NOTICE OF
MEETING
BOARD
DAY/DATE:
WEDNESDAY, 6th SEPTEMBER
2006
TIME:
6.00 PM
VENUE:
COUNCIL CHAMBER
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
EARLE STREET
CREWE
Despatch
date:
29th August 2006
Enquiries
to:
Joanne
Smith
Tel: 01270 537032
Fax: 01270
537605
Board
Leader:
Councillor B G
Silvester Tel
: 01270 567757
Fax: 01270
567757
To: Board
Members (for attendance)
All other Members of the Borough Council
Management Team
Local Press and Radio
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO
ATTEND THIS MEETING
Notes for Members of the Public
The Board consists of 10 elected Members and
Councillor Brian Silvester, the Council Leader, is the
Chairman.
The Borough Council welcomes and encourages members of the
public to attend its Board, Committee and Council meetings.
If you plan to attend, please report to the Reception Desk in
the Municipal Buildings, where you will be provided with a
Visitor's Pass.
Car parking is not available at the Municipal Buildings, but
there are several town centre car parks. There
is a disabled access to the rear of the Municipal Buildings, and
this can be accessed through the side door on Vernon
Way. Please press the button for attention, and
someone will meet you and escort you through to the main reception
area.
You are asked to remain quiet whilst the meeting is taking
place, and to enter and leave the meeting room, or public gallery
of the Council Chamber, as quietly as possible.
Please ensure that if you have a mobile phone or pager, it is
switched off for the duration of the meeting.
You are not allowed to have drinks or food in the meeting
rooms, nor in the Public Gallery. A "No Smoking"
policy operates in the Municipal Buildings.
Fire Evacuation
If the fire alarm rings, you should make your way to the
nearest exit with your belongings, as quickly as possible, and
leave the building. Please follow any
instructions from staff about evacuation routes.
Copies of the agenda will be available if you attend. Agendas
are also made available on the Internet and can be accessed via the
Council's website see front page for details.
On occasions, members of the press and public will be excluded
from the meetings when the business to be transacted is of a
confidential nature, for example, dealing with individual people,
contracts and financial affairs of other parties.
If you require any further information, please contact Joanne
Smith (details on front page).
Agenda Information
Items on the agenda have been
grouped together in 3 categories:
Category "A"
Key issues; constitutional matters; matters having a strategic
or significant community impact; new policy or changes to existing
policy
Category "B"
Performance Management issues
Category "C"
Organisational and other matters
The reports in "Category "A" reflect the
priorities identified in the current Corporate Strategy which the
Borough Council has set itself to achieve continuous improvement in
the environmental, economic and social well being of the Borough of
Crewe and Nantwich. These are:
Improve the Area's Appearance to improve the
physical environment of the Borough to be achieved by noticeable
uplift in the appearance of the Borough complemented by the
enhancement of some key locations.
Neighbourhood Action recognising that the
Borough is made up of a large number of communities and
neighbourhoods the Borough Council wants to lead public agencies in
providing integrated services at neighbourhood level, particularly
in areas of high economic and social stress.
Push for Prosperity aimed at ensuring the
Borough has a strong local economy and that sufficient jobs are
available locally to meet the demands of population growth and
which are of a particular quality and resilient to economic
downturns.
Customer Focus to be a Council which
organises itself and conducts its business so as to maximise the
benefit and value to the people it serves.
REVISED 19 January 2004
AGENDA
1.
Declarations of Interest
1.1
Any Members present (including non-Committee Members) to
declare any personal or prejudicial interest, and the nature of
those interests, which they have in any item of business on the
agenda and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion
of that item.
1.2
Members who also serve as County, Town or Parish Councillors,
are reminded of the need to make declarations in respect of any
item which directly concerns the business of the appropriate
authority.
1.3
Declarations are a personal matter for each Member to
decide. Whilst Officers will advise on the Code
of Conduct and its interpretation, the decision to declare, or not,
is the responsibility of the Member, based on the particular
circumstances.
2.1
To receive the Statement of Decisions made by the Board at
its meeting held on 27th July 2006 (copy
attached).
3.
Reconsideration of Decisions
3.1
In accordance with Rule 14 of the Performance and Overview
Procedure Rules and Rule 2 of the Executive Procedure Rules
contained within the Council's Constitution, Members are asked to
reconsider any decisions referred back to the Board.
4.
Consideration of any Performance and Overview
Committee Reports and
Recommendations
4.1
To consider comments/observations from the Performance
and Overview Committees on reports that fall within their
remit.
CATEGORY A
Key
Decisions
5.1
Report of Councillor Rachel Bailey, Portfolio Holder for
Planning.
5.2
The Board, at its meeting on 15th June 2006
(Decision No 9) agreed that consultation be carried out on the
preferred location of the War Memorial in Crewe Town Centre
using Platform. The report provides details
of the outcome of the consultation and
consequently the Board is asked to make a decision on
the location of the refurbished War Memorial.
5.3
Performance and Overview Committee Organisation.
6.1
Report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for
Finance.
