Agenda and draft minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

Resolved

That the public Minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2026, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and confirmed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillor Michael Harrison declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Minute 851 as his employer was listed within the Treasury Management Quarter 3 report.  As he had previously been granted a dispensation by the Standards Committee he remained in the meeting room and took part in the debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Malcolm Taylor declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Minute 854 as he was a shareholder and a family member was a director of Scarborough Athletic Football Club.  He left the meeting room during the debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Gareth Dadd declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Minute 851 in relation to second homes.  As he had previously been granted a dispensation by the Standards Committee he remained in the meeting room and took part in the debate and vote on the item.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Elizabeth Jackson , Principal Democratic Services Officer, and supplied the text by midday on Thursday 12 February 2026, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·         at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·         when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Leader who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were no public questions or statements.

Recommendations

That the Executive

       i.         notes the position on the Council’s Treasury Management activities during the third quarter of 2025/26.

     ii.         refers this report to the Audit Committee for their consideration as part of the overall monitoring arrangements for Treasury Management. 

    iii.         note the updated Q3 2025/26 Capital Plan.

    iv.         approve the allocation of £175k of Strategic Capacity Reserve to deliver the pay-on-entry technology to 15 public convenience sites pending approval of proposals to be presented to Executive (paragraph 4.2).

     v.         approve the extension to the repayment deadline for the existing Yorwaste loan to 27 March 2028 (paragraph 4.3).

    vi.         approve the extension to the term for the existing Bracewell Homes loan to 31 March 2036 (paragraph 4.4).

   vii.         notes the forecast outturn position against the 2025/26 Revenue Budget, as summarised in paragraph 2.2.1.

 viii.         approves up to £3.6m over a three year period to fund a programme of Prevention Plus as set out in section 2.6 and delegates authority to the Corporate Director, Resources in consultation with the Corporate Director, HAS and the Executive Members for Finance and HAS to reframe the approach including the overall funding (up to a maximum of £3.6m over three years) in the event that NHS partners do not provide sufficient contribution to the overall funding.

Considered – A joint report of the Chief Executive and Corporate Director Resources bringing together key aspects of the Council’s performance on a quarterly basis.

The Executive Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Heather Phillips, introduced the report which covered the period 1 October 2024 to 31 December 2025 and highlighted improved performance of Allerton Park and good progress on the Housing Revenue Account.

The Leader welcomed Members of Scrutiny Board to the meeting, including Councillor Steve Shaw-Wright who was attending his first meeting as Chair of the Housing and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Councillor Caroline Goodrick who was attending her first meeting as Chair of Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee. In response to questions to Executive Members from Scrutiny Chairs and Member Champions the following was confirmed:

Thriving Places and Empowered Communities

·       The Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing referred to the new mobile library which had added 18 new stops to the existing 24, enabling visits to more villages and communities.

·       The Executive Member for Open to Business reported that 32 Town Investment Plans were scheduled for delivery during the year and that work had already commenced in 23 locations.

·       Vacancy rates in Scarborough and Malton – it was explained that vacancy levels in Scarborough and Malton were broadly in line with the national average.  The Council was exploring opportunities to acquire properties to support new business start?ups and was working to improve the vitality of high streets, noting that high streets were becoming places for social interaction rather than solely retail.

·       A separate response would be provided in relation to outreach, livestream and community project engagement numbers.

·       Households in temporary accommodation / homelessness prevention – it was confirmed that a range of preventative actions were being undertaken with landlords in order to reduce evictions wherever possible. Legislative changes would assist this work and the Council could provide rent payments or bonds when needed. Despite these efforts, numbers in temporary accommodation and continued to rise due to limited housing options and there was ongoing investment in the Council’s own temporary accommodation stock to increase capacity.

Sustainable and Connected Places

·       The Executive Member for Managing our Environment advised that the Council was progressing towards harmonising bin collections across the area, with Richmondshire scheduled later in the year, supporting the long?term aim of achieving one unified collection system across North Yorkshire.

·       Residual waste levels – In response to concerns about continuing high levels of residual waste, it was explained that a new waste strategy would be developed alongside renewed communications to encourage residents to place the correct materials in the correct bins. They confirmed participation in the BBC “bin day” campaign and joint work with the Rotters to improve public understanding of recycling requirements, with the aim of reducing residual waste as far as possible.

·       Waste to landfill – whilst landfill was used only as a last resort, temporary shutdown periods at the Allerton Park plant could necessitate it when alternative plants were unavailable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 851.

Recommendation

That the Executive consider the 2026-2027 Pay Policy in appendix A and recommend to Full Council, at their meeting on 18 March 2026, the approval of the Pay Policy for publication.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive Human Resources and Business Support presenting the NYC Pay Policy for Senior Managers 2026–2027, which the Council was required by the Localism Act 2011 to publish annually. The report set out the pay bands and principal pay terms for the Council’s senior managers for the next financial year April 2026 to March 2027.

The Executive Member for Finance and Resources, Councillor Gareth Dadd, introduced the report and advised that the policy remained unchanged from the previous year.

Resolved

That the Executive recommend to Full Council, at their meeting on 18 March 2026, the approval of the Pay Policy for publication.

