North Yorkshire County Council
Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee
Minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 24th November, 2022 commencing at 10.00 am at Harrogate Civic Centre.
Present: County Councillor Pat Marsh in the Chair, and County Councillors Chris Aldred, Philip Broadbank, Sam Gibbs, Hannah Gostlow, Michael Harrison, Paul Haslam, Peter Lacey, John Mann, Mike Schofield, Monika Slater, Matt Walker, Arnold Warneken and Robert Windass.
Officers present: Sally Dunn, Howard Emmett, Jane Le Sage, Amanda Newbold, Chloe Thwaites, Sue Turley, Victoria Turner and Ruth Gladstone.
Other Attendees: Sarah Armstrong (Chair) and Jonathan Coulter (Chief Executive) of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. Lulu Halloum and Luke Warburton of Harrogate Youth Council. Brando Naim (Member of the Youth Parliament for Harrogate and Craven). Seven members of the public.
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Copies of all documents considered are in the Minute Book
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Minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2022 and the special meeting held on 10 November 2022
County Councillor Arnold Warneken referred to the last bullet point on page 3 of the minutes of the special meeting held on 10 November 2022 and advised that it correctly recorded the undertaking, which Andrew Jones MP had given during that meeting, to provide a written response to a question which County Councillor Arnold Warneken had asked during that meeting. County Councillor Arnold Warneken reported that Andrew Jones MP had written to him but had not answered the question on the grounds that County Councillor Arnold Warneken was not one of his constituents. County Councillor Arnold Warneken highlighted that he represented Marton cum Grafton, Great Ouseburn, Little Ouseburn and the Dunsforths on the County Council and a large farming community within the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency. He also highlighted that he was a member of this Committee and that the question which he had asked at the Committee’s special meeting on 10 November was on behalf of this Committee rather than himself. The Chair agreed, at County Councillor Arnold Warneken’s request, to ask Andrew Jones MP to provide a written reply to the question which County Councillor Arnold Warneken had asked at the Committee’s special meeting on 10 November to which Andrew Jones MP had undertaken, at that meeting, to provide a written response.
Resolved –
(a) That the Minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2022, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
(b) That the Minutes of the special meeting held on 10 November 2022, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
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Declarations of Interest
County Councillor Philip Broadbank referred to item 7 on the agenda and declared that his wife was employed as a nurse at the Harrogate District Hospital.
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Public Questions or Statements
Two notices had been received of questions or statements from members of the public for this meeting.
Neil Hind, Chairperson, Pinewoods Conservation Group
Ruth Gladstone (Principal Democratic Services Officer) read out the following question on behalf of Neil Hind:- “Councillors are hopefully aware of the plans for Harrogate Spring Water to expand onto public woodland known as Rotary Wood as there is public concern around this. As from 1st April, that land will transfer ownership from Harrogate Council to the new North Yorkshire Council. Could the Committee confirm that it would not approve or support any proposal for the Council to sell or lease this public land for development.”
Ruth Gladstone read out the following response on behalf of officers from the Council’s Business and Environmental Services Directorate:- “Harrogate Spring Water has been investigating the possibility of expansion at the site for a number of years. The company is a local business and employer, now part of Danone. Expansion of the site would initially need to be considered in the same way as any development. Therefore, if the company can obtain the appropriate statutory consents, including planning permission, then the Council will need to consider whether it wishes to allow use of the land and the terms for any transaction.”
Members made no comment regarding the above question and response so that Members who would be determining the planning application did not need to leave this meeting to avoid any suggestion of predetermining that application.
20mph Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone
Dr Jenny Marks made the following statement on behalf of herself and Mrs Ruth Lily:-
“Thank you Chair and Councillors for giving us the opportunity to deliver our statement. I am Jenny Marks and this is my neighbour on Pannal Ash Road, Ruth Lily.
We are applying to NYCC for the creation of a 20mph zone, with appropriate additional infrastructure, including safe crossings, around Harrogate Grammar School, Rossett High, Ashville College, Rossett Acre Primary, and Western Primary.
