Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors David Jeffels and Tom Jones.

It was resolved that the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 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.

Councillor David Staveley declared a personal interest in agenda item 5, as the owner of a Commercial Like Vehicle referenced in the proposals.

Councillor Janet Jefferson declared a personal interest in agenda item 5 as a local business owner.

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 Monday 1 September 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 draft report for the Executive and a slideshow was considered, seeking member feedback on the proposals to (1) implement a registration scheme that limits free use of North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) to North Yorkshire residents only, and (2) allow owners of commercial-like vehicles up to 12 visits per annum free of charge to Household Waste Recycling Centres.

In introducing the report, the following was highlighted by officers:

·       North Yorkshire Council provide 20 HWRCs plus mobile sites as part of a duty for residents to deposit their household waste free of charge in they reside in that area. In 2024/25 the network handled 64,500 tonnes of waste and received 1.6 million visits.

·       Surveys in 2015 and 2022 established that on average 1 in 6 users or 17% are not made by North Yorkshire residents

·       Of the Commercial-like vehicles that use the sites, 7% use the sites 13 times a year or more (currently free disposal).

·       When benchmarking against other local authorities, it was found that most neighbouring councils restrict access to residents only, limit CLV visits, and permit trailers up to a certain length. Due to a high influx of non-residents from the Middlesbrough and Stockton-Tees areas, a resident only permit scheme was put in place in 2016 at Stokesley HWRC, and successfully reduced the tonnage throughput by 22%.

·       The proposals put forward are that to ensure access is free of charge to North Yorkshire residents only, it is proposed that residents register with the council prior to using HWRCs by providing their name, address, and vehicle registration number. During the initial roll out period of up to 3 months, additional site staff at the busiest sites will assist non-registered visitors to apply in real time or use an online post code checker to allow access on the first occasion. After the roll out period, non-registered visitors will apply in real time or return once registered.

·       Furthermore, to ensure commercial waste is not deposited free of charge, owners of CLVs & trailers (up to 10 feet in length) would be allowed up to 12 visits per annum. A registered CLV or trailer owner who has used the sites 12 times in 12 months and wishes to make further visits to the HWRCs would be able to pay a commercial charge or would be directed to the nearest disposal facility.

·       A 12-week engagement exercise from November 2023 to January 2024 invited stakeholders to submit their views on potential changes to HWRCs. The engagement exercise secured over 3,000 submissions. The majority of respondents (69%) were in favour of restricting access to North Yorkshire residents, with similar support (71%) for charging out of county residents. The majority of respondents (60%) were in favour of limiting the number of occasions commercial like vehicles visit sites, with similar support (61%) for setting the limit at 12 visits per annum.

·       Financial modelling estimates a reduction in tonnage and disposal costs of a £405,000 saving, comprised of measures to address out of county users (£305,000)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

A presentation was considered on the future plans for public conveniences across North Yorkshire.

In introducing the presentation, officers highlighted the following points:

·       North Yorkshire has the largest public toilet network in England and Wales - 94 sites with varied condition and access models.

·       Currently there is a mix of free and chargeable sites (fees from 20p to 40p). 28 sites levy an entry fee, however there is an income shortfall of £40k and maintenance and repairs costs over £40k per annum

·       Opening hours vary, with seasonal and year-round models in use at the moment, depending on the location.

·       Cleaning currently undertaken via in-house and outsourced contractors. A tender is currently out for a fully outsourced maintenance and cleaning contract.

·       The service has a recurring income shortfall and overall budget overspend position. There is an ongoing overspend position, with 2025-26 forecast to be £205k.

·       There are a number of strategic decisions to make as part of a review (if agreed), concerning charging for access, how to operate a network to fit the budget, how to support the double devolution process and how to complement the provision delivered by third parties.

Committee members then made the following comments:

·       It was felt the budget for public conveniences needed looking at in detail as part of the review.

·       The lack of public toilet provision in Scarborough town centre was highlighted ahead of the closure of the Brunswick Centre later this month. It was noted that public toilets continued to be available in Scarborough Market Hall, but officers were working on the possibility of alternative provision.

·       It was suggested that the Council should look to “piggy back” on other organisations providing toilets, such as cafes and shops, with the example given of an accessible Changing Places public toilet facility recently installed within an extra care facility.

