Agenda item

To consider any Notices of Motion that have been received in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules.

Consideration was given to the following Notices of Motion, which had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules.

 

1                     Second Winter Gritting Consultation

 

Proposed by Councillor Janet Clowes and Seconded by Councillor
Tony Dean

 

We propose that:

1.        In line with Cheshire East Council’s Policy Decision of 2014, the results of the Second Winter Gritting Consultation, conducted in 2020 as a result of the call-in to the Environment and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee, is published on the Cheshire East Website, together with a full report that includes:

a)    Who was invited to take part in the Consultation.

b)     Who responded to the Consultation.

c)     What documentation was provided to those selected to respond to the consultation

d)     How the information, presented by respondents, was evaluated by Cheshire East Highways to inform the current Winter Gritting and Adverse Weather Strategy.

 

2       That as a result of the Consultation, Cheshire East Council publishes details of the well-maintained highways metrics used to determine which routes remained on the gritting schedules, but importantly, which routes did not remain on the gritting schedule as a result of this consultation and its findings.

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/consultations/consultation-results/consultations_results.aspx

 

“As part of the Council's commitment totransparency, from August 2014 we will feedback the results of consultations and surveys undertaken by the Council, from a single location”.

 

References:

Cabinet 4 February 2020:

Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure

Environment and Regeneration Committee 16 March 2020:

Call in of Cabinet Decision - Well Managed Highways Infrastructure

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Motion be referred to the appropriate Committee.

 

 

2                     Low Carbon Advertising

 

Proposed by Councillor Brian Puddicombe and Seconded by Councillor Quentin Abel

 

This Council notes

 

• It is possible for local authorities to implement advertising policies against specific products if they consider them to be harmful to the amenity of an area.

 

• The Council holds an Advertising Concession Agreement with Clear Channel UK (Adshel) to provide advertising on bus shelters.

 

• The Council promotes advertising opportunities on roundabouts across the Borough.

 

• That as a Local Planning Authority this Council is responsible for planning consent for advertising infrastructure.

 

This Council believes

 

• That the purpose of advertising is to stimulate demand for goods and services.

 

• That some advertising content undermines the Council’s objectives regarding public health, air pollution and sustainable consumption.

 

This Council resolves

 

• To review its Advertising Concession Agreement to investigate the current set of prohibitions to include products that undermine the Council’s objectives regarding public health, air pollution and sustainable consumption.

 

• To implement a Low Carbon Advertising Policy as part of the Council’s planning policies to apply to bus stops, billboards  and advertising spaces within the jurisdiction of the local planning area.

 

• To adopt a presumption against planning applications for all new digital advertising screens due to the high electricity use of these technologies.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Motion be referred to the appropriate Committee.

 

 

3          Integrated Rail Plan

 

Proposed by Councillor Rachel Bailey and Seconded by Councillor
M Sewart.

 

Government announced its Integrated Rail Plan on 18 November 2021, a plan which delivers the Crewe Hub ambition of 5 to 7 high speed trains an hour.

 

“In light of this commitment to Crewe, I propose that this Council accepts that its Policy Committee decision, taken on  4 November, was premature, and calls for an update to be provided no later than July 2022 Council.”

 

References:

 

Integrated Rail Plan for the North and the Midlands

 

Corporate Policy Committee 4 November 2021:

HS2 Update

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Motion be referred to the appropriate Committee.

 

 

4             Investigation of Costs and Feasibility of a Replacement Recycling Site at Congleton

 

Proposed by Councillor Denis Murphy and Seconded by Councillor
June Buckley

 

This Council authorises the full Environment and Communities Committee to carry out a full investigation to ascertain the detailed costs and feasibility of an alternative replacement recycling site for the residents of Congleton and surrounding areas following the closure of the former Congleton recycling site in September 2021.

 

This detailed investigation should also give full consideration to the replacement recycling site to include the provision of a reuse and repair facility as part of this Council’s policy and commitment to work with communities to reduce carbon.

 

This investigation should also fully consider all potential suitable locations for such a permanent replacement recycling site including all those sites identified as being suitable in the report issued by consultants to the previous Cheshire East Council Administration in 2018 at a cost of about £ 50,000.

 

The full Environment and Communities Committee to provide a full report of its conclusions from these detailed investigations to full Council for its consideration no later than 30th June 2022.

 

Background

 

On 4th May 2021, Cheshire East Council’s cabinet decided not to replace the recycling site for the residents of Congleton and surrounding areas. Cheshire East Council estimated that a replacement recycling site would cost about £ 4 million.

 

In making that decision, Cabinet admitted that the closure of Congleton’s Household Waste Recycling Centre would result in a net increase of CO2 emissions of 158.8 tonnes per year every year.

 

Cheshire East Council was asked at that cabinet meeting of May 4th 2021, whether detailed information had been obtained from Norfolk Council to ascertain how they can build a recycling site at their Norwich South site for £ 1.9 million.

 

In response, Councillor Crane advised that Cheshire East Council had contacted Norfolk Council who had confirmed that the cost of £ 1.9 million in relation to their site did not include the purchase of the land or the building of a service road.

 

However, it would appear that the decision made by cabinet regarding not replacing the Congleton recycling site was based on incomplete information.

 

Since that decision was made by cabinet on 4th May 2021, the following additional and relevant information has been obtained by a member of the public concerning the Norwich South recycling site.

 

The Norwich South site at 7,500 sq metres, (1.85 acres), is 4.5 times the size of the former Congleton site of 1,642 sq metres, (0.4 acres).

 

The Norwich South site has a forecast throughput of 15,000 tonnes which is 5.4 times of the throughput of the former Congleton site for the year ended 31st March, 2020 of 2,783 tonnes. Congleton’s throughput for the year to March 2020 had not been significantly impacted by Covid19.

 

The former Congleton recycling site only had space for about six cars. The Norwich South site has 46 car park spaces, of which 24 have been widened to 3 metres rather than the standard 2.4 metres to enable users safely take items out of the back doors of their cars.

 

That this cost estimate for the Norwich South site of £ 1.9 million includes a re-use facility of 242 sq metres which is 18.5 metres by 13.1 metres, (61 feet by 43 feet) with solar panels on the roof.

 

Given that in our opinion the original decision in respect of the replacement recycling site for Congleton made by cabinet on 4th May 2021 was based on inadequate information, it is now appropriate that a detailed investigation is carried out by the full Environment and Communities Committee.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Motion be referred to the relevant Committee.

 

 

4             Single Use Plastics

 

Proposed by Councillor Kate Parkinson and Seconded by Councillor Tony Dean.

 

This Council will lead by example by banning single use plastic from its operations.

 

Background

In 2019 this Council agreed to move to Net Zero Carbon by 2025 and has a programme of measures in place to try and meet this deadline. One of the simplest of measures to reduce our carbon footprint, and drastically reduce our potential to pollute the environment with non-biodegradable plastic, would be to cease using single use plastic items. By agreeing this Motion, we can help with the burden of plastic waste which is currently affecting the whole world, and we can also reduce our overall carbon footprint.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Motion be referred to the relevant Committee.