Agenda and minutes

Resolved –

Thatthe public Minutesof themeeting heldon 10 January 2023,having been printedand circulated,betakenas readand confirmedby theChairmanas acorrect record.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Melanie Carr of Democratic and Scrutiny Services and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on 12 January 2023, 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 Chairman who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were no public questions or statements.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) and Monitoring Officer presenting the governance arrangements, and a draft Constitution, for the new unitary authority, for the Executive’s consideration and recommendation to full Council for approval.  It also presented draft executive arrangements for executive functions for approval by the Leader and draft delegations for the Executive’s approval.

County Councillor David Chance introduced the report and thanked all the Members who had contributed to the work of the associated member working groups, and the officers who had support those groups to inform the revisions to the Constitution.  He also acknowledged the collaborative contributions from the seven district and borough councils, and noted the draft Constitution now included the district/borough council functions which the new authority would take on.

He confirmed that development of the draft Constitution had continued since the working group agreed its proposals for the various sections, and Barry Khan - Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) drew attention to a document tabled at the meeting (see Appendix A) containing further amendments identified since the report had been published.

County Councillor David Chance went on to introduce the individual sections that made up the draft Constitution and drew specific attention to the following:

Part 1

The proposed delegation of the completion of the introduction section to the Monitoring officer, once all other sections were approved.

Part 3

 - The overall proposed governance structure and a number of proposed substantive changes i.e.:

·       a Strategic Planning Committee (12 members)

·       six Area Constituency Planning Committees based on MP constituency boundaries

·       a Statutory Licensing Committee and sub-committees (7 members)

·       a General Licensing and Registration Committee and sub-committees

·       six Area Constituency Committees following the MP constituency boundaries (dealing with both executive and non-executive functions)

·       six Overview and Scrutiny Committees

·       a Standards and Governance Committee with an expanded size and role

·       North Yorkshire Police & Crime Panel (7 NYC & 3 CoY)

- The proposed executive arrangements and delegations proposed for the Leader’s approval

- The re-written Officers’ Delegation Scheme in Schedule 4, to reflect the new proposed structure and the transfer of district/borough council functions

- The need for a more detailed review of the Schedule of Appointments to Outside Bodies in Schedule 5, post vesting day.

Part 4

Some majority and substantive amendments proposed to:

·       the Council Procedure Rules, including putting time limits on Executive question time but making it a constitutional requirement for the Executive to respond to members’ written questions at all times outside of the council meeting, with the answers being published on the Council’s website

·       the Financial Procedure Rules

·       the Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules

Part 5

- A draft Code of Conduct for Members which took account of the new national model code of conduct issued by the Local Government Association.

- The intention to include the Planning Code of Conduct and a new Protocol re Honorary Aldermen and Alderwomen

Part 6

The separate approval process being undertaken for the Members’ Allowance Scheme.

Part 7  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154.

Recommendations:

The Executive is recommended to:

i.       endorse the York and North Yorkshire’s Routemap to Carbon Negative, whilst recognising that many of the ambitions and actions in the Routemap are the responsibility of others and outside the control and influence of the Council;

ii.      agree to undertake a public consultation on the Draft North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy 2023-2030 and authorise the Assistant Director Policy, Partnerships and Communities to make any necessary changes to the text following the discussion at this meeting; and

iii.     receive a further report, after the conclusion of the public consultation, outlining the results of the consultation and including the proposed North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy 2023-2030.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Director Policy, Partnerships and Communities, seeking endorsement of York and North Yorkshire’s Routemap to Carbon Negative and proposing a public consultation on a Draft North Yorkshire Council Climate Change Strategy 2023-2030.

County Councillor Greg White introduced the report, confirming the previous commitment made by the County Council and the seven district and borough councils to be carbon neutral as organisations by 2023.  He drew attention to the proposal within the report that the County Council now endorse a new York and North Yorkshire’s Routemap to Carbon Negative Plan developed by York and North Yorkshire LEP detailing how the region as a whole (businesses, communities and public sector) could achieve net zero by 2034 and carbon negative by 2040.  He confirmed the Routemap took account of the current district and borough council plans and stressed that the new North Yorkshire Council would not be able to deliver the LEP’s Plan by itself and therefore could only play a strategic leadership role in achieving those targets.

Jos Holmes - Climate Change Policy Officer, provided an overview of the work undertaken to date to develop a draft Climate Change Strategy 2023-2030 and noted the contributions of partners.  She also drew attention to the Action Plan and Operational Plan within the Strategy, and outlined tits four key pillars i.e., Mitigation; Adaptation; Supporting Nature to Thrive; and Achieving net zero in NYC operational activity by 2030.

In response to Members questions it was confirmed:

·          It was not in NYC’s gift to deliver the aspirations within the LEP’s new Routemap to Carbon Negative Plan, it could only contribute.

·          There would be a continued focus on NYCC’s operations and all interim actions would continue.

·          Full consideration would be given to the feedback generated by the proposed public consultation.

·          The consequence of inaction would be taken account of, in considering any proposed actions and their associated costs.

County Councillor Paul Haslam welcomed the second iteration of NYCC’s Strategy but queried whether the time horizons made sense.  He also questioned the mechanism to scrutinise its implementation.

Regarding the LEP’s Routemap to Carbon Negative Plan:

·          County Councillor Keane Duncan welcomed the scale of its ambition but highlighted the many aspirational targets within it and raised concern about the practicalities of delivering them.

·          County Councillor Simon Myers recognised the benefit it might bring providing opportunities for the region through the upskilling of its workforce, better paid jobs etc, but expressed caution in promising something which the new NYC could not afford to deliver.

·          County Councillor Gareth Dadd noted that every action had a consequence and suggested a pragmatic approach was required in this time of austerity, as its delivery could not be to the detriment of the budgets available for services for vulnerable people.

Finally, County Councillor Carl Les confirmed his intention to introduce a new Members Champion with a focus on Climate Change and Biodiversity, as part of the new NYC arrangements.

Resolved - That:

i.       The York and North Yorkshire’s Routemap to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 155.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services).  County Councillor Annabel Wilkinson introduced the report which proposed that County Councillor Heather Philips be appointed to the Council’s Corporate Parenting Members’ Group, in her capacity as the Vice Chair of the Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Resolved –

That County Councillor Heather Philips be appointed to the Council’s Corporate Parenting Members’ Group. 

Considered –

The Forward Plan for the period 9 January 2023 to 31 January 2024 was presented.

Resolved -   That the Forward Plan be noted.