COUNCIL MEETING

8^TH AUGUST 2007

PRESENT:   The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor M R Jones;

Deputy Mayor, Councillor M A Martin, Councillors T E Ankers, W T Beard, D N B Bebbington, J A Beech, J D Bratherton, D Brickhill, D J Cannon, R Cartlidge, D H D Charlesworth, H W Curran, W S Davies, R E Dodd, B Evans, G Fenton, C Goff, M Grant, G Griffiths, P A Hallett, J Hammond, J K Hatfield, S W Hogben, M A Hollins, J Jones, J Lewis, W S McGinnis, A Moran, S J S Mottram, A Richardson, M Roberts, S Roberts, R Salmon, B G Silvester, D J Straine-Francis, J I Stockton, C G Thorley, M J Weatherill, R Westwood, and L T Wood

HONORARY ALDERMAN LESLIE DAVIES AND FORMER MAYORESS,

MRS JANET BEARD

65        The Mayor referred to the recent deaths of both Honorary Alderman Leslie Davies on 26^th July and also former Mayoress, Janet Beard, on the 27^th July.

Members stood for a moment’s silence in memory of Honorary Alderman Leslie Davies and former Mayoress, Janet Beard, following which personal tributes were made.      

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

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

66        Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R A Bailey, M Campbell, S Conquest, A Crawford, J V Dwyer, B H Dykes, K Healey, E Howell, R Jones, A C Johnson, Z S Krizanac, R W Parker, M J Simon, R Stafford, C Waling and J Wright.

MINUTES

67        RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 13^th June 2007 and the Special Meeting held on 27^th June 2007 be approved as correct records and signed by the Mayor.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

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

MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES

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

COMMITTEE OF FULL COUNCIL

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

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

71        Councillors W T Beard and R Westwood declared a personal interest in agenda item 14 (Wulvern Housing Governance Arrangements) on the basis that they were members of the Wulvern Housing Board.  Councillor P A Hallett declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 14 on the basis that he was employed by Crewe Alexandra Football Club which had a business relationship with Wulvern Housing and also that he and the Partnerships Director (Wulvern Housing) were members of the same charity committee.

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

CONSIDERATION OF ANY SCRUTINY COMMITTEE REPORTS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

72        There were no reports or recommendations from the Scrutiny Committees on this occasion.

NOTICE OF MOTION (POST OFFICES)

73        The Committee of Full Council was invited to consider a Notice of Motion, submitted by Councillor B Evans in accordance with Procedure Rule No. 7(1).

“That this Council makes and promotes the Payment Card the preferred method of payment for Council Tax. This can be used free-of-charge at any Post Office; in addition, a small transaction payment is made to the Post Office concerned, thereby showing our practical and financial support to encourage the rural and urban use of our post offices.”        

An amendment to the motion was moved to delete the first sentence, and insert –

“That this Council draws the attention of residents to the availability of the Payment Card as a method of payment for Council Tax.” 

The Motion, as amended, was put to the vote and was carried.

PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE UNITARY STRUCTURES

74        The Chief Executive reported on the current position in respect of proposals for future unitary structures in Cheshire.

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY COUNCIL CONVENOR

75       At the Council meeting held on 27^th June 2007, Councillor D N Bebbington had resigned as Council Convenor and Councillor A Moran had been elected to this position.

It was noted that Councillor Moran had been elected Deputy Council Convenor at the Annual Council meeting held on 16^th May 2007. As a consequence of his appointment to the Council Convenor’s role, there was a vacancy for a Deputy Council Convenor and nominations were invited.

RECOMMENDED:  That Councillor Graham Fenton be appointed Deputy Council Convenor.

ADOPTION OF MODEL CODE OF CONDUCT

76        Following the national consultation process, the Government had issued a new Model Code of Conduct which came into force on 3^rd May 2007.  Local Authorities had been encouraged to adopt the Code before the automatic implementation date of 1^st October 2007.

At its meeting held on 17^th July 2007, the Standards Committee considered the revised Code of Conduct and recommended to Council that it be adopted.

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the Local Authorities (Model Code of Conduct) 2007 be adopted as Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council’s Code of Conduct;  the Ten General Principles of Public Life to be included as a preamble to the Code; and

(b) That all necessary formalities, including notification and advertising, be undertaken by the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer.

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 18(2) Councillors H W Curran, M Roberts and S Roberts requested that their vote be recorded to show that they had voted against the motion.)

