Issue - meetings

To consider the briefing note of the Registration Services and Business Support Manager on the options for the next stage of the Macclesfield Community Governance Review.

At the suggestion of the Chairman the meeting moved into a work shop session, in which both the public and visiting Councillors were invited to participate, in order to better explore the meaning of an Enhanced Local Service Delivery Committee (ELSDC) and exactly what it could or could not do. 

It was stated that the creation of an ELSDC did not exclude moving to a Town/Parish Council in the future.  This view was not, however, agreed with by all as it was considered that the opportunity to create a Town/Parish should be grasped and that the time of the General and Local Elections in 2015 would be an ideal as it would be a time of political interest and activity.

It was noted that the existing Charter Trustees in Macclesfield involved the same 12 Councillors as would be involved in a LSDC i.e. they represented the unparished areas of the town. 

The main powers of a LSDC were listed as being:

1.    Monitoring Services.

2.    To provide advice and recommendations to Cabinet on the issues and needs of Macclesfield.

3.    To be the Cheshire East’s principal consultee for matters and decisions relating to the Parish of Macclesfield.

4.    To liaise and co operate with local organisations to pursue the wellbeing of the unparished area.

5.    To nominate representatives from its membership to serve on local bodies.

6.    To advise and liaise with Cheshire East Council on preparatory measures for the devolution and transfer of assets.

7.    To consider the cost implications of the development and transfer of services to the unparished area.

8.    To make recommendations to Cabinet on the level of service provision.

9.    To consider and recommend to Cabinet the amount of any special expenses levy to be raised from residents in the unparished area.

It was pointed out that the main weakness of the above list was point no. 3 as in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 any self selecting group could set themselves up as a ‘local economic forum’ which then meant that the planning authority had to give special consideration to any views it expressed, as had been the case with the Macclesfield Town Centre Redevelopment proposals and the ‘Make it Macclesfield’ group; only a democratically elected body could override such a group and therefore the core of the debate should centre on whether or not Macclesfield wanted to have a self elected or a democratically elected body. 

It was stated that a LSDC could only act as a consultative or advisory body whereas a Town/Parish Council could decide upon the level of services it wished to provide.  The example of Congleton Town Council, formed in 1982, was given as a good example of how a Town Council had grown and gone from strength to strength and with the greater powers now available it was employing staff to carry out a greater range of duties the aim of which was to provide a service of a higher standard than that which could be provided  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24