Your Council!Your Council
Municipal Buildings
Earle Street
Crewe
             
 
To:      The Worshipful the Mayor and Members of the Crewe and Nantwich
Borough Council
 
You are invited to attend a meeting of the Borough Council to be held on Wednesday, 13th December 2006 in the Council Chamber, Municipal Buildings, Earle Street, Crewe commencing at 2.30pm for the transaction of the business set out overleaf. 
 
                   Note:  Group meetings have been booked as follows: 
 
Conservative:  West Committee Room  -  1.00 pm
Labour:         East Committee Room  -  1.30 pm
Nantwich Independent Group: Interview Room 1- 1.30 pm
Independent:  Executive Office Suite  -  1.30 pm
                                                                                                             Paul Ancell
                                                                                                         Chief Executive
                                                                                   
Despatch date:  4th December 2006
 
 
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO
ATTEND THIS MEETING
    BOROUGH OF CREWE AND NANTWICH
 
COUNCIL MEETING
 
13TH DECEMBER 2006 
 
1.         APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
 
2.         MINUTES
 
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 1st November 2006. (2)
3.         PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
 
To consider questions and petitions received in accordance with the Question Time Procedure [Procedure Rule No. 31(2)] and to consider any supplementary questions. 
4.         MAYOR'S COMMUNICATIONS AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES
 
To receive the Mayor's Communications and a resumé of Civic life in the Borough since the last Council meeting. (4)
 
(Note: At this point in the proceedings the Council will be invited to sit as a Committee of the Full Council.)
5.         DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
           
Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests which they have in any item of business on the agenda, the nature of the interest, and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion of that item.
 
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.
 
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.
6.         CONSIDERATION OF ANY PERFORMANCE AND OVERVIEW COMMITTEE REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
 
To consider any recommendations or reports from Performance and Overview Committees.
MATTERS REQUIRING A DECISION BY COUNCIL
 
7.         White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities" Invitations to Councils in England to Make Proposals for Future Unitary  Structures and to Pioneer, as "Pathfinders", New Two-Tier Models
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Brian Silvester, Leader of the Council.
 
As part of the recently published White Paper the Government had issued an invitation to authorities in the County areas to formulate proposals for Unitary Local Government. 
 
The Board recommends to Council -
 
(a)        That Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council considers that improved two-tier working in partnership with Cheshire County Council and the other districts in Cheshire presents the best option for the governance of the people of Cheshire generally, and Crewe and Nantwich in particular; and  
 
(b)        That Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council is not in favour of being involved in a bid for improved two-tier pathfinder status.
 
The report of the Leader of the Council, as amended at the Board meeting, is attached. (7)
8.         2006-2011 Revenue Strategy
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.  The report presented amendments to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2006-2011 and set out the financial impacts of delivery of the Council's existing key policy commitments in terms of revenue spending and the capacity to fund these.
 
The Board recommends to Council -
 
(a)         That the up-dated Revenue Strategy 2006-2011 be approved;
 
(b)          That the 2007/2008 budget preparations be guided by the September retail price increase and the medium-term financial position by an allowance for inflation. (The projections will continue to illustrate the impacts of various Council Tax levels); and
 
(c)           That proposals for savings and any requests for growth be brought forward to enable examination of alternative budget proposals, with the principle of sustainability taken into account.
 
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached. (8)
9.         Capital Investment Strategy 2006-2011
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.  The report presented the up-dated Capital Strategy for 2006-2011.  It also included a review of the resources allocated to existing projects which were underway and to the new proposals which had been scored and ranked in the usual way. 
 
The Board recommends to Council -
 
(a)        That the Capital Strategy 2006-2011 be approved; and
 
(b)       That the Capital Programme be amended to include the changes recommended in the Strategy.
 
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached. (9)
10.       Tax Base for Council Tax and Discount for Second Homes
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
 
The report provided details of the Council Tax Base calculation for the forthcoming year.  It also detailed the tax base for each parish and Nantwich Town Council and included a proposal to determine the level of Council Tax discount for second homes.
 
The Board recommends to Council -         
 
(a)       That the discount for second homes be approved at 25%;
 
(b)       That the Tax Base for the whole Borough, as detailed in Appendix A1 of the report, be approved; and
 
(c)         That the Tax Base for the parishes and Nantwich Town Council, as detailed in Appendix A2 of the report, be approved.
 
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached. (10)
11.       Gambling Act 2005
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities.
 
In order to carry out its new function as the licensing authority for gambling, the Council must have in place a licensing policy known as its Statement of Principles.  The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached, together with a copy of the Statement of Principles. (11)
 
The Board recommends to Council
 
(a)        That the Statement of Principles be approved and adopted;
 
(b)        That all duties, authorities and functions in the determination of fees to be charged for premises licences be delegated to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee; and
 
(c)         That all duties, authorities and functions in the exercise of the registration of small society lotteries be delegated to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee.
12.       Adoption of New Bye-laws for the Practice of Acupuncture,  Tattooing, Semi-Permanent Skin Colouring, Cosmetic Piercing  and Electrolysis
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities.
 
The legislation relating to the practice of acupuncture, tattooing, ear piercing and electrolysis has been up-dated to include new powers for the regulation of cosmetic piercing and skin-colouring practices.    Council is recommended to revoke the existing Bye-laws, and in their place adopt the Government's new consolidated Model Bye-laws.
 
The Board recommendation to Council is
 
That, pursuant to Section 15 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by Section 120 of the Local Government Act 2003, Council makes new Bye-laws for the Regulation of the Practice of Acupuncture, Tattooing, Semi-Permanent Skin-Colouring, Cosmetic Piercing and Electrolysis in the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich.
 
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached, together with a copy of the Model Byelaws. (12)
13.       Review of Redundancy Policy
 
At its meeting held on 30th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for Human Resources.
 
The existing Redundancy and Redeployment Policy has been in place for approximately ten years and there have been significant changes in employment law since the Policy was introduced.  A review of existing policy has been carried out and a number of recommendations for a variety of changes, both in style and provision, within the Policy were proposed.
 
The Board approved the amendments to the policy and recommends to Council
 
That the revised Redundancy and Redeployment policy be adopted.
 
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as submitted to Board, is attached. (13)     
14.       BOARD REPORT AND QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD AND  COMMITTEE CHAIRS
 
Guide Time
45 minutes
(Note:  At this point in the meeting, Full Council will reconvene)


 

Councillors may ask questions of the Board or Committee Chairs in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 9.  Members are reminded that questions should only be raised on matters which are being discussed by the Board or Committee.