Chief Executives’ Group – North Yorkshire and York
4 November 2021 via Teams
Minutes and action points
| Present: | |
| Ian Floyd | City of York Council |
| Jane Colthup | Community First Yorkshire |
| Tony Clark | Richmondshire District Council |
| Paul Shevlin | Craven District Council |
| Mike Greene | Scarborough Borough Council |
| Tom Hind | North York Moors National Park Authority |
| Wallace Sampson | Harrogate Borough Council |
| Phil Cain | North Yorkshire Police (on behalf of Lisa Windward) |
| Phillip Spurr | Ryedale District Council (on behalf of Stacey Burlet) |
| Amanda Bloor | North Yorkshire CCG |
| Janet Waggott | Selby District Council |
| David Butterworth | Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority |
| Justin Ives | Hambleton District Council |
| Thomas Thorp | Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (on behalf of Simon Dennis) |
| In attendance: | |
| Guy Thompson | White Rose Forest |
| James Farrar | York & North Yorkshire LEP |
| Neil Irving | North Yorkshire County Council |
| Karl Battersby | North Yorkshire County Council |
| Deborah Hugill | North Yorkshire County Council (secretariat) |
| Apologies: | |
| Richard Flinton | North Yorkshire County Council |
| Lisa Winward | North Yorkshire Police |
| Stacey Burlet | Ryedale District Council |
| Jonathan Foster | North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service |
| Simon Dennis | Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner |
1. Minutes of last meeting - 17 September 2021 - and matters arising
The minutes were agreed as a true record and there were no matters arising which were not covered on the agenda.
2. White Rose Forest Action Plan 2021-25
Guy Thompson gave a presentation seeking endorsement from the group for the White Rose Forest (WRF) Action Plan, including planting targets to 2025, supporting the WRF delivery pathway and developing a 2025-2050 WRF Community Forest Plan.
The WRF Partnership is a joint venture between partners across West and North Yorkshire, including local authorities, national organisations and government agencies including the Forestry Commission, the National Trust and the Woodland Trust, and local organisations like Groundwork, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and community tree planting groups. It is one of four community forests which span the width of England from Liverpool to Hull and is the delivery vehicle for the Northern Forest in West and North Yorkshire.
The WRF Action Plan 2021-25 is due to be launched on 17 November 2021, including an update on a possible scenario for 2050 for tree canopy coverage in the WRF area. Representatives of North Yorkshire County Council, Craven, Harrogate, Selby, York Councils as well as Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority have been active and involved in the development of the Action Plan. It has been endorsed to date by West and North Yorkshire and City of York Directors of Development and the West Yorkshire Climate, Energy and Environment Committee.
Points highlighted in the presentation included the potential for mitigation of flood risk and a number of challenges which the project faces. Challenges include complexity of approvals and requirements, long term maintenance and loss of economic opportunity.
Members of the group praised the plan and voiced their support for the initiative, It was suggested that stronger links should be made with flood mitigation work in the county. It was also felt that bureaucracy should be reduced as much as possible, although recognising that much of this was nationally imposed.
The position with South Yorkshire was explained and it was emphasised that if they wanted to be part of the WRF in the future this would be welcomed.
In response to a question about encouraging community tree-planting groups, Guy explained that links are made between landowners and groups who wish to plant trees but the first step is to engage and work with landowners to provide the required land. He confirmed that they are targeting marginal farmland rather than productive agricultural land.
3. Covid-19 recovery update - Health
Amanda Bloor presented an update on the current position across the health system in North Yorkshire and York, focussing on:
- the ongoing impact of COVID,
- the return to business as usual
- the current increasing pressure as COVID cases rise again
It was noted that the report did not cover the Craven area although there was a broadly similar picture in that area.
Gold, Silver and Bronze command meetings are still held as frequently as needed to resolve issues jointly across the system and a 6-point plan is in place to support recovery covering:
- health and wellbeing of staff and recruitment and retention
- NHS COVID vaccination programme and patients with COVID-19
- transforming delivery of services
- expanding primary care capacity
- transforming community and urgent and emergency
- working collaboratively across systems and sectors
Current pressures were discussed, including the number of patients on waiting lists, staff recruitment and retention and demand for urgent and emergency care. The report provided data on the current situation in a number of areas.
The COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be successful across North Yorkshire and York with uptake of first and second doses at nearly 80%. People in the more deprived areas are not coming forward as quickly however.
The members of the group expressed their thanks to NHS partners and their willingness to help support the health service. Amanda acknowledged that there was a need to be innovative and that there would be a growing role for the VCSE sector, for example. In response to a question about how partners could help reduce the abuse of front-line staff, she said she would ensure that campaign messages were shared with partners so that all organisations in the area were speaking with one voice. ACTION: AB
It was necessary to counter unhelpful rhetoric that face to face appointments are the only acceptable option in all cases. Arming Councillors with the correct balanced information can be useful to help them answer queries.
