North Yorkshire Council

Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee

12 September 2024

Work Programme Report

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1 To ask Members to consider the Committee’s work programme and amend it as required.

1.2 To inform Members and the public of work undertaken since the last Committee meeting, including informal meetings and working group sessions.

2.0       BACKGROUND

2.1       The intention is for the Committee to develop a work programme that:

a) is owned by the Committee,

b) has items on it that are important locally but relevant at a strategic level,

c) evolves over time and is not static.

2.2       The Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the Democratic Services Officer will keep the work programme up to date.  They will also determine which items need to be considered at a committee meeting, and which could be dealt with by an informal working group. 

2.3       Issues which are considered by the Committee can be:

a) referred to an officer at the Council for a response,

b) referred to the Democratic Services Officer, to conduct further research to ascertain whether it was appropriate for the Committee to review,

c) referred to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee,

d) referred to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman to consider, outside of a formal committee meeting,

e) referred to the appropriate Executive Member to consider.

2.4       The Work Programme Report is considered at every meeting.  It is an opportunity for Members to request additions to the programme of work, but also it provides a public summary of the work undertaken since the last Committee meeting, including informal meetings and discussions which are not held in public.

3.0       WORKING GROUPS

3.1       The following working group meetings have taken place the last meeting of the Committee on 30 May 2024:

a) Harrogate Station Gateway Working Group:

i. 17 July 2024.  General update on the progress of the scheme, and information on planned works taking place over the remainder of 2024 (minutes of the meeting at Appendix B).

b) Community and Voluntary Sector Working Group:

i. 10 July 2024.  Update following completion of Localities team restructure, and information on establishment of Community Anchor Organisations (minutes of the meeting at Appendix C).

c) Climate Change Working Group: No formal meetings have taken place; however, Cllr Haslam has met with Highways officers from Area 6 to discuss the development of a cycle route on Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, and other councillors to discuss the air quality monitoring to be put in place at Starbeck Level Crossing.

d) Water Quality Working Group:  Cllr Gostlow and Cllr Haslam have agreed a proposal that the Water Quality Working Group be dissolved, and its remit included in that of the Climate Change Working Group.  There is a great deal of crossover between the two issues, and the current level of work between the two groups would not result in an excessive workload, while reducing the admin required to support the groups.

4.0       INFORMAL BRIEFINGS

4.1       The following informal briefings have taken place since the last meeting of the Committee on 30 May 2024:

a) 15 July 2024.  Seed Funding for Economic Development.  Session to discuss options for allocating AC £50k seed funding budget, followed by a brief informal work programming session.

b) 25 July 2024.  Mid-Cycle Briefing, to discuss and confirm agenda items to be considered at the 12 September 2024 meeting.

5.0       FUTURE ITEMS OF WORK

5.1       An informal work programming session will be arranged for October 2024, where members will have a further opportunity to amend the programme.

5.2       The Democratic Services Officer maintains a live version of the work programme, which is available for any committee member on request.  A current version is always included in the papers for each committee meeting as part of the Work Programme Report.

5.3     A summary of items scheduled for consideration at the next two meetings of the Committee (28 November 2024 and 25 March 2025) are at paragraph 1 of the work programme (Appendix A).

5.4     A list of future items of work, which do not yet have a date for consideration, is at paragraph 2 of the work programme (Appendix A).

6.0	RECOMMENDATION
6.1	Members are asked to: a)  consider the Committee’s work programme and amend it as required. b)  note the work undertaken by working groups since the last Committee meeting. c) agree the proposed dissolution of the Water Quality Working Group, and the inclusion of its remit within that of the Climate Change Working Group.

            APPENDICES:

            Appendix A:   HKAC Work Programme (September 2024).

Appendix B:  Minutes of the meeting of the Harrogate Station Gateway Working Group meeting, held on 17 July 2024.

Appendix C:  Minutes of the meeting of the Community Voluntary Sector Working Group meeting, held on 10 July 2024.

BACKGROUND PAPERS:

None.

Report Author – Edward Maxwell, Senior Democratic Services Officer.