The County Council’s Revised 20mph Speed Limit and Zone Policy (Jan 2022) allows for the creation of 20mph zones particularly around schools, where they benefit both safety and a sense of place, to extend an existing 20mph limit, and where there is public support for the proposal.
We can demonstrate a need for a 20mph zone on the basis of all these points.
We are speaking from a position of significant collective concern for the safety of the 4,995 school children, and for all those who use the network of roads around the schools on a daily basis, including residents, and users of Rossett and Ashville Sports Centres, Busy Bees Nursery, and Rossett Nature Reserve.
We are speaking from a strong position of local knowledge and support, having spent the last 18 months consulting schools, local residents and other stakeholders in order to better understand their needs.
Our consultation has enabled us to formulate a plan for the area which takes into account all of those needs – a 20mph zone with supporting infrastructure.
This plan was well-received at the Harlow and Pannal Ash Residents Association AGM, at which we spoke last month. We also have support from the five schools, from our local councillor, Cllr Schofield, from the Harrogate District Cycle Action Group and from more than 330 people who have signed our petition for a 'Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone' https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/pannal-ash-safe-streets-zone . We urge you to visit this petition and to read the many heartfelt comments, the pleas for safer streets.
Throughout the consultation process we have been struck by:
· The overwhelming sense of concern for the safety of children and others using these roads; · People's alarm at the degradation of the area’s atmosphere and sense of place due to its increasing use as a cut-through by speeding traffic; · Worries that the situation will only get worse as many more houses are built on the West side of Harrogate.
We have heard time and again the wishes of parents and others to have a safe network of streets that makes all forms of active travel SAFE.
The lack of safe streets forces people into their cars.
In a world of climate crisis, this lack of provision for safe active travel seems irresponsible and outdated.
Many places across the UK now have school streets and 20mph zones as the norm, or indeed 20mph limits in all urban areas. They have safe, dedicated cycle routes. We in North Yorkshire appear to be lagging far behind in this respect.
We believe that the council has a moral responsibility to take a holistic and modern approach to road safety in our area.
Last month, this Committee voted in favour of piloting 20mph zones in selected residential areas. We have worked with schools, local groups and residents to develop a plan for just such a 20mph zone. We have strong local support. We ask that the Pannal Ash Safe Streets Zone be taken forward as the first area to be piloted. Thank you.”
Ruth Gladstone (Principal Democratic Services Officer) read out the following response on behalf of Council Highways Officers:- “We would like to thank Dr Jenny Marks and Mrs Ruth Lily for their thorough and detailed research and engagement with the Pannal Ash community in forming their application for the creation of a 20mph Zone. We acknowledge receipt of the application which will be assessed in accordance with the revised policy”. Dr Jenny Marks advised that the application had not been submitted yet.
County Councillor Mike Schofield (local Member) made a statement in support of the application. Various other Members expressed support for the application, commended the work undertaken by Dr Jenny Marks and Mrs Ruth Lily, and highlighted that police enforcement of 20mph zones was needed.
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Schools, Educational Achievement and Finance
Considered: The report of the Corporate Director – Children and Young People’s Service which provided information on:-
· The numbers of maintained and academy schools across North Yorkshire and within the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency. · School standards, ie: Ofsted judgements; the uneven impact of the pandemic on 2021/22 performance data; overall attainment; attainment at the early years foundation stage and at key stages 2 and 4; and the number of young people not in education, employment or training. · The numbers of suspension incidents and permanent exclusions. · The reshaping of targeted mainstream SEN provision in the constituency during the 2020/21 academic year. · SEN statistics for the constituency area. · Elective home education. · School finances, ie: 2021/22 school revenue balances; school budget projections based on 2022/23 start budgets; school finance and funding issues; local authority support for schools in financial difficulty; and the financial position of schools in the constituency area. · The planning of school places, ie: current and future pupil rolls; provision for primary stage in the Boroughbridge, Harrogate West, Harrogate Outer, and Knaresborough town areas; provision for secondary stage; and provision for the new settlement at Maltkiln.
