. It was quite a serious problem at the last O&S when there weren't many people present. I was rather interested to hear about the LEP money going to Pocklington as the top priority for 200 new homes. I thought it might interest people that of those 200 homes, quite a significant number of those are in flood zones 2 and 3, which to anybody who understands flooding that means they're in the flood plain. I find it rather interesting that the top priority of LEP money is going toward flood plain development specifically.
5. From Councillor P Andrews
I have given you notice of this question. I can make in relevant to the statement, as I've given notice of the question, why isn't on the statement but I'm trying to be polite. I'm trying in a way that is respectful rather than making a nuisance of myself Chairman. The question is bearing in mind that this Council has made certain observation about the Minerals and Waste Plan and bearing in mind that this Council does not employ a qualified minerals planner, will the Council consider the employment, engagement of a qualified minerals planner, professional minerals planner to conduct its case in the examination in public into the minerals and waste plan?
The Leader replied:
That would be a significant cost to this Council and would have to go to P&R. I'm not quite sure how you would get that to P&R but that would have to be where it would be considered.
Councillor P Andrews then asked the following supplementary question:
Could it be put to the next meeting of Policy and Resources then please?
The Leader then replied:
That will be for the Chairman of Policy and Resources to decide. I honestly don't believe that we should be doing that, I think that we've sent in our response, I think we were happy with that response - it's gone through this Council, I'm not sure that we should be considering it but I'll talk it over with officers for you.
6. From Councillor Clark
I wonder if the Leader, when she's having her discussions with the Chair of Policy and Resources, if she could consider why there is absolutely nothing in this report about the annual cost of iese, so how much is that? There's nothing in this report about the total amount paid to iese and we've gone 2 or 3 stages and still not been getting an answer, so hopefully the Leader or the Chair of Policy - I don't mind which - can get me the answers to those. There is good news here, absolutely, but the questions about where things might need looking at are missed out. Yes Cllr Andrews is right, it might need looking at but it's just the presentation policy side - do you not think it would be possible to answer the questions I've just asked you if not today, in a written form?
The Leader replied:
No it wouldn't. You're supposed to ask questions on the statement I've given tonight. If you had other questions, you could have raised them through the proper procedures.
Councillor Clark then asked the following supplementary question:
I've asked in relation to the statement tonight that's arrived here so late as usual that's it's not possible to know what's in to and what isn't before. if it came out with the agenda, then we'd be able to decide whether or not we were going to ask a question. When we get it like this there's nothing about iese in it and you're left with the awkward position of where you put it on the agenda. So if you're not going to answer questions, you aren't answering the question - why are those things not on your statement?
The Chairman responded:
I thank you for that observation and I think it's a good idea to produce Leader's statement ahead of the time, so we look for that for the future.