NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL
21 February 2024
STATEMENT OF EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR OPEN TO BUSINESS
including Economic Development & Regeneration, Planning, Visitor Economy, Broadband, and Harbours
Economic Development, Regeneration, Tourism & Skills
North Yorkshire Economic Growth Strategy
The strategy was adopted by full council in November 2023 and will be published shortly. Delivery of objectives is underway with Town Deal-funded projects in Scarborough, Whitby and Selby and the Levelling Up Fund Catterick Garrison Town Centre project. The Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund is supporting businesses to grow, reduce environmental impact and provide people with workplace skills. Future investment-ready strategic projects are being prepared to benefit from potential investment opportunities.
Business Advice Service
North Yorkshire Council and Combined Authority staff continue to work on a ‘One Front Door’ approach to provision of business advice services for North Yorkshire businesses. Businesses and investors of all sizes will get advice and information in a seamless way from both authority teams without duplication.
Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Fund Delivery
These two successful government funds are now nearing the end of Year 2 of the three-year programmes, including grants for:
· Small Businesses
· Decarbonisation.
· Communities covering:
o Village Halls/ Community Buildings
o Sports Community Grant
o Sports Capital Grants
o Small Community Grant
· Improvements to ‘Place’
· Skills
A review of the programmes will be undertaken to make sure that the final year’s allocation of £14.9 million will be targeted in the most effective way to support North Yorkshire Businesses and Communities.
Regeneration N&E
Progress continues with the major regeneration programmes within the area, including the Scarborough and Whitby Town Deals and the Catterick LUF programme.
Planning consent for the Catterick Garrison Town Centre scheme was granted in January 2024 with enabling works scheduled to commence in the near future. On 25 January Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited both Scarborough and Catterick to see some of the investments and projects being delivered and meet members of the local community.
In Northallerton work is drawing to a close on a successful programme of regeneration activity over the past three years supported by the Future High Street Fund. In the Ryedale area work is progressing well on the construction of seven new small business units at the Thornton Road Industrial Estate. Construction of changing places facilities in Eastgate, Pickering commenced in January 2024.
In Whitby pre-planning consultation is currently underway in relation to the flagship Maritime Hub project prior to a planning submission in the spring.
Regeneration S&W
The full business cases for the Station Gateway projects at Selby, Harrogate and Skipton were submitted recently to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and a decision on funding is expected in March 2024 for Selby and Skipton (with Harrogate to follow). The schemes combine transport and accessibility improvements with regeneration benefits under the government’s Transforming Cities Fund programme. Each project will make that railway station an appealing and accessible facility and support the regeneration and economy of that town. The projects will be implemented during 2025 and 2026.
Discussions are underway with the emerging Combined Authority for York and North Yorkshire regarding ‘gainshare’ funding to help deliver several regeneration and infrastructure projects. Some funding is also available to develop the business cases of other projects, which can then become future funding bids to the MCA and to government.
Construction of changing places facilities and refurbishment of existing toilet block at Selby Park started on site mid-January with completion set for early April 2024. This is part of the wider Abbey Quarter scheme.
The proposals to fully refurbish and enhance the Tadcaster bus station building will be presented at February Planning Committee. This work includes replacement of the existing toilet unit and a small extension for a changing places unit. Work for this scheme is anticipated to be completed in September 2024.
At a recent Sherburn Town Council event, the enhancement scheme for part of Low Street shopping area received a positive response from the Sherburn community. The team continue to work with the Town Council and relevant landowners to finalise the scheme, which includes hard and soft landscape improvements.
Tourism
Destination Management Plan : In mid-January several Action Planning Forums were conducted with industry stakeholders to solidify action plans in support of the Destination Management Plan. Feedback was generally very positive and is now being used to further develop the Destination Management Plan.
North Yorkshire Visitor Guide : 80,000 North Yorkshire Visitor Guides are now being distributed to attract visitors to our great county. The Visitor Guide can be viewed here.
Interim Visit North Yorkshire website : While we work through the necessary procurement processes to purchase a Destination Management System for North Yorkshire, an interim visitor website has been created for North Yorkshire. This website will allow us to continue to run North Yorkshire focussed marketing activity in advance of our new Destination Management System which will allow much greater functionality in the long term. The interim website can be viewed by visiting visitnorthyorkshire.com
Planning
Delivery & Infrastructure
Maltkiln New Settlement DPD
At the Full Council meeting today (21 February 2024) Members will be considering a recommendation by the Executive to submit the Maltkiln New Settlement Development Plan Document (DPD) for independent examination. In making this recommendation the Executive has consulted both the newly constituted Development Plan Committee and the Selby & Ainsty Area Constituency Committee. Progressing and hopefully adopting the Development Plan Document allows the Council to be on the front foot guiding delivery. We have a promoter in place and a planning application on our books. Without the Development Plan Document we would be left with high level Local Plan policy only and all of the detail that has been worked out would carry very limited weight. This is especially important given the infrastructure requirements and the ambition to make the settlement zero carbon.