FOOD SERVICE PLAN

77        The Food Standards Agency required, as part of its Framework Agreement for Local Authority Food Enforcement, every food authority to produce a Food Service Plan conforming to the requirements set out in the Framework Agreement. The Plan must be reviewed every year.

The Board, at its meeting held on 26^th July 2007, considered the report of Councillor John Dwyer, Portfolio Holder for Safer Communities.  The Board recommended to Council that the Food Service Plan for 1^st April 2007 to 31^st March 2008 be approved and implemented.

RECOMMENDED:  That the Food Service Plan for 1^st April 2007 to 31^st March 2008 be approved and implemented.

MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES SCHEME – 2007/2008

78        At its meeting held on 26^th July 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor Margaret Simon, Portfolio Holder for Customers.

The Scheme of Members’ Allowances, currently in operation (2006/2007) expired at the end of March 2007.  For the reasons set out in the report submitted to Board, it was proposed that the 2006/2007 Scheme be extended to form the 2007/2008 Scheme.  It was also proposed that an Independent Remuneration Panel be appointed to review the Members’ Allowances Scheme and make recommendations to inform the 2008/2009 budget.

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the Scheme of Members’ Allowances 2006/2007 be increased in line with the Employee Pay Award for 2007/2008, once agreed, to form the 2007/2008 Scheme of Members’ Allowances and Schedule of Payments;

(b) That, when agreement was reached on the Employee Pay Award, the Scheme of Allowances for 2007/2008 be applied and backdated with effect from 1^st April 2007;

(c) That an Independent Remuneration Panel be appointed to review the Members’ Allowances Scheme and make recommendations to inform the 2008/2009 Budget; and

(d)  That, as part of the review, the Independent Remuneration Panel be specifically requested to consider removing the restriction in Paragraphs 6 and 7 of Schedule 3 of the Scheme (Travel Allowances) which referred to the reimbursement of expenses not exceeding the cheapest available standard class rail fare, the effect of which would be to pay the appropriate rate for the actual number of miles travelled by car.   

PRESS RELEASE PROTOCOL

79        At its meeting held on 17^th July 2007, the Standards Committee considered a Press Release Protocol which had been drawn up to clarify the role of the Communications Department in respect of press releases.

It was noted that a copy of the Protocol had been issued with the agenda.  Subsequent to that, the Protocol had been amended to distinguish between the two types of Councillors’ Press Releases, viz. political or non-political;  a revised copy had been provided for Members. 

RECOMMENDED: That the Press Release Protocol (as amended) be approved and adopted.

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 18(2) the following Councillors requested that their votes be recorded to show that they had voted against the motion –

Deputy Mayor, Councillor M A Martin, Councillors W T Beard, R Cartlidge, H W Curran, M Grant, S W Hogben, M Roberts, S Roberts, R Salmon, D J Straine-Francis, C G Thorley and L T Wood.)

WULVERN HOUSING GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

80        At its meeting held on 31^st May 2007, the Board considered the report of Councillor Margaret Simon, Portfolio Holder for Customers, which contained details of Wulvern Housing’s consultation on its proposals for changes to its governance arrangements.  The Board deferred a decision and referred the matter to the Organisation Scrutiny Committee.

The Organisation Scrutiny Committee held a special meeting on 25^th June 2007 and made a recommendation to the Board. 

At its meeting on 26^th July 2007, the Board considered the Committee’s recommendation but agreed to refer the matter to Council for decision.  The Board recommended that Council resolve –

(a) That the number of Local Authority Members of Wulvern Housing Board be reduced to 3, with the option of one of these 3 being a Local Authority nominee; and

(b) That Wulvern Housing be advised that this Local Authority had no objection to a remuneration policy being introduced in favour of independent members of the Board.

RECOMMENDED: (a) That the number of Local Authority Members of Wulvern Housing Board be reduced to 3, with the option of one of these 3 being a Local Authority nominee; and

(b) That Wulvern Housing be advised that this Local Authority had no objection to a remuneration policy being introduced in favour of independent members of the Board.

(Note:  Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item, Councillor P A Hallett withdrew from the meeting during discussion and voting.)

BOARD REPORT AND QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

81        The Committee of Full Council was invited to ask questions of the Board and 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 on this occasion.

RECONVENING OF FULL COUNCIL

82        RESOLVED:  That Full Council be now reconvened.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF FULL COUNCIL

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

(Note:  In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 18(2) Councillor S W Hogben requested that his vote be recorded to show that he had voted against the motion.)

……………………………………………Mayor