Agenda and minutes

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

There were no formal late items of business to consider, however, the Chair agreed to accept supplementary information relating to transport data (Minute 68 refers which had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81 (3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct.

The following Members declared personal interests for the purpose of Section 81 (3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct:

Councillors Lyons and Morgan – Session 2 – Inquiry into the impact of existing major sources of travel movements within the City and the plans being made to address the impact of known future developments on the City's transport infrastructure  – declared a personal interest as local authority appointed members of WYITA (minute 68 refers)

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Cohen and G Hyde. The Board welcomed Councillors Anderson and P Grahame respectively as substitute members. Apologies were also received from Councillor D Atkinson.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 22^nd February 2012

(Copy attached)

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the previous meeting held 23 February 2012 be agreed as a correct record

To consider the report of the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) on the quarter 3 performance data relevant to the Sustainable Economy and Culture

(Report attached)

The Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance)

submitted a summary of the Quarter 3 performance data relevant to this

Board which highlighted budget, transport and planning performance as key

issues having regard to the Council’s Business Plan and City Priorities. The

report outlined seven priorities for consideration.

Councillor R Lewis, Executive Member, Development and the Economy, Councillor A Ogilvie, Executive Member, Leisure, Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods and Paul Maney, Head of Strategic Planning, Policy and Performance attended the meeting. Apologies were received from Martin Farrington, Director of Development.

Mr Maney gave a brief resume of the current performance levels pertaining to his service area.  This was followed by a brief resume from Mr Evans in terms of his service areas. 

In brief summary, the main areas of discussion were:

• Clarification of the ‘amber’ classification and confirmation that this was used when there was sufficient evidence to show progress towards a ‘green’ classification.
• The usefulness of the current indicator to measure improved journey times and the reliability of public transport across the whole of the city.  It was acknowledged that the current indicator was temporary and that Council officers were working with metro to develop a more meaningful measure.
• The need to continue to have constructive dialogue and collaborative working with bus companies, to ensure that they play their part in improving public transport.
• Fare banding and how this disadvantaged those taking shorter journeys
• Whether Section 106 monies could be used more strategically to help support the transport infrastructure, whilst acknowledging that there were restrictive conditions of some 106 funding.
• The need for the city to ‘punch its weight’ in terms of self promotion and marketing.  The imminent arrival of the new Chief Executive for Marketing Leeds was acknowledged. 
• The usefulness of using ‘the number of enquiries received from businesses seeking to locate in Leeds” as a sole measure of the success of Marketing Leeds and whether other indicators such as the number of visitors would be more illustrative.
• The need for the city to proactively celebrate its sporting and cultural ‘offer’.

RESOLVED –

a) To note the quarter three performance information and the issues raised

b) To thank the elected Members and officers present for attending.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development which presents evidence for Session 2 as defined by the Scrutiny Board within the Inquiry terms of reference

Please note: Appendices will be issued prior to the Board meeting

(Report attached)

The Board considered the report of the Director of City Development providing information to the second session of the Board’s inquiry into transport challenges and issues in the City.

Members were also in receipt of  a supplementary document relating to transport data sent out after the despatch of the agenda for the

meeting.

The following officers attended the Inquiry Session:

Gary Bartlett, Chief Officer, Highways & Transportation

Andrew Hall, Acting Head of Transport Policy

Tim Harvey, Transport Initiatives Manager

The report from the Director of City Development detailed to Board Members the drivers for developing a city centre transport strategy over the next 15 – 20 years, the challenges to be tackled, the objectives for the strategy.  Members were also advised of the preliminary conclusions reached in drawing up the strategy. These were:-

·  Separate Loops and local access measures such as traffic “cell systems” will better serve the accessibility and expansion of the city centre.

·  City Square and access to the station can only be improved by reducing the volume of traffic, although provision for buses will continue to be needed.

·  An increase in capacity at Armley Gyratory is needed to facilitate improvements to City Square and a reduction in the remaining through traffic passing through the city centre.

·  The role of Meadow Lane Gyratory in South Bank can be played down only by the provision of new capacity further out of the city centre adjacent to the M621.

·  The role of the M621 is critical to the city centre strategy and M621 Junction 3 should be reduced in significance and consideration given to the role of junction 2A.

