Agenda and minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain said prayers at the request of the Mayor.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda for the morning session of the meeting.

It was noted that Councillor Arthur Moran and Councillor Lesley Smetham had a personal interest in the election of Mayor and appointment of Deputy Mayor respectively.

There were no further declarations of interest.

To elect a Mayor for 2017/18, who will also act as Chairman of the Council.

Council was requested to elect a Mayor for the Borough of Cheshire East for 2017/18, who would also act as Chairman of the Council for that period. 

It was proposed by Councillor Penny Butterill, seconded by Councillor David Marren and: -

RESOLVED

That Councillor Arthur Moran be elected Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2017/18 and be appointed as Chairman of the Council for that period.

The Mayor was invested with his chain of office and then completed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took the oath of loyalty.

The Mayor thanked the Council for electing him to this office and informed Members that Mrs Carole Thomas was to be his Mayoress. He was then invested with the badge of office. 

(Councillor A Moran, as Mayor, took the chair).

To appoint a Deputy Mayor for 2017/18, who will also act as Vice-chairman of the Council.

Council was requested to appoint a Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2017/18, who would also act as Vice-Chairman of the Council for that period.

It was proposed by Councillor David Brown, seconded by Councillor George Walton and:-

RESOLVED

That Councillor Lesley Smetham be appointed as Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2017/18 and as Vice-Chairman of the Council for that period.

The Deputy Mayor thanked the Council for appointing her to this office and announced that her Consort would be her husband, Mr David Smetham.

The Mayor announced that his Chaplain for the forthcoming Municipal Year would be Rev Canon Barry Wilson, who stood forward and shook hands with the Mayor.

Councillor Rachel Bailey paid tribute to the retiring Mayor, Councillor Olivia Hunter and her Consort, Mr Philip Bolton, for the dedicated work that they had undertaken during their term of office and she presented Councillor Hunter with a framed picture.

The Mayor presented Councillor Hunter with her Past Mayor’s Medal and  Mr Philip Bolton with his Past Consort’s medal. 

Councillor Hunter then addressed Council, as outgoing Mayor. During her speech she presented cheques to her two charities, the Christie and Cheshire Young Carers.

The Mayor thanked all those who had attended the Mayor Making Ceremony and stated that the meeting would now be adjourned and would be reconvened, following lunch. 

To receive any further apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were updated.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda for the afternoon session of the meeting.

There were no further declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the ordinary and special meetings of Council held on 23 February 2017 as a correct record.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the ordinary and special meetings of Council held on 23 February 2017 be approved as a correct record.

To receive such announcements as may be made by the Leader of the Council.

The Leader of the Council congratulated the Mayor and Deputy Mayor upon their election and appointment to office and thanked those who had worked to deliver the event and those who had taken part. She also thanked Councillor Olivia Hunter, as outgoing Mayor.

The Leader went on to highlight a number of issues of key importance to her as Leader of the Council.

In summary, the Leader:-

1.          Referred to previous comments that she had made in respect of the importance of staff and that they were the Council’s greatest asset. Equally she believed that Members should have the opportunity to build on the work in respect of ICT and Member training, to ensure that Cheshire East was a Member led organisation.

2.          Noted that the General Election would take place in just three weeks’ time and thanked all those who had been entrusted to deliver this enormous operation within an extremely short period of time.

3.          Stated that many important decisions would need to be made over the coming year, not least the Council’s discussions with Government regarding devolution and investment and growth in the Borough.  There would be many others and she looked forward with great enthusiasm to working with Members to deliver what this leading Borough needed, demanded and deserved.

4.          Reported that 2016/17 has been the most successful year in Cheshire East’s history, in terms of both awards and accreditation.  In the past year, the Cheshire East family had secured 11 national award wins and had been on the shortlist for more than 20 other national awards.

5.          With regard to engagement, underlined her commitment to continue with ward visits and also with the “an Audience With” events and front-line visits, to hear from staff and to gain real experience of their day to day roles.

