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NOTICE OF MEETING

COMMITTEE:    LOCAL ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT

                        SCRUTINY COMMITTEE                             

DAY/DATE:       TUESDAY, 7TH JULY 2007           

TIME:                2.00PM

VENUE:            COUNCIL CHAMBER  

                        MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS

                        EARLE STREET CREWE 

Despatch date:     30th July 2007    

 

Enquiries to:     Diane Moulson

Tel: 01270 537026

Fax: 01270 537605

Email: agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk     

Chair: Cllr Peter Hallett

Tel/Fax: 01270 663549

Email: cllr.peter.hallett@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk        

To:  Members of Local Economy & Environment Scrutiny Committee [Cllrs Campbell, Cartlidge, Crawford, Hallett, Healey, Hollins, Johnson, Mottram, Parker, S Roberts, Stafford and Wood], Chief Executive, Executive Directors, Assistant Chief Executive, Local Press and Radio.

Notes for Members of the Public

The Local Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee consists of 12 elected Members and Councillor Peter Hallett is the Chair.  There are 6 Conservative, 4 Labour, 1 Liberal Democrat and 1 Independent Member.

The Borough Council welcomes and encourages members of the public to attend its Committee, Board 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 Diane Moulson the Committee Officer (details on front page).


AGENDA

PART 1 CONSTITUTIONAL BUSINESS 2.00PM – 2.05PM

1.                  Apologies

2.                  Declarations of Interest

Any Member present (including non-Committee Members) to declare any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, in any item of business on the agenda and, if necessary, to leave the meeting prior to discussion on 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.    


3.                  Record of Meeting

To approve as correct the record of the meeting held on 29th May 2007 (3).


4.         Whipping Declarations

Members to declare in respect of items where the whip has been applied. 


PART II BOARD/COUNCIL BUSINESS 2.05PM – 2.30PM

5.         Responses from the Board

The Committee is asked to note the responses from the Board (5) in relation to the Committee’s comments on the appointment of Chairs to Performance and Overview (Scrutiny) Committees, provision of Affordable Housing and Wulvern Housing – Governance Review (5.3).

5.3       Wulvern Housing - See Governance Arrangements


6.         Referrals from the Board/Council

To consider any matters which the Board or Council may have referred to the Committee.


7.         Renaming of Performance and Overview Committees                   

At Full Council on 13th June 2007, it was agreed that the three Performance and Overview Committees (Community, Organisation and Local Economy and Environment) be renamed as follows, with immediate effect –

§         Community Scrutiny Committee

§         Local Economy and Environment Scrutiny Committee

§         Organisation Scrutiny Committee

The Committee is asked to note the change.  


8.         Forward Plan of Board Decisions

8.1             To consider the Board's Forward Plan for 20th September and 15th November [8a and b respectively]

Item 8a.     Board Meeting 20th September 2007 - Provisional Items

Item 8b.     Board Meeting 15th November 2007 - Provisional Items

8.2             At its May meeting, the Committee identified two items from the forward plan for consideration in July.  Members are asked to note that the presentation on LAA 4th Block Economic Development has been scheduled for September.  The report relating to Civic Hall Car Park was deferred and will now be considered by the Town Centre Advisory Group.   

PART III COMMITTEE BUSINESS 2.30PM ONWARDS  

9.         Progress Report - Queens Park

The Council’s Landscape Architect, Allan Leah will be in attendance at the meeting to address questions arising from the Committee’s site visit to Queens’ Park.  


10.       Financial Out-turn Report for 2006/2007

The Committee is invited to consider the out-turn report for 2006/2007, as submitted to full Council on 27th June 2007.     

Members are asked to bring their own copies of the papers with them to the meeting which were submitted to full Council on 27th June. 


11.      Financial Monitoring Report 2007/2008

To consider the Financial Monitoring report for the period 1st April to 30th June 2007. 

Members are asked to bring their own copies of the papers with them to the meeting which were submitted to Board on 26th July 2007.             

11a.    Performance Monitoring

The report provides service performance information on the agreed basket of key National Performance Indicators for the period April 2007 - June 2007 (11a).


12.      Consultation: Public Rights of Way     

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is currently carrying out a consultation exercise on the “implementation of the right to apply for orders to extinguish and divert public rights or way, and associated rights of appeal”.

As the body responsible for determining applications for footpath diversions, the document will be considered by Development Control Committee at its August meeting.  LE&E is also invited to consider the questions set out in the document, with its responses being reported to both Development Control and DEFRA. 

The consultation paper is a large document and copies will be provided for Members of the Committee only.  A hard copy will be made available in the Members’ Room.                  


13.      Crewe Town Centre Update

At the request of the Chairman, this topic will be included as a standing item on future agendas, to enable Members to be briefed on Town Centre developments.   


14.      Vacancy Panel Decisions

To receive an update on the management of vacant posts which fall under the remit of the Committee (14). 


15.      Work Programme

15.1    Task Group Update          

To receive update reports, if appropriate from the Committee’s Task Groups –

·         Affordable Housing

·         Town Centres

·         Waste Management    

15.2    Climate Change Task Group

The Terms of Reference for the Climate Change Task Group were submitted to Community Scrutiny Committee and Organisation Scrutiny Committee at their meetings on 18th July and 23rd July respectively, together with an invitation to appoint two Members to the Task Group. 

Councillor Griffiths has been appointed to sit on the Group by Community Scrutiny Committee; Organisation Scrutiny Committee declined the invitation and no appointment was made.    


16.       Date of Next Meeting

11th September 2007  

................................... Chair