YORK'S 46 city councillors will meet next week for a crunch meeting that will determine the future of the Community Stadium, and a multi-million pound waste incinerator deal for the city.

In the first full meeting of the council since the death of Cllr Lynn Jeffries and the defection of Cllr Helen Douglas from Labour to the Conservatives, Labour's fragile control of the council will come under the spotlight.

Matters to be decided include the Community Stadium, which needs the support of a majority of the council to get vital funding, and the Allerton Park waste incinerator project, which could be given the final go ahead from councillors despite opposition from campaigners across North Yorkshire.

With the council's political situation hanging in the balance - Labour holds 23 out of 46 seats - until the Westfield by-election the following week, there had been concerns that the Community Stadium plan could be delayed if opposition councillors voted against an extra £4 million investment by the council to tear down and replace Waterworld.

York City FC boss Jason McGill has called on supporters to show up to the meeting en masse and urge councillors not to delay the construction of the new stadium, which he says could endanger the club.

Last week the council's partners in the Allerton Park deal North Yorkshire County Council gave the green light to the controversial project, and green campaigners have now said they are pinning their hopes on York councillors seeing the faults in the deal and withdrawing the city from the partnership.

Also under the spotlight will be a damning report on council leadership, with calls from opposition councillors for an independent investigation into major concerns about management which were raised in a survey of front-line staff.

Cllr Chris Steward, the leader of the Conservative group on the council, has proposed a motion which asks for an independent body to be created to look into the problems over the next two months.

And councillors will be asked to suspend the normal rules of council meetings to allow Jon Stonehouse, the director of children's services, education and skills to talk about preventing child sexual exploitation in York, in light of recent revelations in Rotherham.

- The full council meeting is at the Guildhall at 6.30pm on Thursday, October 9. Members of the public wishing to speak in the public participation session should register by 5pm on Wednesday, October 8 by phoning Jill Pickering on 01904 552061 or emailing jill.pickering@york.gov.uk

 

Questions to be asked at the next council meeting

COUNCIL leader James Alexander and the Labour cabinet members will face questions from opposition councillors on the local plan, devolution, and the council’s record of responding to inquiries from members of the public.

On devolution, a subject Cllr Alexander has been outspoken in his support for, he faces questions from Conservative leader Councillor Chris Steward on powers he would like to see devolved, and what benefit York has seen so far from its membership of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Another Conservative councillor, Paul Doughty, is set to table questions about the move to withdraw hot meals from sheltered housing centres across the city, and to cut funding to community centres, while Green councillor Andy D’Agorne is asking questions about the council’s bid to improve air quality in the city centre and the impact diesel buses left idling at bus stops will have on polluting exhaust fumes.

The Local Plan, not a matter for formal discussion at the council, is the subject of several questions.

Cllr D’Agorne has put forward a written question on the announcement that the most recent version of the local plan - the publication draft - includes 5000 fewer houses than earlier proposals.

He will ask the cabinet member for planning, Cllr Dave Merrett: “Can he explain how Labour’s claimed reduction of 5000 houses in the Local Plan actually equates to less than half that number being removed from site lists and no reduction in the area of land allocated for development?”

Meanwhile, Cllr Doughty, is also to ask how the hundreds of consultation responses which the draft plans prompted were considered, and why the darft includes “safeguarded” land for future development when there is no legal requirement for this.

Other controversial policies will also be highlighted, including the Lendal Bridge trial closure and the free parking initiative in the city centre.

Lib Dem Councillor Ian Cuthbertson will ask the cabinet member for transport David Levene how many people have applied for their fines to be repaid, and where each is from, while fellow Lib Dem Councillor Carol Runciman will ask how many people have used the free parking offered in the city centre, and Councillor Paul Firth will ask about the minster badges introduced to replace free residents discount parking badges last month.

Four motions will be voted on by councillors – fracking, low council staff morale, the local plan and cabinet member for transport David Levene’s call for electrification of the Leeds-Harrogate-York rail lines.