·  In due course traffic arrangements will need to reflect any future requirements of a high speed rail terminal.

·  The role of the Inner Ring Road is likely to be a critical factor, particularly post 2030 when a longer term maintenance and operation strategy will be significant.

To further assist Members in their inquiry Mr Hall gave a brief presentation which focused on the timing and programmes for the roll out of the strategy. It was noted that this would be undertaken in three phases between 2012 and 2030.

In response to both the received report and presentation the following areas were discussed:-

·  The implications for city centre traffic movements, for example Boar Lane, as a consequence of current building developments, for example Trinity and the Arena.

·  The progress or otherwise of Network Rail increasing inward capacity at the city station

·  The potential location of a high speed rail station and the location constraints as a result of the required length of platform.

·  The acknowledgment that any high speed rail station had to integrate with other transport networks to be successful

·  The creation of a Joint Programme Board with Metro, the City Council and Network Rail to facilitate joint working

·  The need to ensure that future transport provision responds to new housing developments

·  The need to strike the right balance between congestion management and the creation of a car unfriendly city. The acknowledgement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

To consider the report of the Director of City Development which updates Scrutiny Board on the changes to Highways and Transportation’s consultation procedures for Transportation schemes

(Report attached)

The Board received a report from the Director of City Development updating Members on changes to Highways and Transportation’s consultation procedures for Transportation schemes.

The following officers were in attendance:-

Gary Bartlett, Chief Officer, Highways & Transportation

Andrew Hall, Acting Head of Transport Policy

Tim Harvey, Transport Initiatives Manager

Members noted that the revised process was now in operation and would be used for new schemes for the 2012/13 capital programme.

Welcoming the review and the resulting changes in practice, Board Members stressed that it was imperative that local ward Members were always consulted on schemes as this would ensure feedback from communities where participation in public consultation exercises was often low.  Similarly Members themselves should endeavour to offer a response to consultation.

A discussion was also held on the interpretation of the phrase ‘public consultation’.  It was acknowledged that ‘consultation’ implied a dialogue from which changes to original schemes could be asked for and made, rather than the presentation of a fait accompli, which should be classed as the giving of information.

It was also agreed that where asked for changes could not be accommodated full reasons should be given.

Members asked that further information be provided on the number of schemes that had changed as a result of consultation.

RESOLVED –

a) To note the content of the report

b) That further information is provided on the number of schemes that had changed as a result of consultation.

(Councillors Lyons, Anderson and P Grahame left the meeting at the conclusion of this item)

To consider the report of the Flood Risk Manager which provides background to the work addressing flooding issues, particularly since the Flood & Water Management Act

(Report attached)

The Board received a report from the Council’s Flood Risk Manager providing an update on Flood Risk Management.

Mr Peter Davis, Flood Risk Manager was in attendance along with Gary Bartlett, Chief Officer, Highways & Transportation

In summary the main areas of discussion were:-

• The respective roles of the Flood Risk Management Agencies
• The challenges experienced in working collaboratively to address flood issues
• The work undertake to tackle large scale flooding as well as ‘local’ area flooding

It was agreed that this important issue would remain on the Board’s work programme and that a session to include other Flood Risk Management Agencies would be programmed for the 2012/13 municipal year.

RESOLVED –

a) To note the content of the report

b) To include a further session on this topic in the 2012/13 municipal year

To consider the report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development setting out the work schedule for the Board for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

(Report and schedule attached)

The Head of Scrutiny & Member Development submitted a copy of the Work

Schedule for the 2011/12 Municipal Year which had been populated with the

priority areas for scrutiny as identified at previous meetings. Copies of the

minutes of the Executive Board meetings held 7^th March 2012

were attached for consideration along with a copy of the

Forward Plan covering the period of 1 March to 30 June 2012.

On the advice of the Principal Scrutiny Advisor Members agreed to remove the scheduled discussion on the budget from the April agenda.

RESOLVED – To note the contents of the revised Work Programme

To note the date and time of the next meeting as Thursday 19^th April 2012 at 10:00am. (A pre-meeting for Members will be held at 9:30 am)

RESOLVED – To note the date and time of the next meeting as Thursday 19^th April 2012 at 10:00 am