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 J Rhodes referred to Article 4 of the Local Plan which dealt with HMOs and other rented accommodation, and asked when these documents would be brought to Council. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration responded that there was impending legislation on the licensing of HMOs which should be coming into force in April, following which a report would be submitted to Cabinet. The Leader asked that members be informed when there was clarity on the legislation.

Councillor A Stott asked why it had taken so long for work to be undertaken on the Silk Road toucan crossing in Bollington. She also expressed concern about the quality of work on highways, specifically in relation to the filling of potholes. The Portfolio Holder for Environment undertook to respond on the Silk Road crossing issue in writing. With regard to potholes, these were dealt with in a systematic way, with safely being the main priority. He explained some of the practical issues involved in filling potholes, particularly in bad weather, which sometimes required a return visit within a relatively short time.

Councillor S Pochin asked the Portfolio Holder for Health to reconsider the decision to withdraw the refunding of parking fees for users of the Council’s leisure facilities. The Leader indicated that the Portfolio Holder would respond when the MTFS report was considered later in the meeting.

Councillor L Jeuda asked if the Council had any plans to follow the example of Halton Borough Council in taking over failing care homes to manage on a not for profit basis. The Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Integration responded that the Council had no such plans at the moment but did use the expertise of its staff to give advice and assistance to care homes. However, she did not rule out considering any options in the future.

Councillor M Warren asked if the Council was considering alternative methods of filling potholes to replace those techniques that appeared to be less successful at the moment. The Portfolio Holder for Environment responded that the consideration of alternative innovative techniques was an ongoing process.

Councillor J Bratherton referred to an inappropriate comment made by another member in relation to homelessness at a briefing on the subject last week. At the request of the Leader, the Acting Director of Legal Services advised that, without commenting on the particular case in question, member training sessions in general were private events. The Leader expressed concern that the matter had been raised in a public arena at the Cabinet meeting. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning and Regeneration added that the member concerned had expressed regret at the choice of words used at the training event.

At the invitation of the Leader, the Acting Chief Executive, in welcoming the outcome of the culture review by Sarah Messenger, and the Council’s commitment to moving forward on the recommendations, advised that one of the key findings of the review had been the conduct and tone of officers and members, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95