Agenda and minutes

Councillor S Wilkinson said prayers, at the request of the Mayor.

To provide an opportunity for Members to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

At the Council meeting on 27 May 2010,  the Mayor submitted a motion to grant  Freedom of the Borough to the 1^st Battalion the Mercian Regiment. The motion was submitted to the Civic Sub-Committee and the Constitution Committee.

The Assistant Regimental Secretary had requested that the Freedom be granted to "The Mercian Regiment", rather than the 1st Battalion as they wished to be recognised as a whole Regiment, rather than a federation of Battalions. The Constitution Committee, therefore, recommended that Freedom of the Borough be granted to the Mercian Regiment.

Recommended

That pursuant to the powers contained in the Local Government Act 1972, the Council grant Freedom of Entry to the Borough to the Mercian Regiment  and admit the Regiment to the Roll of Honorary Freemen of the Borough, in recognition of the long and close association between the Cheshire East area and the Regiment and confer upon the Regiment the right, privilege and honour of marching through the streets of Cheshire East on ceremonial occasions, with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying.

(A programme of events relating to the granting of the Freedom of the Borough will be circulated to Members, shortly).

Following the submission of a Notice of Motion to Council by the Mayor, on 27 May 2010, the Civic Sub-Committee had considered proposed arrangements for the granting of the Freedom of the Borough to the 1^st Battalion Mercian Regiment (Cheshire).

The Sub-Committee had recommended to the Constitution Committee that the Freedom of the Borough be granted to the 1^st Battalion Mercian Regiment (Cheshire) and a special meeting of Council be convened for that purpose and that arrangements be made for at least two, possibly three, homecoming parades to be held in Macclesfield, Crewe and possibly Congleton, during the second week of November 2010 and that the Mayors of Town Councils in Cheshire East be invited to attend the relevant homecoming parade for their area.

The Assistant Regimental Secretary had requested that the Freedom be granted to "The Mercian Regiment", rather than the 1st Battalion as they wished to be recognised as a whole Regiment rather than a federation of Battalions. In addition, the Regiment’s 4th Battalion was a TA Company stationed in Crewe, which also sent soldiers to serve in Afghanistan. The Mayor had been consulted and had supported the request.

Since the Sub-Committee meeting, the Assistant Regimental Secretary and Officers had agreed the final, detailed arrangements for three, homecoming parades, to be held on Monday 8 November, at midday in Macclesfield and 3.15pm in Crewe and Wed 10 November in Congleton, at 3pm.

The Constitution Committee had resolved that the recommendations of the Civic Sub-Committee be approved, subject to the above and that Council be recommended to grant Freedom of the Borough to “the Mercian Regiment”.

RESOLVED

That pursuant to the powers contained in the Local Government Act 1972, Freedom of Entry to the Borough be granted to the Mercian Regiment  and the Regiment be admitted to the Roll of Honorary Freemen of the Borough, in recognition of the long and close association between the Cheshire East area and the Regiment and  the right, privilege and honour of marching through the streets of Cheshire East on ceremonial occasions, with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and colours flying, be conferred upon the Regiment.”

 (The motion was carried unanimously, in accordance with section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972 (amended by Section 180 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980), which requires that the resolution is passed by not less than two-thirds of the Members voting).