PRESENT:   The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor H W Curran;

Deputy Mayor, Councillor M R Jones, Councillors T E Ankers, R A Bailey, W T Beard, J A Beech, J D Bratherton, P K Butterill, M Campbell, D J Cannon, R Cartlidge, D H D Charlesworth, S G Conquest, A Crawford, W S Davies, R E Dodd, T R Dunlop, J V Dwyer, B H Dykes, B Evans, G Fenton, M Grant, G Griffiths, P A Hallett, J Hammond, J K Hatfield, S W Hogben, E Howell, R Jones, A C Johnson,   Z S Krizanac, J Lewis, M A Martin, W S McGinnis, A Moran, S J S Mottram, J A Pearson, A Richardson, M Roberts, R Salmon, B G Silvester, M J Simon, R Stafford, D J Straine-Francis, C G Thorley, M J Weatherill, R Westwood and L T Wood

 

 

93        Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D N Bebbington, D Brickhill, A Fawcett, M A Hollins, S Roberts, J I Stockton, C Waling and J Wright.

 

 

94        RESOLVED:  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 involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of the Act.

 

(Note:   Mr D Campbell, Human Resources Director, North-West Employers Organisation, remained in the meeting, having acted as the Council's independent adviser to the Working Group set up at Council on 20^th September 2006.)

 

 

95        RESOLVED: That the Council now sit as a Committee of Full Council.

 

 

96        Councillors M R Jones, M Campbell, M Grant, J K Hatfield, B G Silvester and M J Simon declared personal interests in agenda item 3 (Appointment of Chief Executive) on the basis of their membership of the Working Group which had been set up at Council on 20^th September 2006 (Minute No. 88).

 

No other Member made any declaration of interest in any item of business on the agenda.

 

 

97        At the meeting of Council held on 20^th September 2006, a Working Group of Members had been established to consider the job profile documentation and person specification for the new Chief Executive role and to agree the selection process prior to the final appointment of the new Chief Executive at Council on 1^st November 2006.

 

The Working Group had met on several occasions and its report was now submitted for consideration. Mr C J Henshall, the Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the procedure to be followed at the meeting.

 

The first candidate, Jennifer Cross, made a presentation to the Committee of Full Council, following which she was questioned by Members.  She then withdrew from the meeting.

 

The second candidate, Paul Ancell, joined the meeting and made a presentation to the Committee of Full Council, following which he was questioned by Members.  He then withdrew from the meeting.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That Paul Ancell be appointed Chief Executive of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.

 

 

98        RESOLVED:  That the press and public be re-admitted to the meeting.

 

 

99        RESOLVED:  That Full Council be now reconvened.

 

 

100     RESOLVED:  That the recommendation of the Committee of Full Council be approved and adopted.

           

 

101      At this point in the proceedings the meeting was adjourned.

 

 

 

 

 

102     On behalf of the Council, the newly appointed Chief Executive, Paul Ancell, was welcomed to the meeting by the Worshipful the Mayor. 

 

 

103     The Mayor reported, with regret, the recent sad deaths of former Councillors Michael Weatherill and Georgina West.

 

Michael Weatherill died suddenly on 3^rd October aged 67 years.  He had represented the Crewe South-West Ward from 1976 to 1979 and the Ruskin Park Ward from 1984 to 1992.  He had served on a wide range of Council committees and had been Chair of the Personnel Committee, Technical Services Committee and the Finance Sub-Committee.

 

Georgina West died on 16^th October aged 58 years, following a long illness. She represented the Acton Ward from 1987 to 1995 and served on a wide range of Council committees including Community Services, Recreation and Leisure and Development Control.

 

Members stood for a moment's silence in memory of Michael Weatherill and Georgina West, following which personal tributes were made.

 

 

104     The Mayor reported, with regret, the sad death of Marie Brickhill, Councillor Brickhill's wife, who had died suddenly during the week whilst they were both on holiday.  Members expressed their condolences and stood for a moment's silence as a mark of respect.

 

 

105     RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting held on 20^th September 2006 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.  

 

 

106     It was reported that on this occasion, no questions had been received in accordance with the Public Question Time Procedure Rule No. 31(2). 

 

A petition had been received from Mr F Hough in respect of Crewe Swimming Pool.

 

Councillor B Evans, the Council Convenor, read out the petition which had been signed by over 2000 local people. The petitioners objected to the "closure of Crewe Swimming Baths" and did not support the "proposed site at Manchester Metropolitan University" (MMU) as a suitable relocation.  Councillor Bill McGinnis, the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, responded to the petition to the effect that there was no proposal to close Crewe Swimming Pool;  initial discussions had been held with representatives of MMU in respect of the possibility of a shared facility.

 

Mr Hough asked a supplementary question and the Portfolio Holder responded.