The report was introduced by Sue Turley (Strategic Planning Officer) who, together with Sally Dunn (Head of Schools High Needs Early Years), Jane le Sage (Assistant Director Inclusion), Amanda Newbold (Assistant Director Education and Skills), and Howard Emmett (Assistant Director Strategic Resources), responded to Members’ questions.
Members thanked the officers for providing a thorough and excellent report and asked questions. Additional information provided in response to questions included the following:-
· A survey was being undertaken to gather information on actions which schools were taking to address the impact of increasing electricity and gas prices. Once the survey results were available, they would be shared with Committee Members.
· Regarding school performance, the results for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area were above averages across the county, and sometimes nationally. Members expressed concern that some performance across the county was below the national average. Officers advised of the actions which the local authority was taking to improve performance of local authority schools and could take regarding Academies.
· Further information was provided about the detailed work undertaken to plan school places to ensure capacity for new and future housing developments. Members commented that: - (i) they would prefer a secondary school to be provided straight away to serve the proposed Maltkiln development and reduce home to school travel by car or bus. The officers advised that land within the Maltkiln development was safeguarded for secondary provision, should it be required in the future. However, Boroughbridge High School was being expanded and would have sufficient capacity to serve the Maltkiln community; and (ii) having all secondary schools, and no sixth form, on one side of Harrogate was increasing traffic congestion. Members suggested that a secondary school was needed in the Bilton/New Park area of Harrogate. Members suggested that the local authority was at risk of making pragmatic decisions rather than considering climate change issues which would create problems in the longer term.
· Elective home education in North Yorkshire had increased significantly since the pandemic began, reflecting the national situation, but was now slowing down slightly and was on par with national averages. Elective home education was a matter for parental choice and should be made for a positive reason to benefit the child. The local authority’s powers were limited regarding elective home education. However, where elective home education was being considered by a parent, due to a breakdown in the relationship between the school and the parent, the local authority tried to broker the situation.
· When a child came off school roll or was missing education (or had “disappeared”), the school notified the local authority. The local authority then followed a statutory process to ensure it could track that child.
· The target opening date for the new primary school in Knaresborough had been revised to September 2024 due to infrastructure delays which were beyond the County Council’s remit. Sue Turley undertook to provide further detail to County Councillor Matt Walker.
· A Member described the Targeted Mainstream Provision work, intended to help the local authority meet demand for full time education provision for children with SEND and who had an EHC Plan, as “excellent”.
The Chair asked Members to email the officers with any further questions.
Note: During discussion, County Councillor Paul Haslam advised that he was a school governor but this was an unpaid position.
Resolved –
That the report on educational factors in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency area be noted.
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Fuel Poverty Update
Considered: A presentation by Victoria Turner (Public Health Consultant, Public Health Team) concerning fuel poverty in North Yorkshire, its impact on health, actions being taken nationally and locally, and future opportunities which included local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire; the Levelling Up/Shared Prosperity Funding; and the co-benefits of addressing climate change. (A copy of the presentation slides was circulated as part of the agenda papers for this meeting.)
During discussion, various issues were highlighted, including the following:-
· Members commended the work being done to address fuel poverty.
· Members highlighted that residents were in fuel poverty within in the relatively affluent constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough.
· Victoria Turner undertook to check what specialist property support was available to insulate old buildings in conservation areas where usual uPVC windows were not permitted.
· Officers recognised the need to highlight places where people could go to keep warm, that were already open, and where there was a lot of activity taking place in any case (eg libraries) so there should be less stigma in going there.
The Chair thanked Victoria Turner for her presentation and for answering Members’ questions.
Resolved –
That the presentation be noted.
