Issue - meetings

In accordance with Procedure Rule 11, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Mayor, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, the Cabinet or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities. Questions must be sent in writing to the Monitoring Officer at least 3 clear working days before the meeting.

At Council meetings, there will be a maximum question time period of 30 minutes. Questions will be selected by the Mayor, using the criteria agreed by Council. Any questions which are accepted, but which cannot be dealt with during the allotted period will be answered in writing. Questions must be brief, clear and focussed.

The Following questions had been submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 11:-

1. From Councillors G Merry, M Simon and J Weatherill

Sprinkler Systems in New Properties

In view of the recent highly successful sprinkler demonstration, conducted by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Services in conjunction with Wulvern Housing, is this Council prepared to follow the lead taken by the Welsh assembly in asking all developers to consider fitting all new properties with sprinkler systems when finalising the new Local Plan 2015 -2030. 

Response from Councillor D Brown:

Fire Safety regulations come under building regulations and there have been many policies covering them.

There are considerable considerations to be taken into account before we simply imply all new homes should be fitted with them.

The matter of fire safety within new dwellings has been the responsibility of the Building Control service and I think that the Local Plan is the best way to introduce planning considerations for securing a requirement for sprinklers.

Supplementary question

Councillor Simon stated that the recent demonstration in Crewe, had demonstrated how effective sprinkler systems could be and requested the Leader to lobby MPs to require the installation of them in all new buildings.

The Leader confirmed his support and undertook to do so.

2. From Councillor S Hogben

Meeting Rooms with Microphones and Webcams

The leak of a confidential report that was considered in private by the meeting of the Council on 19^th April is regrettable.  The maintenance of confidentiality, however, must depend on more than the integrity of officers and members.

It has been drawn to my attention that in the past the Committee Suite at Westfields and the Council Chamber at Crewe were equipped with microphones and other devices to facilitate live broadcasts of council meetings held there.  Other locations may have been similarly equipped.   Can users of such council premises be assured that this equipment has been removed, and that the proceedings of private meetings held in these locations, including councillor briefings and political group meetings, are not being monitored remotely by third parties who may not be subject to appropriate codes of conduct?” 

Response from Councillor D Brown 

It is confirmed that there is no recording equipment or other devices to facilitate live broadcasts in the Committee Suite in Westfields. With regard to the Council Chamber in the Municipal Buildings, webcasting has previously been delivered from that building as part of Planning Inquiries.  However, on any such occasion this has been properly managed and no third party would have access to record any meeting without prior approval from the Council.  The equipment installed for the hearing last year is out of action and has been for some time. No such equipment exists in meeting rooms in any other Corporate Building.

As the Mayor stated earlier in the meeting, Council meetings are not for recording. It is upon all Councillors to keep confidential items confidential and not to leak them to the Press.

No such equipment exists in meeting rooms in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23