Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which gives Board Members the opportunity to ask questions of the Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Development and Regeneration and the Director of City Development, who have been invited to attend the meeting.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew Carter, whose Executive portfolio covered Development and Regeneration, and Jean Dent, Director of City Development, attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions on matters within the remit of the Board, advance notice of some, but not all, questions having been supplied by Board Members and notified to the Leader and Jean Dent.

In brief summary, the questions asked related to the following broad areas:-

• The general direction of the enlarged Department, which now also incorporated matters previously the provenance of the former City Services Department?

It was stated that from a strategic planning and co-ordination of plans and services point of view, the merger made sense. City Development was not just about the planning service and the bricks and mortar which made up buildings, but also about recreation, leisure and culture, parks, transport and highway infrastructure issues – developing a holistic approach to City Development.  It was equally important to get the right Chief Officers in position to implement the overall vision of Leeds as a world-class City and City-Region.  A new Chief Highway Services Officer had just been appointed, and a replacement for Denise Preston as Chief Recreation Officer was also being sought;

• The degree of co-operation between the Council and its partner agencies, such as METRO, Yorkshire Forward and the Health Authority?  Reference was made to the healthy levels of consultation and co-operation between the Council and its partners, including also the Leeds Initiative and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  The discussion encompassed areas such as recent developments in the health field, including issues with the development of facilities at St James’ Hospital site, the future of the LGI, dialysis services in Leeds, ward closures at Wharfedale Hospital and health services in the West of the City;

• The Council’s relationship with First Bus post the demise of the Supertram scheme, capacity and other problems with current rail companies, parking and access difficulties associated with Leeds Central Rail Station and strategic planning for a replacement integrated public transport system;

• The success of the current Town and District Centre Regeneration Scheme, and the prospect of it continuing in terms of smaller shopping centres in need of redevelopment;

• Progress on Leeds as a City-Region initiative, and the current emphasis on developing an integrated public transport system fit for the 21^st century;

• The importance of a thriving Leeds Market and Corn Exchange to  the overall appeal and success of the City, and as a means of encouraging relatively low-cost starter businesses for individual entrepreneurs, and the eventual possible re-development of the Market;

• Gershon savings required year on year by each Department, and how these targets were met by the City Development Department – a mixture of cost savings and increased income.  The Chair requested a more detailed report back to the Board early next year;

• The Strategic Planning Review currently under way, and what this meant in terms of improved access to information for Members and the public, the training of both Plans Panel and non-Plans Panel Members, increased staff resources to improve the service and the practice of certain Area Committees of funding Local Planning Officer posts.

RESOLVED - That the Leader of the Council and the Director of City Development be thanked for attending the meeting and the manner in which they had responded to Members’ queries and comments.