6.2
Keith Ward, Baker Tilly will attend the meeting to report
the Auditor's view of the Council's 2005/06 Statement of
Accounts in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing
No 260 (ISA 260). The
Auditor's report has been provided for
Board Members/Shadow Board Members, P & O Committee Chairs
and Group Leaders only.
The Auditor's Report is available in the Members' Room
and has been published on the Council's website.
6.3
The Board is invited to receive the report of the Auditor and
to authorise the Executive Director, Treasury and
Corporate Support to sign the required 'Letter of
Representation' on behalf of the Council.
6.4
Performance
and Overview Committee Organisation.
7.
Open Space Review
7.1
Report of
Councillor Bill McGinnis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure.
(Report to Follow)
7.2
The report sets out the current position in respect of the
Open Space Review.
8.1
Report of Councillor Brian Silvester, Leader of the Council
and Councillor Ray Westwood, Portfolio Holder for
Neighbourhoods.
8.2 At
its meeting on 15th June 2006 the Board granted
delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and
the Assistant Chief Executive, Community Development and Social
Policy to approve the high level outcomes from the draft Cheshire
Local Area Agreement once they were agreed by the Communities of
Cheshire Partnership. Those outcomes were agreed and sent to
Government Office North West (GONW) by the deadline of the
30th June 2006.
8.3 The
report provides an update on the current position in respect of the
Cheshire Local Area Agreement and asks the Board to approve that
delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Chief Executive,
Community Development and Social Policy in consultation with the
Portfolio Holders (Leader and Neighbourhoods) to approve the draft
LAA once it is finalised.
8.4
Performance and Overview Committee Community.
CATEGORY B
Performance Monitoring
9.1
Report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Human Resources.
9.2
The report provides service performance information on the
agreed basket of key National Performance Indicators for the period
April 2006 June 2006.
9.3
Performance and Overview Committees All.
10.1
Report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Human
Resources.
10.2
The Performance team has identified a number of Borough Profile
Measures which will be reported to Board on an annual
basis. The report provides details of these
measures.
10.3
Performance and Overview Committees All.
CATEGORY C
Organisational Matters
11.2 The
draft development brief was approved for the purposes of
consultation on 28th March 2006. That
period of consultation took place between 10th May and
21st June 2006. The report outlines
the comments received and recommends certain amendments to the
brief. The Development Brief has been provided for Board
Members/Shadow Board Members, P & O Committee Chairs and Group
Leaders only.
The Development Brief is available in the Members'
Room and has been published on the Council's
website.
11.3 The
Board is asked to approve that the development brief,
as amended, be formally adopted as a Supplementary
Planning Document.
11.4
Performance and Overview Committee Local Economy and
Environment.
12.1
Report of Councillor Rachel Bailey, Portfolio Holder
for Planning.
12.2
The report set out the proposals for a programme of
expenditure in 2006/07 on both capital and revenue items based
on the 2006 settlement and anticipated receipt of Planning
Delivery Grant (PDG) until the grant is terminated in
2008.
12.3
The Board is asked to approve the revenue and capital under
the Planning Delivery Grant outlined in the report and that a
further report be submitted to Board once the
2007/08 PDG is confirmed to consider additional revenue
expenditure, and arrangements for maintaining the service
post-PDG.
12.4
Performance and Overview Committee Local Economy and
Environment.
13.1
Report of Councillor Rachel Bailey, Portfolio Holder for
Planning.
13.2
The report sets out the proposed arrangements for a joint
Building Control Service with Congleton and Macclesfield Borough
Councils, which have been formulated following agreement in
principle to joint working from all three Authorities, earlier in
the year. A considerable amount of collaborative
working has taken place to bring forward viable proposals, which
are summarised in a proposed Business Plan.
13.3
The Board is asked to support the proposals for collaborative
working as set out in the report, subject to the outcome of the
decision making process of Congleton and Macclesfield Borough
Councils, and make a recommendation to Council for the
establishment of a Joint Committee.
13.4
Performance and Overview Committee Local Economy
and Environment.
14.1
Report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer
Communities.
14.2
The Health and Social Care Act 2001 requires local
authorities with social services responsibilities to have
arrangements in place to review any matter relating to the
planning, provision or operation of health services in their
area. In Cheshire the
authority is the County Council. The County
Council is now considering a change to the existing local
arrangements and is consulting the District Councils before
arriving at a final decision.
14.3
The report outlines the three options being considered by
the County Health Scrutiny Committee. The Board is asked to
agree that the County Council's preferred option is not
supported and that Crewe and Nantwich Borough
Council prefers to retain the local approach to scrutiny by
merging the present Central Cheshire and Eastern Cheshire
local joint committees to mirror the recently configured East
Cheshire Primary Care Trust.
14.4Performance and Overview Committee
Community.
15.1
Report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer
Communities.
15.2 The
Gambling Act 2005 comes into force on 1st September
2007. On that date the Council will replace the
Courts as licensing authority for all premises in the Borough at
which gambling takes place. In order to carry
out its function as the licensing authority for gambling, the
Council must have in place a licensing policy, known as its
Statement of Principles.