There is also the potential going forward for partnership working around green social prescribing and other initiatives.
4. LEP update
James Farrar presented a report providing an update on the LEP review, capital funding, business support, skills and the Plan for Growth.
- The LEP review outcome will be set out in the levelling up White Paper which is due to be published soon. It is expected that Mayoral Combined Authorities will lead where they are in place.
- Capital funding is on track to deliver which is a credit to all the teams who have been involved.
- The business support offer is being considered to ensure that it is more joined up. The Growth Hub is exceeding Government expectations.
- All schools are engaged in the York and North Yorkshire Careers Programme in partnership with NYBEP. The York and North Yorkshire careers hub is hosting a Learn Live Careers Leaders CPD event to coincide with the COP26 summit covering young people’s career pathways.
- The first round of consultation and engagement about the Plan for Growth with teams is ongoing.
- The Local Energy Action Plans bid to the Community Renewal Fund has been successful and will now be progressed.
During the discussion that followed a number of points were made, including:
- Disappointment was expressed that only one bid from the county to the community renewal fund had been successful. Lessons will need to be learnt from this process.
- Employment vacancies across the county – this is a national issue, particularly in food and drink, HGV drivers, social care and digital. There is a great deal of training and support available but a lack of applicants.
5. North Yorkshire Rural Commission and Rural Task Force
Neil Irving provided an update on the work of the North Yorkshire Rural Commission which produced its report earlier in the year. The report provides 57 recommendations, for a number of organisations. The publication of the report got good coverage and almost all responses to the recommendations have been positive. One of the recommendations was that the County Council should set up a Rural Task Force. This is being put in place to take forward the vision of the Rural Commission, tackle the challenges and ensure that the interest and energy generated is continued. There will be quarterly meetings of the Task Force and invitations have gone out to relevant organisations.
Neil will circulate the list of current nominated members to date and the County Council’s official response to the Commission’s recommendations.
It was noted that North Yorkshire Police also have a Rural Taskforce and it will be important to ensure there is no confusion among the public.
6. Moving unitary transition forward
Paul Shevlin gave an update on progress, primarily for non-local authority partners. The sixteen workstreams are progressing well and identifying key tasks. Partners will be engaged by individual workstreams and Paul undertook to circulate the list of sponsors. ACTION: PS
The draft structural change order had just been received. The contents confirm the arrangements which the councils in North Yorkshire have asked for. Details of the order which can be shared with partners will be.
It was emphasised by several members of the group that there was a very professional approach to the transition and that councils are working well together.
7. Devolution asks review
James Farrar gave an update on progress reviewing the devolution asks in advance of government negotiations. It was agreed that an overarching strategic economic framework would be helpful to co-ordinate and provide coherence to the regional strategies.
8. Report of the York, North Yorkshire, East Riding and Hull (YNYERH) Directors of Development Group
Karl Battersby provided an update on the work and progress of the Directors of Development Group, which covered:
- YNY LEP skills paper – overview of current activity
- Route map to carbon negative – including the opportunities of local government reorganisation
- North Yorkshire Cultural Framework – looking at what the region has, what opportunities there are and how the sector can be supported
- Destination Management Organisation – review with draft recommendations in relation to structure and funding
A meeting of the group on the following day was due to discuss:
- Harrogate Housing Programmes
- First Homes Initiatives
- Comprehensive list of projects for the new Council
- Successful sustainable warmth bid (Public Health and District Councils) for Scarborough, Ryedale and Hambleton of 38.4m
The need for a good grip on appropriate projects was agreed and it was noted that this would need to be progressed via the economic development workstream. The previous point about the community renewal fund bids outcome was reiterated and it was confirmed that detailed feedback is being sought to inform future bids.
9. LGNYY meeting 10 December 2021
The following additional items for the LGNYY meeting were suggested:
- Regional climate action plan
- Energy action plans
- Levelling up paper (if published before the meeting)
10. Dates of meetings of the group in 2022
The following dates had been set for meetings of the group in 2022:
- Friday 11 February 2022 – White Rose House, Northallerton
- Friday 17 June 2022 – via Teams
- Friday 16 September 2022 – via Teams
- Friday 18 November 2022 – via Teams
As the majority of the group had expressed a preference for virtual meetings and this will be the default option. However, group members who had joined during the pandemic expressed a desire for one face-to-face meeting as they felt this would benefit them. A face-to-face meeting had therefore been booked for February, although this will be reviewed nearer the time in the context of the COVID situation.
There was an offer to host the February face-to-face meeting at C4DI to see a town regeneration scheme bringing a university and college to Northallerton. Deb will investigate this option. ACTION: DH
11. Any other business
Police Fire and Crime Commissioner elections are to take place on 25 November. After discussion with the Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire these will take place under the Covid rules used for May’s elections.
Date and time of next meeting
Friday 11 February 2022 10am - 12 noon