Reason for recommendations

A legal requirement to publish the pay policy as set out in the Localism Act 2011.

Recommendations

It is recommended that the Executive gives approval for:

·       The grant to be declined at this time

·       Officers to request the DfE proceed with the delivery of the special school in Northallerton

·       Officers to inform the DfE that the council remains open to further dialogue on this issue once the full detail of national reforms are known and understood

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Service outlining the Department for Education’s review of previously approved free school schemes, and seeking direction on whether the Council should accept a £5.6m capital grant or request that the DfE continue with the previously approved proposal to deliver a new 120?place special school in Northallerton for children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

The Executive Member for Education, Learning and Skills, Councillor Annabel Wilkinson, introduced the report. She summarised that the DfE had invited the Council to choose between two options:

·       Accepting a £5.6m grant to support alternative local SEND capital priorities; or

·       Proceeding with delivery of the new special school at the former Northallerton School site.

The report set out the risks and benefits of both options and it was recommended that the DfE be requested to continue with the delivery of the school, given rising demand and the benefits for children living in the north of the county as currently the council was dependent on independent schools a distance away.

Resolved (unanimously)

That the Executive gives approval for

1)    The grant to be declined at this time

2)    Officers to request the DfE proceed with the delivery of the special school in Northallerton

3)    Officers to inform the DfE that the council remains open to further dialogue on this issue once the full detail of national reforms are known and understood

Reasons for recommendations

The reasons for the recommendation were that on balance and consideration of all the benefits and risks set out in section 4 and 6 the special school would add a significant resource to the local educational offer.

Whilst there were benefits and risks to either option the council already had some resource available to it to increase SEN resource base capacity alongside the DfE delivering the school. Taking the grant does provide further capital resource, though presently it was not known what the timeline or traction will be for future reforms of the system and the impact on demand for special school places.

The Council could continue to roll out specialist places in mainstream schools with the resources already available. It was assumed further allocations will be forthcoming, however, the risk being that further HNPC allocations are reduced which would restrict the numbers that can be created.

Alternative options considered

The alternative option available to the council was to accept the £5.6m capital grant and forgo the delivery of the special school. This option would also present both potential benefits and risks.

Accepting the grant would provide additional flexibility to the council in providing specialist places. Combined with existing capital grants it would allow the council to be more ambitious with the roll out of mainstream SEN Resource Bases known locally as Targeted Mainstream Provisions and potentially create an opportunity to work with special schools and/or academy trust to provide smaller satellites of special schools.

High Needs Provision Capital Allocation guidance released in 2025 by the DfE had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 853.

Recommendations

It is recommended that Executive approve:

i)        To award SAFC a loan on commercial terms up to a total value of £150k.

ii)       If the loan repayments are adhered to, to provide SAFC with a grant that contributes towards the value of any interest charged.

iii)     That the terms of the loan and the accompanying grant be delegated to the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance.

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director of Community Development proposing the provision of a loan facility of up to £150,000 on commercial terms to Scarborough Athletic Football Club (SAFC), together with a linked grant to offset interest charges where repayments were maintained. The report explained that the club was experiencing a short?term cash flow challenge arising from the refurbishment of its pitch, which had required the team to play away from Scarborough during the season.

The Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing, Councillor Simon Myers, introduced the report. He highlighted that the pitch works were progressing well and that the club, which was owned by its members, played an important role in the community, particularly in providing opportunities for young people. The temporary relocation had reduced revenue, and the loan would help the club manage cash flow until the works were completed.

Members recognised the significant community value of the club and welcomed the proposal. Concerns were raised about ensuring that the loan did not create a precedent for ongoing financial support and it was confirmed that the loan was intended solely to address a short?term need.  It was noted that a similar loan to Selby Town FC had previously been repaid in full, demonstrating the viability of the approach. The Director confirmed that delegated authority was necessary to finalise terms following detailed financial assessment by officers.

(Councillor Malcolm Taylor declared an interest in the matter and left the meeting room during the debate and vote on the item.)

Resolved (unanimously)

That Executive approve

1)             To award SAFC a loan on commercial terms up to a total value of £150k.

2)             If the loan repayments are adhered to, to provide SAFC with a grant that contributes towards the value of any interest charged.

3)             That the terms of the loan and the accompanying grant be delegated to the Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance.

Reasons for recommendations

To support the long-term financial sustainability of SAFC. The loan was designed to provide some additional financial security and support the club as they worked to reset their financial position during this period. It was expected the position would improve significantly once the pitch repairs were completed and play returned at the SSV for the start of the 2026/27 season.

Considered – The Forward Plan for the period 6 February 2026 to 28 February 2027 was presented.

Resolved

That the Forward Plan be noted.

Recommendation

That the Executive appoints Councillor Robin Poskitt to the vacant seat on the Selby Area Internal Drainage Board.

The Leader agreed that the following item should be considered as a matter of urgency as the next meeting of the Executive was on 17 March 2026, which was too long to wait to make the appointment.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services in relation to a vacancy on the Selby Area Internal Drainage Board following the resignation of one of the current nominated representatives.

Resolved

That the Executive appoints Councillor Robin Poskitt to the vacant seat on the Selby Area Internal Drainage Board.