COUNCIL MEETING
10TH OCTOBER 2007
1.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2.
MINUTES
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of
the Council Meeting held on 8th August 2007.
(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.
One question has been received on this
occasion and has been accepted by Councillor Moran, the Council
Convenor. Mr R Oultram has asked the following question –
“Although a sum of £2m was set
aside from the assets of the sale of housing stock to Wulvern,
which has had a £3m office block built, MMU has completed its
student housing and private companies have built hundreds of
houses, a cinema and bowling alley; and Modus is about to
tear the town apart. Why has the Council been unable to
decide on the siting and erection of a new swimming baths, after 5
years?”
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 SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORTS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
To consider any recommendations or
reports from the Scrutiny Committees.
7. NOTICE
OF MOTION
To consider the following Notice of
Motion submitted by Councillor M J Simon, in accordance with
Procedure Rule No. 7(1).
“That this
Council considers it essential that dairy farmers in the Borough
obtain a fair price for their milk. The Council fully supports the
current campaign of Cheshire Women's Farmers Union which seeks to
highlight the present unfair treatment of farmers and the
potentially devastating effect on the farming industry and our
rural communities.”
MATTERS REQUIRING A DECISION
BY COUNCIL
8.
PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE UNITARY STRUCTURES (LGR)
At its meeting held on 20th
September 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor Brian
Silvester, Leader of the Council, which outlined proposals for
closer collaborative links with other district councils in
Cheshire.
The Board’s recommendation is –
That Full Council does not give authority for
Officers to be involved in meetings or negotiations, or supplying
any information unless required by statute, but this does not
preclude Officers seeking information or guidance, where the
purpose is the creation of new unitary authorities in Cheshire.
The report of the Leader of the Council
submitted to Board (as amended) is attached. (8)
9. REVISION
OF ALLOCATIONS POLICY
At its meeting held on 20th
September 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor
Rachel Bailey, Portfolio Holder for Planning.
The Council has a legal duty to operate an
allocations scheme including a policy and procedure for the
allocation of housing, and to allocate housing in accordance with
this scheme.
Wulvern Housing acts as the Council’s agent in
dealing with housing allocations and has made changes to its
Allocations Policy. This new policy does not accord with the
Council’s policy. As a consequence, there is a lack of
clarity for housing applicants, and a risk that the present process
will not comply with legislative requirements.
The Portfolio Holder’s report highlighted
areas requiring revision, and the Board recommends to Council –
(a)
That the existing policy be revised as detailed in the report;
(b)
That the revised policy be the subject of consultation with
Registered Social Landlords operating within the Borough, with
which the Council has nomination arrangements;
(c)
That others likely to be affected by changes to the policy be
advised of the changes; and
(d)
That delegated authority be granted to the relevant Director in
consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning to agree any
further amendments to the policy required as a result of the
consultation.
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as
submitted to Board, is attached. (9)
To enable Members to gain an understanding of
the points system, the draft revised Allocations Policy was issued
to Members on 21st September 2007.
10. PUBLIC ART
STRATEGY
At its meeting held on 20th
September 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor Bill
McGinnis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, which detailed the draft
Public Art Strategy.
Following receipt of external funding from
Arts Council England North-West, Cathy Newbery, an external
consultant, developed a Public Art Strategy for Crewe and Nantwich
Borough Council. The draft Strategy was submitted to Board.
Council is recommended to approve the adoption
and implementation of the Public Art Strategy.
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as
submitted to Board is attached
(10) together with a copy of the Strategy.
11. COMPREHENSIVE
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY POLICY
At its meeting held on 20th
September 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor
Jacquie Weatherill, Portfolio Holder for Human Resources.
The Comprehensive Equality and Diversity
Policy is an over-arching strategic document which aims to review
and achieve a change in the Council’s practice. The policy
(together with the Race Equality Scheme, Disability Equality Scheme
and Gender Equality Scheme) replaces the former Crewe and Nantwich
Scheme for Equality 2002-2005.
The Board recommends to Council –
That the Comprehensive Equality and Diversity
Policy 2007-2011 and related Equality Schemes [Race Equality Scheme
2006-2008, Disability Equality Scheme 2006-2009 and Gender Equality
Scheme 2007-2010] be approved.
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as
submitted to Board, is attached. (11)
together with a copy of the Draft Policy.
12. PORTFOLIOS AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
The portfolios and the allocation to
individual Board Members is a matter for Full Council to
approve.
Within those portfolios the Board has
occasionally transferred areas of responsibility to other
portfolios, if considered appropriate. It is now proposed that
responsibility for matters of an international nature, such as
twinning and migrant workers, which currently falls within the
Portfolio for Human Resources, be transferred to the Leader of the
Council, with immediate effect.
Full Council is asked to approve this
change.
13. EXCLUSION OF PRESS
AND PUBLIC
The reports relating to agenda item 14 have
been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to
Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds
that this matter may be determined with the press and public
excluded.
The Committee of Full Council is asked to
RESOLVE –
That the press and public be excluded from
the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to
Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds
that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as
defined in Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of
the Act.
(Paragraph 2: Relates to information
that is likely to reveal the identity of an
individual.)
14. STAFFING
STRUCTURE
14.1
At its meeting held on 20th September 2007, the Board
considered the report of Councillor Jacquie Weatherill, Portfolio
Holder for Human Resources.
The report addressed the need to develop a
staffing structure to enable delivery of the Council’s Corporate
Objectives, taking into account changed circumstances. The Board
recommends to Council -
(a)
That the revised staffing structure be adopted;
(b)
That all necessary transfers of powers and duties resulting from
changes to the structure be made;
(c) That
the appointment of the Strategic Managers be made by a Member Level
Panel; and
(d)
That appropriate Terms of Reference for the Member Level Panel be
approved by Council.
The Leader of the Council’s report, as
submitted to Board, is attached (14.A) together
with Terms of Reference for the Member Level Panel ie. Committee of
Appointment (14.B).
14.2 Designation of
Chief Officer Posts
Part 7 of the Constitution, headed “Management
Structure” sets out the functions and areas of responsibility of
those posts classed as constituting the senior management of the
authority. The Officers who occupy these posts are known as
“Part 7” Officers for the purposes of the Constitution and the
Officer Employment Procedure Rules. The three Strategic Manager
posts will clearly constitute part of the senior management, but
this situation is not specifically referred to in the report from
the Board which is on the agenda. It is, therefore, necessary
to formally recognise the fact that these posts should be
designated as Chief Officer posts.
The Council is asked to RESOLVE
-
That the three Strategic Manager posts
referred to in the report of the Portfolio Holder for Human
Resources to Board on 20th September 2007 be designated
as Chief Officer posts.
15. RE-ADMITTANCE OF
PRESS AND PUBLIC
The Committee of Full Council is invited to
re-admit the press and public to the meeting.
16. BOARD REPORT AND
QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD AND COMMITTEE
CHAIRS