BOROUGH OF
CREWE AND NANTWICH
COUNCIL
MEETING
23RD
JANUARY 2008
1.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2.
MINUTES
To approve as a correct record the Minutes of
the Council Meeting held on 28th November 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.
Three questions have been received
which the Council Convenor has accepted as appropriate for
Council.
Question 1: (Roy
Oultram)
“In the Crewe Chronicle dated
19th December 2007, there is an article concerning
alley-gates, with a County Councillor and a Local Councillor
expressing their anger over the delay of the erection of a very
important project to the community, with negative reason given also
by a Councillor of why it is not possible. Why cannot this be
done?”
Question 2: (Roy Oultram)
“Looking through the Budget for 2007-2008 there is
reference to “ear-marked reserves” for many purposes. Why not for
the public sector, they cover most branches, mostly private;
why not alley-gating?”
Question 3: (Peter Kent)
“The adjacent Boroughs of Crewe &
Nantwich and Vale Royal are very similar statistically,
economically, socially and in many other ways. Two years ago, their
Councils were consistently rated at similar levels by external
inspectors. Vale Royal volunteered for a further CPA-type
inspection by the Audit Commission and emerged with the best
possible rating of “excellent”.
A recent survey of employees’ opinion placed it as the best
local authority in the country to work for. What rating did
Crewe & Nantwich receive in this survey?
And would the Leader of the Council please explain why Crewe
& Nantwich did not also volunteer for a renewed Audit
Commission inspection?”
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.
MATTERS REQUIRING A DECISION
BY COUNCIL
7. Notice
of Motion
To consider the following Notice of Motion
submitted by Councillor B Evans and supported by Councillors W T
Beard, R Cartlidge, M Grant, S W Hogben, E Howell, Z S Krizanac and
S Roberts in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7(1).
“That Minute No. 93, Council meeting
10th October 2007, be rescinded for the purpose of
giving all our staff the freedom to take part in the work over the
unitary preparations”.
For information, the resolution under Minute
No. 93 is as follows –
“That, in relation to Local Government
Reorganisation, 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.”
8. Notice
of Motion
To consider the following Notice of Motion
submitted by Councillor B Evans, in accordance with Procedure Rule
No. 7(1).
“Victoria and Coppenhall Schools have
amalgamated to form the new Sir William Stanier Community
School. This motion proposes –
(a) That, until the new Joint
Working Agreement is reached for that school, as an interim
measure, both Coppenhall and Victoria JMC have the same membership
to ensure that we minimise the duplication of work required at
these meetings.
(b) That these parallel nominations to
represent both current JMCs to be 2 Conservative, 1 Labour and 1
from the other groups, to be decided at this meeting.”
9.
Appointment of Monitoring Officer
The former Assistant Chief Executive
(Democratic Services and Human Resources) was the Council’s
appointed Monitoring Officer. Following his departure in
September 2006, the Borough Solicitor has retained the role of
Deputy Monitoring Officer and has acted-up during that period.
The appointment of a new Monitoring Officer
was held in abeyance until the new management structure was
implemented. That new structure is now in place and this duty is
currently held by the Strategic Manager (Organisation) [Rachel
Welch].
The report of the Chief Executive
(9)
is attached and outlines reasons for recommending that the
responsibility for the role of Monitoring Officer be transferred to
the Borough Solicitor, with immediate effect.
Council is invited to RESOLVE -
That the responsibility for the role of
Monitoring Officer be transferred from the post of Strategic
Manager (Organisation) and, in accordance with Part 3 of the
Council’s Constitution and Section 5 of the 1989 Local Government
and Housing Act, Chris Henshall (Borough Solicitor) be appointed as
the Borough Council’s Monitoring Officer.
10. Appointment of
Member Representatives to the Transitional Joint Committee for
Cheshire East
Following the announcement on 18th
December 2007 that Cheshire is to be divided into two unitary
authorities, with Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton and Macclesfield
forming Cheshire East, there is a requirement to delegate functions
and determine which Members will sit on the Transitional Joint
Committee.
The draft Order provides for the establishment
of the Transitional Joint Committee for each of the new Councils,
not later than 14 days after the Order comes into force. The
composition for the Cheshire East Joint Committee comprises –
> 6 elected Members
from the County Council
> 3 elected Members
from Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council
> 3 elected Members
from Congleton Borough Council
> 3 elected Members
from Macclesfield Borough Council
The report of the Chief Executive is attached
(10)
and Council is invited to RESOLVE – That, subject to confirmation
of the Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008 -
(i) Three Members be appointed as
the Council’s nominees to the Joint Committee Cheshire East, based
on the political proportionality of the Borough Council (2
Conservative, 1 Labour).
(ii) That such functions as are
necessary be delegated to the Joint Committee for Cheshire East in
accordance with the Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008;
(iii) That delegated power
be granted to the Chief Executive to deploy such Officers and other
resources as are necessary to secure implementation of the
arrangements set out in the Cheshire (Structural Changes) Order
2008; and
(iv) That the Chief
Executive be appointed as the Proper Officer for the purposes of
the Order.
11. Appointment of
Member to Development Control Committee
For personal reasons, Councillor R Jones has
resigned as a Member of the Development Control Committee with
immediate effect.
The Labour Group will report the name of the
Councillor to replace him, at the meeting.
12. Introduction of
Discretionary Charging for Permitted Development
Enquiries
A review of the non-statutory functions of the
planning service together with opportunities for discretionary
charging for these services has been undertaken.
At its meeting held on 3rd January
2008, the Board considered the report of Councillor Rachel Bailey,
Portfolio Holder for Planning which proposed the introduction of
charges for enquiries by members of the public in respect of
whether planning permission is required or not.
Council is recommended to RESOLVE -
(a)
That a fee be charged for the handling of enquiries relating to
whether or not proposals constitute permitted development; and
(b)
That the standard fee for the service be set at £35.
The Portfolio Holder’s report, as submitted to
Board, is attached. (12)
13.
Mayoral Nomination 2008/2009
At its meeting held on 3rd January
2008, the Board considered the report of Councillor Margaret Simon,
Portfolio Holder for Customers. The report invited the Board
to make a recommendation to Annual Council (14th May
2008) in respect of the Mayoral Nomination for 2008/2009.
The Board’s Decision (No. 110) included a
recommendation to Council on 23rd January 2008 that
“Paragraph 5 of the Mayoral Conventions adopted by the Borough
Council be suspended.” Decision No. 110 has now been called
in by the Organisation Scrutiny Committee which is meeting on
21st January to review it. Subject to the outcome
of that meeting, this item may be withdrawn from the agenda.
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as
submitted to Board, is attached. (13)
14. Safeguarding
Children Policy
The Children Act 2004 places a duty on
District Councils to ensure that all its functions are discharged
in respect of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
To enable the development of a framework to promote
safeguarding for children and young people, the Council needs to
introduce a Safeguarding Policy.
At its meeting held on 3rd January
2008, the Board considered the report of Councillor Ray Westwood,
Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, which proposed the adoption of
the Policy and Procedures submitted.
Council is recommended to RESOLVE - That
the Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures together with the
recommendations for training and development, in accordance with
Section 11 of the Children Act 2004, be adopted.
The report of the Portfolio Holder, as
submitted to Board, is attached. (14).
15. BOARD REPORT AND
QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD AND COMMITTEE
CHAIRS