NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

 

21 MAY 2025

 

STATEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR MANAGING OUR ENVIRONMENT

 

Climate Change 

 

As reported in my previous statement, alongside our work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, we need to acknowledge that Climate Change is already happening and consider how we can build resilience and mitigate its effects.  Work is still ongoing, in partnership with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (Y&NYCA) and wider stakeholders, to produce a Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for the region.  This will form the evidence base for the development of an Adaptation Strategy to be drafted later this year. 

 

Work to refresh the Y&NYCA Road Map to Carbon Negative and the associated regional carbon reduction targets is currently underway. North Yorkshire Council (NYC) continues to be involved in co-designing this refresh, alongside our regional partners, which demonstrates the unified approach to decarbonisation in our region. As Executive Member, I continue to work alongside Cllr Hugill in his role as Climate Change Champion and regularly attend the Task and Finish Meetings that have been established for key stakeholders in the region. 

 

Staff have been working hard recently to secure additional decarbonisation funding, through the recently launched Carbon Negative Challenge Fund (CNCF), offered through the Y&NYCA. Bids totalling £2million were submitted and focused on projects to decarbonise leisure centres and to help reduce the council footprint of the Council. Other bids included funding for community carbon reduction, active travel, highways, care homes and other positive climate action initiatives. We await the outcome of these bids but recognise the continued importance of securing external funding in support of our climate objectives. 

 

In a previous update I mentioned the Climate Change Team being shortlisted for their work in delivering a Shared Prosperity Fund scheme for Community Climate Action. Since my last update, it was confirming that they were the winners of the ASPE Awards for ‘best collaborative project’ and I am sure all Members will want to join me in congratulating them for their achievements and recent success at the awards ceremony. 

 

Natural Capital Service

 

Members will recall a recent updated brought through the Area Constituency Committees (ACCs) on the progress of the York and North Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). This is now at the stage of being finalised in advance of a statutory public consultation to be launched later this year.  

  

Following the recent consultation of the proposed designation of a Yorkshire Wolds Area of Natural Beauty (now known as National Landscapes) Natural England continue to review the consultation responses and feedback. There is unlikely to be a further update on the next steps, for when/if this designation will be formalised, until all the consultation feedback has been reviewed and considered by Natural England. If consultation feedback identifies concerns about the proposed boundaries, there may be an additional round of consultations. 

 

Environmental Consultation responses have been a theme of late, with several high-profile consultations coming forward including the DEFRA National Land Use Strategy, Yorkshire Dales Management Plan, Cunliffe Water Commission and Bathing Water Quality Reform consultations. The number of consultations coming forward remains challenging but, given the significance of the natural environment within our geography, it is important that North Yorkshire Council continues to provide substantive and considered responses. 

 

Waste  

 

We have gone live with our new collection rounds at Harrogate, this piece of work is designed to ensure our collections are both efficient and resilient. Over 80% of residents have seen changes to their collections.  We have been consolidating resources from across the county on Harrogate to ensure maximum support is available to residents during this period of change. 

 

We are looking to review and reflect on the changes at Harrogate as we seek to roll out service change in other localities throughout the year. Officers remain on standby to provide advice and investigate any issues that occur. 

 

As part of the first phase of a county-wide roll-out, new recycling bins started to be delivered to residents in the former Ryedale area last month.  Distribution will take around 10 weeks with collections due to start at the end of June.  Throughout this time, we are holding a programme of face-to-face events where residents can find out more about the new service, with officers speaking to over 140 residents at the first five events.  Further information will be sent to all residents in the coming weeks. 

 

Licensing

 

Consultation on our proposed newInclusive Service Plan (ISP) and Taxi Policy review ends on 30 April. Increasing the number of wheelchair accessible taxis is a significant part of this consultation.

 

A request has been received to increase the Maximum Hackney Carriage fares. The last increase was implemented in July 2024.

 

Consultation has closed on our review of Gambling and Licensing Act policies. Statutory Licensing Committee have recommended two policies to Full Council for adoption on 21 May.

