North Yorkshire Council

Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee

28 November 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 12 September 2024:

a) Harrogate Station Gateway Working Group:

i. 4 November 2024.  The Working Group met to receive an informal update on progress on delivering the scheme, and updated timelines for the next steps.  Cllr Aldred will deliver a short verbal update at this meeting to keep members informed, and it has been agreed that officers will be invited to deliver a public update to the March 2025 meeting of the Area Committee.  The Committee’s work programme has been updated accordingly, and a further briefing has been arranged for January 2025.

b) Community and Voluntary Sector Working Group:

i. 18 November 2024.  Following on from the VCSE Chief Officer’s Meeting, a representative of Harrogate and District Community Action was invited to attend to discuss the challenges faced by the VCSE sector, explore pre-LGR best practice at Harrogate Borough Council, and outline how the Area Committee can best support the VCSE sector.  A letter from Frances Elliot summarising these issues is at Appendix B, and a copy of the presentation from that meeting is at Appendix C.

c) Climate Change Working Group: No meetings have taken place since the last Committee meeting.

4.0       INFORMAL BRIEFINGS

4.1       The following informal briefings have taken place since the last meeting of the Committee on 12 September 2024:

a) 11 October 2024.  Let’s Talk Waste Consultation Feedback Session, for local members to give specific feedback from the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area.

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       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.

5.2       A summary of items scheduled for consideration at the next meeting of the Committee (25 March 2025) are at paragraph 1 of the work programme (Appendix A).

5.3       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.

            APPENDICES:

            Appendix A:   HKAC Work Programme (November 2024).

Appendix B:  CVSWG – Notes from 18 November meeting.

Appendix C:  CVSWG – Presentation delivered at 18 November meeting

Appendix D:  CVSWG – Additional suggestions around commissioning services.

Appendix E:  CVSWG – Letter from Frances Elliot, HADCA, on behalf of Chief Officers.

BACKGROUND PAPERS:

None.

Report Author – Edward Maxwell, Senior Democratic Services Officer.