Issue - meetings

A period of 20 minutes is allocated for questions to be put to Cabinet Members by members of the Council. Notice of questions need not be given in advance of the meeting. Questions must relate to the powers, duties or responsibilities of the Cabinet. Questions put to Cabinet Members must relate to their portfolio responsibilities.

The Leader will determine how Cabinet question time should be allocated where there are a number of Members wishing to ask questions. Where a question relates to a matter which appears on the agenda, the Leader may allow the question to be asked at the beginning of consideration of that item.

Councillor I Faseyi referred to the question raised under public speaking on the use of snares on Council-owned farmland and suggested that the Council consider adopting an approach similar to that of West Sussex County Council. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration, in response to Councillor Faseyi and Alsager Town Councillor Jane Smith who had raise the matter earlier, responded that Cheshire East Council did not allow the use of snares on its land although there were a number of existing tenancies the terms and conditions of which could not be changed after the event, and the Council had sought a voluntary agreement with those tenants. All new tenancies issued by the Council prohibited the use of snares.

Councillor S Hogben asked why the Council’s response to the Boundary Commission on proposed parliamentary boundary changes in the North West was not available before it was circulated at a Portfolio Holder meeting on Monday at which the response was to be approved. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services responded that this had not been ideal but the Council was having to act on a tight timescale. He added that the papers had been available for perusal at the meeting but that no members had attended to debate the matter.

Councillor Hogben also asked if some of the revenue incurred by fixed penalty notices and returned to the Council by its agents, Kingdom, could be fed back into  the areas that generated the revenue such as enforcement, education and clearance. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Integration responded that some of the revenue was used to pay for the service itself, to support the Council’s community enforcement team, provide training for that team and meet the cost of bringing cases to court.

Councillor S Corcoran referred to the review of the Council’s constitution which he felt was being rushed through at a time when some senior officers had been suspended. He asked specifically why the Acting Monitoring Officer had not been present at the meeting of the Constitution Committee on 30^th November when the constitution was approved for recommendation to Council. The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy and Legal Services responded that one of the two Deputy Monitoring Officers had been present at the Committee meeting. He added that over sixty members of the Council had engaged with the review process and there was no reason why the matter should not now proceed to full Council.

Councillor G Baxendale asked about progress with the Congleton to Macclesfield Link Road. The Portfolio Holder for Environment responded that the scheme was currently out to tender.