Following the discussion, it was agreed to form a working group on public conveniences. Expressions of interest were sought ahead of the meeting, with the membership confirmed as Councillors Bastiman, Gostlow, Noland, Sharma, Staveley and Trumper.

A presentation was considered to update the committee on the Air Quality Management Areas in North Yorkshire.

In introducing the presentation, officers highlighted the following points:

·       The pollutants of concern in North Yorkshire are Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) from transport emissions and Particulate Matter (PM₁₀, PM_2.5) from domestic solid fuel burning.

·       The process for assigning an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) and an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) was explained and the situation in North Yorkshire before Local Government Reorganisation compared against the current situation.

·       The 2024/25 Annual Status Report recommended, subject to DEFRA approval, reducing the AQMAs in North Yorkshire down to three (Staithes, The Crescent/New Street in Selby and Bond End, Knaresborough)

·       A case study was presented into the air quality issues encountered at Butcher Corner, Malton and the work undertaken to support improvements in this, including the recent installation of a new PM Monitor to provide real-time readings.

·       The ability to be able to regularly monitor air quality levels in Whitby during the recent Langdale Moor wildfire was seen as a key advantage of maintaining and improving the network of air quality monitoring equipment across North Yorkshire. Officers explained the readings from Whitby have proved invaluable in helping public health professionals assess the smoke exposure risks to the general public, especially to those who are vulnerable.

·       Future work for the service included the development of an Air Quality Strategy, along with involvement in consultations as part of the development of the North Yorkshire Local Plan. Furthermore, with continued community work to schools and promotion of Clear Air Day, the UK's largest air pollution campaign on an annual basis in June.

Committee members then made the following comments:

·     Following a query, officers confirmed the locations of the new PM Monitors, with 5 of the 6 monitors now installed on lampposts in Richmond, Northallerton, Selby, Malton and Whitby.  Together with the continued monitoring of the Nitrogen Dioxide diffusion tubes, given its association with traffic emissions, the network of monitoring in place was welcomed.

·     The air quality situation in Selby town centre was queried, with further information requested on the readings recorded in the Gowthorpe /Scott Road area. There were also concerns raised about the AQMA on New Street, Selby and the lack of improvement in the situation over 2024/25 and what steps were to be taken.

·       It was felt important that in future years, the committee had sight of the Annual Status Report when it was considered by the Executive Member for Managing Our Environment, to help highlight problem poor air quality areas at an early stage and for issues to be flagged with the relevant Area Constituency Committees as required.

·       The committee welcomed the future development of an Air Quality Strategy and wished to be kept updated on its progress and consulted on it in due course.

Following this, it was resolved to note the update and that the requests for further information and process improvements be actioned.

The update report on the North Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) was introduced, together with a presentation summarising the public consultation responses received.

In introducing the report and presentation, officers highlighted the following points:

·       An overview of the process for developing a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for North Yorkshire was outlined.

·       The 32 sessions held with land managers (16 in-person 1-1 and 16 held online) had shown support for proposed mapped actions, but with concern over the link between the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) and LNRS.

·       Of the 91 responses to the recent online survey, 77% either ‘Agreed’ or ‘Strongly Agreed’ that the LNRS and Local Habitat Map created a helpful set of priorities and measures to improve biodiversity in the region.

·       Key themes arising from the survey responses included seeing the Local Habitat Map element as a ‘live’ tool important. It was also felt important to convey the responsibility of large estates and landowners to engage with nature recovery, and making clear what resources are available for engagement and outreach on the strategy.

·       It was noted that detailed feedback forms had been received from environmental stakeholder organisations and sessions held with both North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council officers across various service areas to gain feedback.

·       It is hoped to publish a pre-publication draft by the end of September, setting off a 28 day review process by supporting authorities, with the hope to publish the final strategy by the end of the year or early January 2026.

Committee members then made the following comments:

·       Continued proactive consultation with stakeholders and the public was seen as key to raising awareness and engagement of the LNRS moving forwards.

·       The engagement with large landowners was challenging but continued collaboration could provide long-term benefit to ensure the strategy meets its long-term aims.

It was resolved to note progress and outlined next steps in relation to the North Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS).

Following a discussion regarding the reports to be brought to the next scheduled meeting of the committee in October, the work programme was noted.

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

There were no further items for consideration.