6.          Noted that the Crewe Lifestyle Centre had recently celebrated its first birthday, having attracted over 750,000 user visits since 1st April 2016, to its services including libraries, leisure, adult social care and family services. The Centre had been shortlisted for a number of regional and national awards for its design build and continued to host visits by a number of local authorities from across the country to share the learning around co-located services.

7.          Stated that her attention continued to focus on protecting the public purse and that the strength of the Council was built upon its rigor and challenge to ensure that high quality services and value for money was delivered. During the previous financial year, a number of teams had had great success in protecting the public purse. A couple of examples included achievement of a 98.3% collection rate for council tax and the overpayments team had also collected over £2.5m in overpaid housing benefit and recovery of these monies went directly into frontline services for the benefit of residents.

8.          Referred to the Council’s highways achievements, including the starting of the street lighting LED programme on residential roads, which would upgrade over 8,500 street lights  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To determine the political representation on the Council’s Committees and to appoint those Committees.

Consideration was given to a report and its appendix, to determine the political representation on the Council’s Committees and to appoint those Committees.

RESOLVED

That the political group representation, as set out in the appendix to the report and the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining this, as outlined in the report, be adopted and the listed Committees be appointed.

To allocate Chairmanships and Vice Chairmanships of the Council’s decision making and other bodies.

           Consideration was given to the allocation of Chairmanships and Vice-Chairmanships of the Council’s decision-making and other bodies.

RESOLVED

           That the office of Chairman and Vice Chairman be allocated to the political groups for each of the Council’s decision-making and other bodies listed in the appendix to the previous agenda item, at minute 112.

To approve the appointments to Statutory panels which do not fall within the definition of “a Committee”.

           Consideration was given to a report inviting Council to approve a number of appointments to Statutory Panels which do not fall within the definition of “Committee” for the purpose of legislation.

RESOLVED

1.     That Councillor Laura Jeuda be appointed to the Adoption Panel.

2.     That Councillor Gillian Merry be appointed to  the Fostering Panel.

To make appointments to the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police  and Crime Panel.

Consideration was given to a report inviting Council to make appointments to the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel. Council was asked to appoint eight Councillors to the Cheshire Fire Authority and to appoint three Councillors and a nominated substitute to the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel.

RESOLVED

1.     That Councillors David Marren, Gillian Merry, Jos Saunders, Margaret Simon, Jacquie Weatherill, Damien Bailey, Dorothy Flude and Dennis Mahon be appointed to the Cheshire Fire Authority.

2.     That Councillors Stephen Edgar, Paul Findlow and Howard Murray be appointed to the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, with Cllr Mick Warren as nominated substitute.

To consider the recommendation from the Constitution Committee.

The Constitution Committee, at its meeting on 23 March 2017, had considered  revised terms of reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board and recommended that Council approve the revised terms of reference, as set out in an appendix to the report.

RESOLVED

That the revised terms of reference for the Health and Wellbeing Board, as set out in the appendix to the report to the Constitution Committee, be approved.

To approve the recommendation as set out in the report.

Consideration was given to a report describing the Council’s commissioning approach to Children and Young Peoples emotional health and wellbeing. It was reported that investment would be allocated within this area, to facilitate an emphasis on prevention and early intervention. Funding would be pooled, in partnership with East Cheshire CCG and South Cheshire CCG, with a total combined budget of £1,456,000, of which £1,170,000 was from Public Health Funding, with the balance from funding held by the two CCGs.  The parties would cooperate and collaborate to deliver the project, as set out and agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding, to be entered into by the parties. The pooled funding would be held by Cheshire East Council as a joint commissioning budget for mental health and wellbeing prevention and early intervention activities and Council was requested to approve entering into the Memorandum of Understanding.

RESOLVED

That the entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with East Cheshire CCG and South Cheshire CCG for the delivery of the Emotionally Healthy Schools jointly funded project, on terms to be approved by the Executive Director People, in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Health and Children and Families, be approved.