NOTICE OF MEETING
COMMITTEE:
COMMUNITY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
DAY/DATE:
WEDNESDAY, 9TH JANUARY 2008
TIME:
2.30PM
VENUE:
EAST COMMITTEE ROOM
MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS
EARL STREET
CREWE
Despatch date:
28th December 2007
Enquiries
to:
Diane Moulson
Tel: 01270 537026
Fax: 01270 537605
E-mail: agendas@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
Chair: Councillor J
Lewis
Tel: 01270
627507
E-mail: cllr.john.lewis@crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
To: Members of
the Community Scrutiny Committee
[Councillors T E Ankers (Deputy Chair), D N
Bebbington, J D Bratherton, D H D Charlesworth, S Conquest, C Goff,
M Grant, G Griffiths, R Jones, J Lewis (Chair), M A Martin, S J S
Mottram (Deputy Chair)]
Chief Executive, Executive Directors,
Strategic Managers
Other Members of the Borough Council, Local
press and radio
Notes for Members of the
Public
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, other than
refreshments which are offered by the Borough Council during a
break in proceedings.
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
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 14 November 2007 (Minutes).
4. Whipping
Declarations
Members to declare in respect of items where
the whip has been applied.
PART II BOARD/COUNCIL
BUSINESS
5. Board
Business
5.1 Responses
from the Board
Appeal Contribution – Future Unitary
Structures for Local Government
At its meeting on 14 November 2007, the
Committee considered the report of the Leader of the Council which
proposed making a financial contribution to an appeal by Shrewsbury
and Atcham Borough Council and Congleton Borough Council against
the High Court’s decision to dismiss an application which
challenged the right of the Secretary of State to implement
proposed Unitary structures of government in
Cheshire.
The following comment was submitted to the
Board –
“That the Committee expressed its
concern about the further implications which could arise from
supporting this contribution.”
Having considered comments from the Scrutiny
Committees, the Board’s decision (No.80) was –
DECISION:
That the Board, being satisfied in terms
of the powers available to it, the reasonableness of making a
contribution, being aware of the likely risks and that the decision
accords both with Council’s Policy and the Community
Strategy:
(A)
Authorises a contribution of up to (but not exceeding) £20,000
to Congleton Borough Council in respect of costs incurred in an
appeal to the Court of Appeal and that virement of £20,000 be
approved from the Interest and Investments Income Budget to the
Democratic Representation and Management (S500) – grants and
contributions budget;
(B)
In the event of the appeal being lost, a contingency sum of up
to (but not exceeding) £6,250 be earmarked and be payable in the
event of appeal costs being awarded against Congleton Borough
Council; and
(C)
That of the contingency sum, £5,000 (or any lesser amount) be
vired from the Interest and Investments Income Budget, with the
remainder (if required) being vired from the Nantwich Pool Fitness
Suite Miscellaneous Expenses Budget to the Democratic
Representation and Management Budget (S500) – grants and
contributions budget.
5.2 Board Reports
The Committee is invited to comment on the
following Board reports which fall within its remit.
Cheshire Local Area Agreement (scrutiny
agenda item 8)
Safeguarding Children Policy
Choice Based Lettings
Review of Crewe and Nantwich Private Sector
Housing Renewal Policy
5.3 Referrals from the
Board/Council
To consider any matters which the Board or
Council may have referred to the Committee.
6.
Forward Plan of Board
Decisions
To consider the Board's Forward Plan for 21
February and 6 March 2008 [ 6a and 6b
respectively]
PART III COMMITTEE BUSINESS
7.
Consultation Draft Budget – 2008/2009
The Committee is invited to comment on draft
budget proposals. The Assistant Director, Accountancy and
Audit will be in attendance for the discussion and will identify
the key issues for consideration.
The Board at its meeting on 21 February 2008
will consider any comments made by the Committee.
Members are asked to bring their own copy of
the “Consultation Draft Budget 2008-2009 and Budget Prospects
2008-2012” which was distributed with the Board agenda on 20
December 2007.
8. Cheshire
Local Area Agreement
Major changes are to be made to Local Area
Agreements in 2008 and to the structure of the performance
framework by 2009.
The Local Strategic Partnership Manager will
make a short presentation to the Committee reporting on performance
to date and explaining in more detail the changes
proposed.
(Board agenda item 8 pages 39 –
83)
9. Revised
Crewe and Nantwich Empty Property Strategy
The Board, at its November meeting, approved
the Revised Crewe and Nantwich Empty Property Strategy for
consultation. The outcome of the process, which concludes on
17 January 2008, will be reported back to Board on 6 March
2008.
The Committee will receive an update on the
themes emerging from the consultation exercise and will be invited
to add its own comments to the process.
10. Private Sector
Housing
To receive for information the report of the
Head of Housing (10) which summarises
the expenditure on the four main housing renewal grants or
assistance up to 21 December 2007 –
1.
Decent Homes Grants
2.
Disabled Facilities Grants
3.
Empty Property Grants
4.
Energy Efficiency Grants
11.
Work Programme
11.1
Community Grants Task Group
A review of the procedure associated with
small community grants was included into the Committee’s Work
Programme in September 2007; at which time a three member Task
Group (comprising Cllrs Charlesworth, Lewis and Mottram) was
appointed to carry out the review.
The report attached (11.1)
gives details of the broad findings of the Task Group and sets out
a number of recommendations which the Council may wish to implement
to improve the process.
11.2 Climate
Change Task Group
To receive the notes of the Climate Change
Task Group meeting held on 6 December 2007.
12.
Date of Next Meeting
9th January
2008
If you require this document or a
summary version in large print, Braille, audiotape, CD or in
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