15.3 The
Board is asked to approve the draft Statement of Principles for
public consultation. The draft Statement of Principles has been
provided for Board Members/Shadow Board Members, P & O
Committee Chairs and Group Leaders only.
The draft Statement of Principles is available in the
Members' Room and has been published on the Council's
website.
15.4
Performance and Overview Committee
Community.
16.1
Report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer
Communities.
16.2
On 28th March 2006, the Board agreed to consult on
a proposal to declare an Air Quality Management Area in part
of Hospital Street, Nantwich. The Council has a
duty to declare such an Area, by Order, when levels of
nitrogen dioxide are found to be above the objectives set by
the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs.
16.3 The
period of consultation has now ended and a steering group has
been established to define the limits of the proposed
Area. The report seeks Board approval to consult
all interested parties regarding the definition of the Area
prior to declaration of the Order.
16.4
Performance and Overview Committee Community.
17.1
Report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Human Resources.
17.2
The current Redundancy & Redeployment Policy has been in
place for ten years. In light of significant
changes in employment law and in particular, the introduction of
Age Discrimination legislation, the policy has been
reviewed. The proposed changes aim to update the
policy to reflect current employment law provision and to enable a
more effective and efficient management process for
redeployment.
17.3 The
report provides details of the main changes to the policy and the
Board is asked to approve the recommendations for change to the
existing policy for further union consultation. The
amended draft Redundancy Policy has been provided for Board
Members/Shadow Board Members, P & O Committee Chairs and Group
Leaders only.
The draft Redundancy Policy is available in the
Members' Room and has been published on the Council's
website.
17.4
Performance and Overview Committee Organisation.
18.1
Report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Human Resources.
18.2
The report provides an update on the progress made in
devising a new pay & grading structure as a result of the
completion of Job Evaluation (JE). The interviews for JE were
concluded in June 2006 and over the last two months effective
consultation with the Trade Unions has led to agreement on a
broad set of principles for a new pay and grading
structure.
18.3The Board is asked to approve, in
principle, the proposals for the structure of the new pay and
grading system as a basis for negotiation and the pay
modelling exercise.
18.4Performance and Overview Committee
Organisation.
19.1
Report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for
Finance.
19.2
The report presents the planned timetable for 2007/08
revenue and capital budget preparations for
approval.
19.3
Performance and Overview Committee Organisation.
20.
Appointment to an Outside Organisation
20.1 At its meeting on
15th June 2006 the Board appointed Councillors M A
Martin and S Mottram as the two substantive representatives on Muir
Group Housing Association, with Councillor Maureen Campbell as
the deputy. Subsequent to that, Councillor
Campbell has resigned her place, with immediate effect.
20.2 The Board is invited to
appoint a replacement deputy to Muir Group Housing
Association, to serve for the remainder of the Municipal
Year. Nominations will be reported to the
meeting.
21.1 In
accordance with Contract Regulations, the Executive Director,
Direct Services, reports on tenders which has recently been invited
and received.
21.2 The
report of the Executive Director, Direct Services is
attached.
22.
Exclusion of Press and Public
22.1 The
reports relating to the remaining items on the agenda have been
withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section
100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that
these matters may be determined with the press and public
excluded.
22.2 The
Board may decide that the press and public be excluded from the
meeting during consideration of the following matters pursuant to
Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds
that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as
defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as
amended) of the Act.
(Paragraph 1 Information relating to an
individual)
(Paragraph 2 Information which is likely to reveal the identity of
an individual)
(Paragraph 3 Information relating to the
financial or business affairs of any particular person (including
the authority holding that information.)
23.
Discretionary Rate Relief Review (Paragraph 3)
23.1 Report of Councillor
Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
23.2 The Discretionary Rate
Relief Policies for Charities and other non-profit making
organisations were established in 2003. As
a consequence of enquiries and applications received since
then, certain issues have been identified and minor
amendments and clarifications are now
considered necessary.
23.3 The Board is asked to
approve the recommendations contained in the report in respect of
the revisions to the policies.
23.4 Performance and
Overview Committee Organisation.
24.
Review of Rural Discretionary Rate Relief (Paragraph
3)
24.1 Report of
Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder
for Finance.
24.2 The Rural
Discretionary Rate Relief Policy is due for review before
1st April 2007. Minor amendments to
the policy are now required and Board is asked to approve the
recommendations contained in the report.
24.3
Performance and Overview Committee Organisation.
25.
Senior Management (Paragraphs 1 and 2)
25.1
Report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for
Human Resources. (Report to
Follow)
25.2 The
purpose of the report is to consider matters relating to the senior
management of the organisation.
25.3
Performance and Overview Committee Organisation.
NOTE:
In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, the
Council is required to notify those attending meetings of the fire
evacuation procedures. A copy has previously
been distributed to Members and instructions are located in all
rooms within the Civic Suite.
This agenda can be made
available in larger text on
request