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, D N Bebbington, J A Beech, J D Bratherton, D Brickhill, 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, A Fawcett, G Fenton, M Grant, G Griffiths, P A Hallett, J Hammond, S W Hogben, M A Hollins, 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, S Roberts, M Roberts, R Salmon, B G Silvester, M J Simon, R Stafford, D J Straine-Francis, J I Stockton, C G Thorley, M J Weatherill, R Westwood and J Wright

 

 

120     The Mayor referred to the recent death of Michael Grant, following a long illness.  He had acted as Mayor's Consort to Councillor Maureen Grant during her year of office as Mayor in 2005/2006.

 

Members stood for a moment's silence in memory of Michael Grant, following which the Leader of the Council paid tribute to him.

 

Councillor Grant thanked Members for their support and messages of condolence.

 

 

121     Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J K Hatfield, E Howell, C Waling and L T Wood.

 

 

122     RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting held on 1^st November 2006 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

126     Councillors D Brickhill, A Moran and A Richardson declared personal interests in agenda item 7 (White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities") on the basis of their County Council membership.  Councillor M J Simon declared a personal interest in agenda item 7 on the basis of her County Council membership and her position as a Member of the Fire Authority.  Councillor D J Cannon declared a personal interest in agenda item 10 (Tax Base for Council Tax and Discount for Second Homes) on the basis that he was a part-owner of a second home in Devon.

 

No other Member made any declaration of interest in any item of business on the agenda at this point in the proceedings.

 

 

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

 

 

128     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Brian Silvester, Leader of the Council. 

 

As part of the recently published White Paper, the Government had issued an invitation to authorities in the county areas to formulate proposals for Unitary Local Government. In addition, it had also proposed that in areas where it was considered not desirable to make such a proposal, then bids from County/District partnerships for pathfinder status be sought.  Completed proposals were required to be submitted by 25^th January 2007.

 

 

 

(i)         it would provide the framework for strong leadership and clear accountability which the Cheshire community needed;

 

(ii)        Delivered clear and well-defined opportunities for neighbourhood flexibility and empowerment and, in particular, proposals for the devolution of powers and responsibilities to recognisable local communities including parish and town councils;

 

(iii)       Delivered value-for-money and equity in public services; and

 

(b)       That Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council was not in favour of being involved in a bid for improved two-tier pathfinder status."

 

 

"That Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council would work with other local authorities within the County of Cheshire, partners and stakeholders, and seek a proposal for a future unitary structure for local government for the current area covered by Cheshire County Council in response to the Government invitation, as contained within the White Paper "Strong and Prosperous Communities", and in accordance with the appropriate requirements.

             

The proposal would:

 

1.         Provide the framework for strong leadership and clear accountability which the Cheshire community needed.

 

2.         Deliver clear and well-defined opportunities for neighbourhood flexibility and empowerment and in particular proposals for the devolution of powers and responsibilities to recognisable local communities including parish and town councils.

 

3.         Deliver value-for-money and equity in public services. 

 

This work would be carried out with no pre-conceptions as to the geographical structure of future unitary councils within the area and with due respect to the views of all interested parties."

 

Before the vote was taken, at least six Members of the Borough Council requested that the vote on the amendment be recorded to show whether each Member present voted for or against the amendment to the Motion, or abstained from voting, in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 18.

 

The recorded vote was as follows

 

 

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor M R Jones, Councillors Beard, Cartlidge, Conquest, Crawford, Dunlop, Evans, Fawcett, Grant, Hogben, R Jones, Martin, M Roberts, S Roberts, Salmon, Straine-Francis, Thorley and Wright.

 

 

Councillors Ankers, Bailey, Bebbington, Beech, Bratherton, Brickhill, Butterill, Cannon, Charlesworth, Davies, Dodd, Dwyer, Dykes, Fenton, Griffiths, Hallett, Hammond, Hollins, Johnson, Lewis, McGinnis, Moran, Mottram, Pearson, Richardson, Silvester, Simon, Stafford, Stockton, Weatherill and Westwood.

 

 

The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor H W Curran and Councillor Campbell.

 

The Worshipful the Mayor announced the result of the recorded vote: 18 Members voted for the amendment, 31 Members voted against the amendment and 2 Members abstained from voting.

