Issue - meetings

To consider any Notices of Motion that have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 12

Consideration was given to the following Notices of Motion :-

THANK YOU TO COUNCIL STAFF          

Submitted by Councillor David Topping and Seconded By Councillor Michael Jones

This Council thanks all those staff who worked long, unsocial hours during the recent spell of adverse weather to ensure that traffic kept flowing on the Council’s road network. Their hard work and commitment clearing and gritting roads kept Cheshire East moving. Particular praise should be paid to the work undertaken to clear and grit pavements around a wide range of key locations across the Borough; these included hospitals, doctor’s surgeries, old people’s homes and shops. The same staff have also been responding to the very wet conditions that we have been experiencing; which have resulted in frequent flooding events across the Borough.

The Council’s thanks also go to our local supply chain and to farming contractors who provided an invaluable service in working to keep our more rural communities open for business.

Tribute should also be paid to our refuse crews, who braved the adverse weather to provide as normal a service as they could, to all of the Council’s travelling staff who ensured that, as far as possible, business continued as normal during the adverse weather and to our Customer Services team who over this difficult period have continued to advise and help our residents.

(In considering the Notice of Motion, Council agreed to make special reference to Care For staff and refuse staff in addition to those staff in the areas set out in the Notice of Motion).

That, subject to the above additional references, the motion be approved.

LOAN SHARKS AND CREDIT UNIONS

Submitted by Councillor Sam Corcoran and Seconded by Councillor Michelle Sherratt

Cheshire East Council:

Notes and welcomes the UK-wide campaign to end ‘legal loan sharking’.

Believes that the lack of access to affordable credit is socially and economically damaging. Unaffordable credit is causing a myriad of unwanted effects such as poorer diets, colder homes, rent, council tax and utility arrears, depression (which impacts on job seeking behaviour) and poor health.

Further notes that unaffordable credit is extracting wealth from the most deprived communities.

Believes it is the responsibility of all levels of government to try to ensure affordable credit for all, and therefore pledges to use best practice to promote financial literacy and affordable lending. This will help to ensure that wealth stays in the local economy.

Pledges to promote credit unions in Cheshire East, community-based co-operative organisations offering access to affordable credit and promoting saving, to all members of the community.

Will work to make credit union payroll deduction facilities available to council staff to facilitate easy access to local credit unions and support saving for people in the area.

Calls on the government to introduce caps on the total lending rates that can be charged for providing credit.

Calls on the government to give local authorities the power to veto licences for high street credit agencies where they could have negative economic or social impacts  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96