 

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, also known as Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on Thursday 3 April 2025. The new law will improve terrorist protection and preparedness across the UK. Certain larger premises and events will need to take steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks influencing events, including those offered by the Council.

 

Regulatory Services

 

In total there have been 57 outbreaks of avian flu across England this season (December – April) and 10 of them have occurred in North Yorkshire.

 

Seven of the North Yorkshire outbreaks have been located around the Skipton on Swale airfield, considered a consequence of the large number of poultry rearing commercial premises in the area and the location of a nearby watercourse which attracts infected wild birds to stop and rest as they migrate.

 

The disease spreads by healthy birds coming into contact with the feathers and faeces of infected birds, dead or alive.  In response to every confirmed outbreak the government declares a 10km Control Zone around the infected premises which introduces measures aimed at removing the local infection and mitigating further spread.

 

The North Yorkshire Council Zoonotic / Non-Zoonotic Animal Disease Plan lays out the roles and responsibilities for those involved in the response.  The Animal and Plant Health Agency cull the infected birds and instigate a deep clean of the infected premises, whilst the local authority engages the public to warn of the existence of the control zone and to promote legal compliance across the bird keeper community.

Of those ten North Yorkshire cases only five remained active on 19 April.  Four of these active cases are located around the Skipton on Swale Airfield and there is one case on the outskirts of Pickering.

 

I want to stress that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advise that bird flu is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low, whilst the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said bird flu poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, remain safe to eat.

 

It is fair to say that North Yorkshire has been one of the worst areas affected across the country in terms of the number of outbreaks, and regrettably we have reached a milestone of 200,000 birds having been culled to prevent further spread of the disease. Fortunately, we are approaching the end of the bird flu season, and it is anticipated the situation will improve rather than worsen.

  

It is important to remember that the wider national Avian Influenza Prevention Zone and accompanying mandatory housing order remains in place.  This means that even when all the outbreak control zones within North Yorkshire are revoked, all captive birds in the county must still be housed inside until further notice.

 

National Trading Standards eCrime Team

 

Operation CeCe – sale of illicit tobacco

Following a successful pilot programme earlier in the year, the eCrime Team has now been awarded new funding from HMRC to take the national lead in tackling online sales of illicit tobacco.  The pilot programme identified potentially widespread supply on social media and other online forums. The new funding will allow the recruitment of additional Enforcement Officers who will work alongside the Regional Illicit Tobacco Officers to tackle illicit tobacco online and offline.  The work will initially be focused on removing listings of illicit tobacco from social media platforms.  Longer term online and financial intelligence work will then be developed, to aid identification of wider organised crime networks and links with illicit supply in bricks and mortar premises.

 

Registration & Bereavement Service

 

The review of the Registration Service concluded in March and implementation of the new structure commenced in April. Separate service managers have been introduced for the two distinct, statutory registration and traded ceremonies arms of the service replacing the previous flat management structure. Further changes have been made to align service provision with demand.

 

The delays in the service receiving death registration documentation from NHS Medical Examiners over the winter have now reduced, with the average time for receipt being 5 days, in line with national targets. The average time between the service receiving documents and informants attending a death registration appointment is 3 days, well within the national target of 5 days.

 

The new system is still being embedded and we expect further changes to be made to the system by the Ministry of Justice. These will hopefully reduce the time span for families to have the legal documentation to carry out funerals and provide more robust assurance before cremation of the removal of medical implants.

 

The Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management have published the scores for the Charter for the Bereaved for 2025. Last year was the first year that all four of our crematoria applied for the charter together and we achieved gold status, with an overall score that ranked

 

us 10th out of around 110 authorities. This year, even whilst going through structure harmonisation, and other significant process changes following LGR, the service has improved its scores in both the cemetery and crematorium elements. Overall, the service now ranks fourth in the country, with cremation ranking 2nd out of all local authorities.

 

 

 

COUNCILLOR GREG WHITE