Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors John Cattanach, Tom Jones, Steve Watson and Andrew Williams (substitute Councillor Yvonne Peacock MBE).

It was resolved that the Minutes of the meeting held on 24 April 2025, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

All Members are invited to declare at this point any interests they have in items appearing on this agenda, including the nature of those interests.

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 include the text of the question/statement) to Will Baines, Senior Scrutiny Officer (william.baines@northyorks.gov.uk) no later than midday on Tuesday 8 July 2025. 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 Chair who will instruct those taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were no public questions or statements received.

The report was presented by Hugh Clear Hill, Principal Environmental Policy Officer, to review the final report of the Crustacean Deaths Working Group (CDWG), established in response to the mass die-off of lobsters, crabs, and other shellfish along the North East coast in 2021. The incident, which caused significant concern among local communities and the fishing industry, prompted multiple investigations at both national and local levels.

It was explained that the CDWG, comprised elected member and officer representatives from Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton Borough Councils. The delegates on the Working Group from North Yorkshire Council were Councillors Derek Bastiman, David Chance and Carl Les OBE. The group met regularly over the course of 18 months, gathering evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from the fishing community, some government agencies, academics and environmental groups. The final report provides an overview of the evidence collected, emphasising the need for a more robust and transparent governance structure for managing the marine environment. The final conclusions also stress the importance of continued vigilance and proactive measures, to protect the marine environment and support local communities. A Public Inquiry was formally requested by the Working Group in July 2024, but Defra advised that this process was unlikely to provide substantial new insights given the length of time since the initial incident.

In discussing the final report, committee members acknowledged the severe economic impact of the mass die-off on the fishing industry, particularly in the North East, where many small-scale fishermen suffered financial losses and have received no government support. It was noted in contributions from one of the NYC representatives on the working group, Councillor Derek Bastiman, that whilst lobster populations are reportedly recovering, crab stocks remain low. The report recommends support for hatcheries and further research into restocking methods to help to support the ongoing recovery.

Committee members expressed frustration at the lack of accountability in the final report, as well as the lack of transparency from the relevant regulatory bodies, and the failure to provide timely, peer-reviewed scientific evidence. They also criticised the absence of financial compensation for affected communities, drawing comparisons to government support provided during other crises such as Covid-19 and the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Following the discussion, the Committee resolved to make the following recommendations to the Executive for when they consider the final CDWG report on 16 September 2025:

1. To reiterate the call for financial support for impacted fishermen.

2. To fully support the CDWG recommendation for enhanced and more frequent environmental testing.

3. To fully support the CDWG recommendation for simplification and clarification of the regulatory oversight.

4. That the TEEE O&S committee be able to reconsider the issue upon publication of the pending peer-reviewed university research.

In closing the discussion on this item, the Committee recognised the contributions of the presenting officer Hugh Clear Hill, who is due to retire in September, and expressed appreciation for his leadership and support throughout the working group inquiry and on water quality matters across the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

The report was presented by Nigel Smith, Head of Highways Operations, to review the Council’s response to the severe winter weather event that occurred between 4–13 January 2025, during which temperatures dropped below –10°C across North Yorkshire. The review acknowledged the exceptional nature of the event and its widespread impact on residents, infrastructure, and local services. The review aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Council’s winter service and identify improvements for future resilience.

Nine recommendations were proposed as part of the review, focusing on enhancing communication, improving footpath treatment, supporting community-led gritting initiatives and reviewing contractor coverage.

In discussing the report, committee members considered:

·       The lack of gritting on footpaths was a concern, especially in urban areas and new developments with unadopted roads.

·       The absence of grit bins or their rapid depletion was noted, along with confusion over liability for snow clearance by community partnerships. It was clarified that liability for claims from third parties using North Yorkshire roads and footways rests with the council, apart from instances where the parish or town council acts in a negligent manner.

·       The Committee discussed the importance of engaging parish and town councils and community organisations in winter preparedness. Suggestions included providing equipment through councillor locality budgets, clearer guidance on the Community Gritting Partnerships scheme, and better visibility of salt bin locations via the Council’s website. Members also called for improved emergency contact protocols and signage, particularly for out-of-hours incidents.

·       Concerns were raised about the disparity in service levels across different areas, particularly Selby, and the need for consistent treatment based on climatic domains. Officers confirmed that treatment decisions are made on a local area basis when hazard forecasts are triggered.

·       The Committee also discussed long-term planning issues, including the adoption of roads in new developments, the role of land developers in winter maintenance, and the need for better communication during the property sales process around any arrangements in place.

