Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

No interests were declared.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th July 2010.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5^th July 2010 be approved as a correct record.

Without prejudice to the outcome of the Community Governance Review, to consider a report on the setting of an appropriate budget and the calculation and levying of a precept for the first year of operation of each of the proposed parish councils.

1.      Budgets and Parish Precepts

Members gave initial consideration to the potential running costs and budgetary requirements of the three proposed parish councils in order that draft budgets could be prepared and precepts calculated.

It was important to be clear in considering the matter that the outcome of the Community Governance Review was not being prejudged. However, in view of the tight timescales involved, thought had to be given now to precepting, budgets and governance arrangements.

Members would need to take into account corporate proposals which had been agreed by Cabinet on 19^th July 2010 for the devolution of services from Cheshire East Council to parish councils. Appropriate budget provision would need to be provided for the running of such services by parish councils and the costs included when calculating the parish precepts. Copies of the Cabinet report were circulated at the meeting.       

The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) had produced a document entitled “Power to the People – Your Guide to Local Councils, the benefits they can bring to your area and how you can create one”. This provided useful reference material, including examples of precepts for different sizes of parish councils. Copies had been circulated to members of the Sub-Committee.

The Cheshire Association of Local Councils (ChALC) had provided examples of budgets for a small and large parish council to aid discussions and these had been appended to the report.

Members recognised the need for caution in setting the precepts for the first year of any new parish councils but acknowledged that there was no alternative if the councils were to function effectively from the outset.

In order for the Sub-Committee to give detailed consideration to the matter at its next meeting, its terms of reference would need to be extended to include budgeting and precepting, as well as accommodation and other preparatory arrangements. A report seeking such an extension would need to be submitted to the Constitution Committee at its meeting on 30^th September.

1.      Outcome of Stage 2 Consultation

Members considered the responses to the Stage 2 consultation which had run from 11^th August 2010 to 15^th September 2010 and had sought views on the draft recommendation agreed by the Council at its meeting on 22^nd July 2010; the draft recommendation was set out in full in the report.

Representations had been invited from all interested persons, organisations, stakeholders and the public. Copies of all responses received to the second stage of consultation had been appended to the report.

Members noted a request by the Styal Village Association that the proposed number of councillors for Styal parish be increased from five to seven in order to avoid a number of practical difficulties that could otherwise arise.

Members were advised that in making its final decision on the outcome of the Community Governance Review, the Council would have to take into account the representations received. It would also need to ensure that community governance within the area reflected the identities and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

Thursday, 21^st October 2010 at 10.00 am at Macclesfield Town Hall.

Jackie Weaver of ChALC be invited to attend.