Agenda item

(a) To hear from the Director of City Development and the Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Development and Regeneration on current issues, and to ask questions.

(b) To consider the attached reports of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development providing information and guidance to assist the Board to develop its work programme for 2008/09.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report providing Members with information and guidance to assist the Board develop its work programme for 2008/09.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor Andrew Carter, Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Development and Regeneration, Jean Dent, Director of City Development and Paul Maney, Head of Performance Management, who were in attendance to respond to questions from the Board. 

The Chair advised Members that Councillor John Procter, Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Leisure, with appropriate Officers, had been invited to the next meeting of the Board, as Culture and Leisure were also now included within this Board’s Terms of Reference.

The Director summarised the key activities and priorities of the City Development Department for the year ahead and suggested topics that the Board might like to consider including in their work programme. 

The Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Development and Regeneration outlined some of the pressures on the department for the coming year and also raised some topics for possible scrutiny by the Board.

The Head of Performance Management referred to the year end performance information provided to the Board and to the Strategic Plan and Local Area Agreement documents.

Members commented on and sought further clarification on particular issues for possible inclusion in the Board’s future work programme:

·  A Casino for Leeds

·  The Property Market

·  Royal Statistical Society figures for Leeds and the region

·  The effects of the economic downturn

·  Vacancy rates in Leeds’ flats

·  City Centre Vision

·  Transport for young people

·  Reviewing the city centre loop

·  Road traffic accident figures

·  Cycling provision

·  Strategic review of planning

·  Planning compliance

·  Flooding and the flood alleviation scheme

·  Residents parking

·  Traffic flow and pinch points

·  Local economy and students

·  Through ticketing for public transport across the city region

·  Future of swimming provision

·  Cultural distribution in the city

·  Parking issues

·  Cemeteries

·  Congestion, road charging and the trolley bus.

The Chair thanked the Executive Board Member and Officers for their attendance.

RESOLVED – That the report and appendices be noted.

(Note: Councillor R Procter left the meeting at 11.00am during the consideration of this item.)