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Harrogate District Hospital's Recovery from the Covid Pandemic
Considered: The oral briefing by Sarah Armstrong (Chair of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust) and Jonathan Coulter (Chief Executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust) concerning Harrogate Hospital’s recovery from the Covid pandemic.
Key themes raised during discussion with Members included the following:-
· The Hospital’s plans to run its own Domiciliary Care Service, the risk that such plans would distort the social care market recognising that care providers were currently struggling to recruit staff, and the suggestion that the Hospital and the County Council should work together to try collectively to make the situation better. Jonathan Coulter advised that the Hospital was very much aware of the situation, wanted to help address the problem of delayed discharges, and was working with Richard Webb’s team to work this through with the County Council rather than doing anything that would upset that.
· Jonathan Coulter confirmed that the Hospital wished to look both at:- (i) the Buurtzorg model to provide support around the District Nurses Team; and (ii) whether North Yorkshire was suffering from nursing home deregistration due to the inability to attract nurses and, moreover, nurses moving from nursing homes to work for the NHS, and whether outreach nursing support could be given to ensure capacity in nursing beds within nursing homes.
· Actions the Hospital had taken to improve security following incidents of aggression towards staff and volunteers.
· A Member highlighted that the County Council’s Scrutiny of Health Committee could be of greater help if the Trust provided written, rather than oral, information at meetings of that Committee. Jonathan Coulter undertook to deal with this.
The Chair thanked Sarah Armstrong and Jonathan Coulter for their briefing and asked for Members’ thanks to be passed on to staff at the hospital.
Resolved –
That the briefing be noted.
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Youth Council Update
Considered: The oral briefings provided by Lulu Halloum and Luke Warburton (the leadership team from Harrogate Youth Council) and Naim Brando (member of the Youth Parliament for Harrogate and Craven). Lulu and Luke spoke about the Youth Council, its structure, current campaign topics, and the difficulties the Youth Council faced. Naim spoke about his role and the Youth Parliament’s current campaign topics.
Members welcomed the presentations and applauded Lulu, Luke and Naim for their work and the Youth Council’s activities.
During discussion:-
· The Youth Council representatives invited Members of the Committee to attend Youth Council meetings. County Councillors Paul Haslam, Philip Broadbank and Pat Marsh in particular expressed an interest in attending.
· In response to Members’ questions, it was highlighted that finance was a key difficulty for the Youth Council and that, if the Youth Council could attract more funding, it would hire a stall at local events to carryout outreach activities. The Committee Chair suggested that the Youth Council should contact County Councillors outside this meeting because each County Councillor had a Locality Budget to spend.
It was noted that the Youth Council’s representatives were scheduled to be invited to attend another meeting of the Committee in 2023.
The Chair thanked Lulu, Luke and Naim for attending this meeting and for providing their briefings.
Resolved –
That the briefings be noted.
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Committee Work Programme
Considered: The Committee’s Work Programme for Members to consider and amend.
Resolved –
(a) That the Work Programme be approved, subject to:-
(i) The inclusion of an additional meeting to be held in/around February 2023 to consider the Harrogate Station Gateway Project and an update on Active Travel Schemes, the precise date to be identified following the receipt of further information from Highways Officers and consultation with Committee Members.
(ii) The inclusion, at the meeting to be held on 16 March 2023, of an update from the Members’ Task and Finish Group which is looking into the possibility of seeking Designated Bathing Area status for the River Nidd at Knaresborough.
(iii) The inclusion, at the meeting to be held on 16 March 2023, of a presentation from Harrogate Destination Management Organisation, and that Ruth Gladstone circulate, to all Members of the Committee, any information about the consideration of DMOs in the meantime by NYCC scrutiny committees.
(iv) The inclusion, at the meeting to be held on 16 March 2023, of an item allowing Members to comment on the Harrogate Borough Council Playing Pitch Strategy, and that, in the meantime, Ruth Gladstone obtain the presentation slides used at the Borough Council’s recent Member Training regarding that Strategy and email these to all Members of the Committee.
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The meeting concluded at 1.25 pm.