·       Climate change impacts on the highway infrastructure were acknowledged, with officers confirming that both winter and summer forecasts are monitored year-round.

In discussing the report, a number of suggestions were made, including the development of a winter service fact sheet to distribute to parish and town councils, as well as support for adding QR codes on grit bins to make it easier for residents and local organisations to request replenishment, and better co-ordination with the emergency planning team.

Members emphasised the need for clear, accessible communication and proactive engagement with communities to improve winter resilience in future seasons.

The committee were in support of taking the findings from the review of the winter weather event in January 2025 forward to a meeting of the Executive Member for Highways and Transportation and the Corporate Director in September, to consider the report and the feedback from the committee to agree actions for future winter seasons.

The report was presented by Barrie Mason, Assistant Director for Highways and Infrastructure, detailing the draft Parking Principles document, which sets out the strategic foundation for a unified countywide parking policy. The framework aims to harmonise the diverse approaches inherited from predecessor councils and establish a consistent, sustainable, and locally responsive parking strategy across North Yorkshire.

The proposed three-stage approach includes:

1. Adoption of the overarching parking principles.

2. Development of specific policies (e.g. residents’ permits, disabled parking, EV charging).

3. Creation of local area action plans, beginning with Scarborough, Harrogate, and Whitby.

In introducing the report, it was explained that the document is structured around four key themes:

• Sustainable and attractive places - Parking should support environmental goals and town centre vitality.

• Local economic support - Parking provision must enable access to services and businesses.

• Customer service - Car parks should be accessible, safe, and easy to use, with clear signage and multiple payment options.

• Financial sustainability - Parking operations should be self-financing and contribute to wider Council priorities.

In considering the report, committee members raised concerns about legacy disparities in parking charges and enforcement, and the need to retain cash payment options. Officers confirmed that the new ticketless machines will still accept cash, and that enforcement resources have been bolstered since the transition to a unitary authority.

Several members highlighted the need to include cycle and motorcycle parking, active travel integration, and park-and-ride schemes more explicitly in the principles. Officers agreed to review the document to better reflect these modes and confirmed that active travel would fall under the remit of the Combined Authority as part of the forthcoming Local Transport Plan and future strategy development.

Furthermore, the negative impact of Airbnb and visitor parking on residential areas was discussed, particularly in tourist areas. Officers acknowledged this pressure in particular areas and confirmed that future policy work would address visitor permits, hotel scratch cards, and a simplification of the current residents’ parking schemes.

Concerns were also raised about blue badge misuse, pavement parking, and campervan overnight stays, with Members requesting clearer enforcement and signage. Officers noted that civil enforcement regulations limit the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and that experimental traffic orders are being trialled in some areas to manage campervan parking.

Suggestions were made to improve signage, maintenance and security, including the use of CCTV and intelligent signage to reduce vehicle circulation searching for a car parking space. Members also proposed exploring the use of car parks for solar infrastructure and community benefit, though officers clarified that parking income is not currently ring-fenced for local reinvestment.

The committee were broadly supportive of the development of draft Parking Principles in this important service area, but made the following key suggestions:

• Clearer references in the document made to measures to reduce car travel such as cycle parking, active travel, park and ride.

• Recognition of the issues of managing the competing parking needs between residents and visitors.

• Explore the potential for localised revenue use from the car parks and the resulting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

The verbal update from the Active Travel Working Group was noted.

It was agreed to send a letter to the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, as a committee to advocate for an Active Travel Strategy to be developed as a priority alongside the Local Transport Plan rather than as a subsequent piece of work.

The update of progress on issues raised at previous meetings was noted.

The information on the provision of ‘Carbon Literacy’ training for elected members was discussed, with a wide range of suggestions put forward on how, when and who the training could take place for councillors and the most appropriate format to do this. The feedback received was to be fed back to officers.

The future work programme was considered, with the additional meeting planned for Thursday 4 September 2025 highlighted.

Councillor Steve Mason raised the retrofitting of social homes that was ongoing, with decarbonisation measures such as external wall insulation, double glazing, loft insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels installed as standard, which was pleasing to see.

However, he queried the lack of installation of batteries at the same time to increase the financial savings possible for residents, and to understand whether more can be done to utilise the unused electricity that is likely to be currently going back to the National Grid.

It was suggested that he contact the relevant Executive Members (Managing our Environment and Culture, Arts and Housing) in the first instance to seek an explanation.

Any other items which the Chair agrees should be considered as a matter of urgency because of special circumstances.

There were no further items of business.