 

 

The original and substantive Motion was put to the meeting.  Before the vote was taken, at least six Members of the Borough Council requested that the vote on the original and substantive Motion be recorded to show whether each Member present voted for or against the Motion, or abstained from voting, in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 18.

 

The recorded vote was as follows

 

 

Councillors Ankers, Bailey, Bebbington, Beech, Brickhill, Butterill, Cannon, Charlesworth, Davies, Dodd, Dwyer, Dykes, Fenton, Hallett, Hammond, Hollins, Johnson, Lewis, McGinnis, Moran, Mottram, Pearson, Richardson, Silvester, Simon, Stockton, Weatherill and Westwood

 

 

Deputy Mayor, Councillor M R Jones, Councillors Beard, Cartlidge, Conquest, Crawford, Dunlop, Evans, Grant, Hogben, R Jones, Martin, M Roberts, S Roberts, Salmon, Straine-Francis, Thorley and Wright

 

 

The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor H W Curran, Councillors Bratherton, Campbell, Fawcett, Griffiths and Stafford.

 

The Worshipful the Mayor announced the result of the recorded vote: 28 Members voted for the Motion, 17 Members voted against the Motion and 6 Members abstained from voting.

 

 

 

129     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.  The report presented amendments to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2006-2011 and set out the financial impacts of delivery of the Council's existing key policy commitments in terms of revenue spending and the capacity to fund these.

 

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the up-dated Revenue Strategy 2006-2011be approved;

 

(b)       That the 2007/2008 budget preparations be guided by the September retail price increase and the medium-term financial position by an allowance for inflation. (The projections would continue to illustrate the impacts of various Council Tax levels); and

 

(c)        That proposals for savings and any requests for growth be brought forward to enable examination of alternative budget proposals, with the principle of sustainability taken into account.

 

 

130     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.  The report presented the up-dated Capital Strategy for 2006-2011. It also included a review of the resources allocated to existing projects which were underway and to the new proposals which had been scored and ranked in the usual way. 

 

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the Capital Strategy 2006-2011 be approved; and

 

(b)               That the Capital Programme be amended to include the changes recommended in the Strategy.

 

 

 

131     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor Graham Fenton, Portfolio Holder for Finance.

 

The report provided details of the Council Tax Base calculation for the forthcoming year.  It also detailed the tax base for each parish and Nantwich Town Council and included a proposal to determine the level of Council Tax discount for second homes.

 

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the discount for second homes be approved at 25%;

 

(b)       That the Tax Base for the whole Borough, as detailed in Appendix A1 of the report, be approved; and

 

(c)        That the Tax Base for the parishes and Nantwich Town Council, as detailed in Appendix A2 of the report, be approved.

 

 

132     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities. 

 

In order to carry out its new function as the licensing authority for gambling, the Council must have in place a licensing policy, known as its Statement of Principles, which was attached to the report. 

 

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the Statement of Principles be approved and adopted;

 

(b)               That all duties, authorities and functions in the determination of fees to be charged for premises licences be delegated to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee; and

 

(c)               That all duties, authorities and functions in the exercise of the registration of small society lotteries be delegated to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee.

 

 

133           At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities.

 

The legislation relating to the practice of acupuncture, tattooing, ear piercing and electrolysis had been up-dated to include new powers for the regulation of cosmetic piercing and skin-colouring practices. Council was recommended to revoke the existing bye-laws, and in their place adopt the Government's new consolidated Model Bye-laws.

 

RECOMMENDED: That, pursuant to Section 15 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, as amended by Section 120 of the Local Government Act 2003, Council makes new Bye-laws for the Regulation of the Practice of Acupuncture, Tattooing, Semi-Permanent Skin-Colouring, Cosmetic Piercing and Electrolysis in the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich.

 

 

134     At its meeting held on 30^th November 2006, the Board considered the report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder for Human Resources.

 

The existing Redundancy and Redeployment Policy had been in place for approximately ten years and there had been significant changes in employment law since it had been introduced.  A review of existing policy had been carried out and a number of recommendations for a variety of changes, both in style and provision, within the Policy had been accepted by the Board at its meeting.  Council was recommended to adopt the revised Policy.

 

RECOMMENDED: That the revised Redundancy and Redeployment Policy be adopted.

 

           

135     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, Portfolio Holders and Committee Chairs, as appropriate. 

 

 

136     RESOLVED:  That Full Council be now reconvened.

 

 

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

 

 

 

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