At a meeting of the Executive on 12 December 2023, Members agreed in principle to pursue a Compulsory Purchase Order as a mechanism to deliver Maltkiln should it not be possible to reach an agreement with landowners.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) / S106
At its meeting on 6 February 2024, the Executive considered a report that sets out a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Spending Protocol. This recommends the approach that the new Council will take in respect of the collection, receipts, auditing and future spending of CIL monies collected by legacy authority CIL charging areas. This will ensure that CIL serves its purpose of contributing to the delivery of the infrastructure necessary to support development in North Yorkshire.
Strategic Sites
We have a number of strategic sites across North Yorkshire, the delivery of which is important for the successful implementation of the ambitions set out in our adopted Local Plans. We will start to look at reviewing this pipeline of strategic sites and look to prioritise sites for action and further work. Of particular note is the work that has been on-going in relation to the west Harrogate sites where we are close to finalising the West Harrogate Infrastructure Delivery Strategy (WHIDS) that will ensure the effective co-ordination and delivery of a broad range of infrastructure, including active and sustainable travel as well as highway mitigation.
Planning Policy and Place
Local Plan for North Yorkshire
The formal timetable of the Local Development Scheme for the preparation of the new Local Plan and other development plan documents was approved by Executive on 6 February, with adoption scheduled in 2028.
Consultation on the Council’s draft Statement of Community Involvement took place in November/December 2023. All comments have been considered and the final version will be presented for approval by Executive on 20 February. This document sets out the process for consulting on planning policy documents and throughout the planning application process.
Officers have begun the initial stages of engagement with key stakeholders such as infrastructure providers, development industry, neighbouring local authorities and elected members. There will be early and regular input from Councillors throughout the preparation of the new Local Plan.
Preparation of the Local Plan evidence has started, including procurement of those elements that will need the input of external consultees.
A ‘call for sites’ consultation for the new Local Plan will take place in March 2024 and officers will work towards the first stage of public consultation on Issues and Options before the end of 2024.
A new Development Plan Committee has been created, which will act as the main sounding board for the preparation of the Local Plan and other development plan documents, so supporting officers in the evolution of the plan and ultimately providing recommendations and comments for consideration by the Area Constituency Committees and the Executive at formal stages of plan making.
Selby Local Plan
Following consultation with the Development Plan Committee and the Selby & Ainsty Area Constituency Committee, at today’s meeting Members will be considering a recommendation by the Executive to progress to Publication Consultation with the Selby Local Plan without the inclusion of the Heronby new settlement.
Planning Operations
The Operations team continue to provide technical support across the range of Planning and Building Control functions as well as processing Land Charges Searches and processing requests for Street and Property Naming and Numbering.
Building Control
The focus at the moment within building control is the restructure of the service and to continue the process of bringing together the current three building control teams with the commencement of staff consultation/engagement. It is hoped that, subject to any changes the implementation of the structure can take place during February and March to allow recruitment to vacant posts to commence as soon as possible.
The service is also working towards the registration of surveying staff with the Building Safety Regulator which becomes a legal requirement on 6 April 2024; this also requires staff to demonstrate their competence through a validation process.
Development Management & Enforcement
By the end of December, the service had dealt with 179 major, 1341 minor and 2585 minor other applications. In addition, we have also dealt with a considerable number of other types of applications, including prior approvals, screening opinions, scoping reports, trees, hedgerows, discharge of conditions, telecommunications etc. Performance across all application types is within statutory targets.
The Constituency Area Planning and Strategic Committees have now met 51 times.
The Chair and Vice Chairs group is continuing to consider how planning committee is functioning, including the Scheme of Delegation. A working group to consider in detail has been established and met twice. It will be reporting back to the main group later in February before further wider discussions are held with ACCs.
In terms of Planning Enforcement, since 1 April 2023 we have closed 1451 cases.
Harbours
The Harbour Dredger has now completed an extensive repair and maintenance programme and is currently awaiting its final Maritime and Coastguard Agency survey and sign off. Once this is complete the vessel’s Master is preparing a plan for boat movements to allow a prompt start to the winter programme and this will involve the dredger working 10 hour shifts with variable start times according to tide movements. This will allow dredging operations to regain the lost time as a result of the repair works and the winter dredging programme to be complete before the season commences.
Alongside this, officers have expedited work to develop an infrastructure repair/replacement programme in relation to the harbour sheet pile walls. The first phase of this programme is to complete the detailed design work for the replacement of the sheet piling at Eskside Wharf and the final report from the consultant designers is due imminently.
COUNCILLOR DEREK J BASTIMAN