 

 

107     Council received the Mayor's communications and a resumé of civic life in the Borough since the last meeting. 

 

 

108     RESOLVED: That the Council now sit as a Committee of Full Council.

 

 

109     No Member made any declaration of interest in respect of any item of remaining business on the agenda.

 

 

110     There were no reports or recommendations from the Performance and Overview Committees on this occasion.

 

 

111     Councillor A Fawcett had relinquished his place on the Development Control Committee. The Independent Group had requested that Councillor P K Butterill replace him, with immediate effect.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That Councillor P K Butterill be appointed to the Development Control Committee, to replace Councillor A Fawcett, with immediate effect.

 

 

112     On 17^th May 2006, Annual Council had approved an increase in the number of Independent (non-Council) Members on the Standards Committee from two to three.

 

The Standards Committee had interviewed candidates for the third Independent (non-Council) Member place on 23^rd October 2006 and recommended the appointment of Roger Pomlett.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Roger Pomlett be appointed as the third Independent (non-Council) Member on the Standards Committee, with immediate effect.

 

 

113     At its meeting on 25^th September 2006, the Modernising Agenda Working Group (MAWG) considered the Call-In Procedure in respect of Board Decisions. 

 

The Call-In Procedure was set down in Paragraph 14 of the Performance and Overview Procedure Rules (Pages 150-151 of the Council's Constitution) and required that, following the call-in of a Board Decision, the appropriate Performance and Overview Committee must meet within six days (excluding non-working days) of the call-in.

 

This system had operated satisfactorily until the introduction of the Local Authorities (Access to Meetings and Documents) (Period of Notice) (England) Order 2002 which came into force on 1^st October 2002.  The Order extended public notice for meetings from 3-days to 5-days.  The consequence of this was that to comply with public notice requirements, the agenda (following a call-in) must be issued on the date of the call-in. Members had previously expressed concern that these requirements were too onerous and should be relaxed.

 

The Modernising Agenda Working Group recommended that the period between the call-in and the meeting of the appropriate Committee should be extended to 10-working days. Council was asked to approve this revision to the Council's Constitution, with immediate effect.

 

RECOMMENDED: (a) That, following a call-in of a Board Decision by the appropriate Performance and Overview Committee, the Committee meet within 10 days (excluding non-working days) of the call-in;

 

(b)       That the revised procedure take immediate effect; and

 

(c)        That Procedure Rule No. 14 of the Performance and Overview Procedure Rules be amended accordingly.

 

 

114     At its meeting on 19^th October 2006, the Development Control Committee considered application No. P06/0928 for Reaseheath College and recommended that it be referred to Council for determination.

 

The Committee recommended that the application be approved, as a departure from Policy BE.7 which sought to protect the setting of conservation areas, subject to the conditions detailed in the report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That the application be approved as a departure from Policy BE.7, subject to the following conditions -

 

1.           Standard 3 years

2.           Materials

3.           Plans

4.          Landscaping scheme including planting to both screening mounds

5.           Implementation and maintenance of landscaping

6.           Use of Farriery for horses kept at Home Farm only

7.           No consent for lighting to outdoor arena

8.           Green Travel Plan for whole college

9.           Location of gates at entrance

10.         Cycle parking

11.         Lighting to indoor arena to be down lighters

12.         Hours of lighting to indoor arena

 

 

115     At its meeting on 19^th October 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities. 

 

The Government had introduced legislation in 2001 to enable local authorities to restrict the drinking of alcohol in designated public places. The Crewe and Nantwich Safer Communities Partnership had received a request from the Police to consider the designation of various public places for the purposes of confiscating alcohol and discouraging drinking in public open spaces.

 

The report of the Portfolio Holder explained the legal position in respect of Designation Orders and proposed a process for the identification and assessment of areas which were considered suitable for such Orders. The Board had approved the proposals contained in the report and recommended that Council delegate the power to make Orders to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee.

 

RECOMMENDED:  That the power to make Designated Public Places Orders under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 be delegated to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, based on the procedural framework contained in the report for the process of identifying areas and providing the evidential basis for Orders.

 

 

116     At its meeting on 9^th October 2006, the South-East Quadrant of Crewe Steering Group had supported a proposal to adopt the name "University Quadrant" as the name/brand for the area.  To reflect the change, and at the request of Members of the Steering Group, Council was asked to resolve that the name of the "South-East Quadrant of Crewe Steering Group" be amended to "University Quadrant of Crewe Steering Group".

 

RECOMMENDED:   That the name of the "South-East Quadrant of Crewe Steering Group" be amended to "University Quadrant of Crewe Steering Group" with immediate effect.

 

           

117     The Committee of Full Council was invited to ask questions of the Board or Committee Chairs in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 9. These were responded to by the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holders, as appropriate.  There were no questions to Committee Chairs. 

 

 

118     RESOLVED:  That Full Council be now reconvened.

 

 

119     RESOLVED:  That the recommendations of the Committee of Full Council be approved and adopted.

 

 

 

...................................................Mayor