Agenda and minutes

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

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

Sue Helliwell referred to an appeal against a planning decision regarding the proposed development of 70 houses off Crewe Road, Alsager. The appeal having been dismissed, she thanked the Council and its planning officers and the barristers who had taken part in the appeal. She also asked if the Alsager traffic survey could be brought up to national policy level. The Chairman, Councillor D Brown, as Portfolio Holder for Highways, agreed to take the suggestion on board and asked the Executive Director of Economic Growth and Prosperity to take appropriate action.

Sylvia Dyke expressed concern about the number of discharges into Valley Brook, Alsager which had flooded recently. She asked if the Council would plot the course of the Brook and check what discharges would be going into the Brook when all the developments that had received permission had been completed. She also referred to an application to build 750 houses at White Moss Quarry and the desire of local residents that there should be some restoration work undertaken at the Quarry. She asked if the Council would expedite a meeting between legal officers, local residents’ representatives and Alsager Town Council to discuss the agreement relating to White Moss Quarry before the planning application for the proposed development was considered. The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning replied that a liaison meeting with local residents had taken place in November 2015. He undertook to provide a written response before the planning application was considered.

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 D Flude asked for an update on plans to welcome Syrian refugees into Cheshire East, including details of numbers and date of arrival. The Chairman undertook to provide a written response. Councillor Flude also asked if there was financial assistance available to people on benefits to help them meet the cost of pest control measures carried out in their homes. Again, a written response would be provided.

Councillor D Newton referred to research published by Oxford University into children’s centres which demonstrated that such centres made a real and significant difference. He asked what weight Cheshire East Council would give to the research when deciding whether or not to close children’s centres. The Portfolio Holder for Children and Families, Councillor Rachel Bailey, replied that for children’s centres to be effective it was important to reach the families that the Council needed to engage; Cheshire East’s rural demographic meant that at the moment, some of those people were unable to access services. The current consultation was about ensuring that the centres with the highest footfall were safeguarded whilst also ensuring that services were delivered in new and innovative ways to improve service delivery outside of existing buildings.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th December 2015.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 8^th December 2015 be approved as a correct record.

To consider and respond to the motion.

Cabinet considered the following motion which had been moved by Councillor Rhoda Bailey and seconded by Councillor Dorothy Flude at the Council meeting on 17^th December 2015:

            “Drivers of hackney carriages and, in particular, private hire vehicles licensed by other authorities are operating in this area. 

            This Council would not be notified of their criminal offences committed subsequently, as the law requires the Police to notify only the Authority which granted the licence of any notifiable offences. 

            In view of the prevalence of child sexual exploitation and the dangers caused by children being trafficked from one area to another, that this Council takes steps to lobby for legislation to change the law, to extend the requirement to notify, and to reduce the ability of applicants to obtain licences in authority areas other than where they live.”

Councillors Bailey and Flude attended the meeting and spoke in support of the motion.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet supports the spirit of the motion and resolves that the Leader or Deputy Leader write to all local MPs, the Local Government Association and the Secretary of State for Transport setting out the Council’s concerns and seeking the Government’s current position in relation to the Law Commission review and any planned changes to taxi legislation with a view to positively influencing any changes where possible.

To consider a report which provides background information on the transfer of the Council’s leisure centre and sports development services to the charitable trust “Everybody Sport & Recreation”. The report also provides an update on the first year of operation and performance of the Trust through the presentation of its first Annual Report to the Council.

Cabinet considered a report on the first year of operation and performance of the charitable trust “Everybody Sport & Recreation” through the presentation of its first Annual Report to the Council.

Councillor Andrew Kolker, Chairman of the Trust, and Peter Hartwell, the Trust’s Chief Executive, attended the meeting and presented the report to Cabinet, highlighting the key achievements over the last year and the challenges and opportunities ahead as detailed in the report.

The Portfolio Holder for Open Spaces, Councillor S Gardner, thanked the Chairman and Chief Executive for their hard work over the last year and congratulated the Trust on its achievements to date.

RESOLVED

That the progress made by Everybody Sport & Recreation in its first year of trading as an independent charitable trust be noted.

To consider a report proposing the establishment of a new Corporate Parenting Committee.

Cabinet considered a report proposing the establishment of a new Corporate Parenting Committee.

Whilst the existing Corporate Parenting Board comprising officers and jointly chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Children and Families and young people representatives from the Children in Care Council had been effective in developing and monitoring a strategy for cared for children and care leavers, it did not have influence at a policy level. A committee of members appointed on a cross-party basis was therefore proposed. The proposed terms of reference were attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

The Committee would act in an advisory role to Cabinet, which would assist the Council in continuing to fulfil its legal obligations and responsibilities towards cared for children and care leavers.

Cabinet felt that all Members of the Council as corporate parents should receive regular progress reports once the Committee had commenced work.

RESOLVED

That

1.    a Corporate Parenting Committee be appointed with cross party membership of 12 Elected Members and the terms of reference at Appendix 1 to the report;

2.    the Committee shall have the status of an advisory committee and include representative young people from the Children in Care Council to perform an advisory role to the Committee;

3.    the Committee shall, once its membership has been agreed, formally commence its role;

4.    the existence of the Committee be noted in the Council’s constitution; and

5.    all Members of the Council receive a progress report on a quarterly basis.

To consider a report seeking approval to proceed with the procurement of a corporate print and post contract.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval to proceed with the procurement of a corporate print and post contract.

The recommended approach was a hybrid mail solution as detailed in the report. The programme would be split into three phases to enable the Council to trial the solution with two service areas before it was rolled out to the wider Council.

Councillor D Flude sought further information on the procurement options set out in the report. The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Assets undertook to provide Councillor Flude with a written response.

RESOLVED

That authority be delegated to the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Assets to undertake the procurement and award of contracts to the new provider and to take all necessary steps to implement the new contract.

To receive an update in respect of a legal claim against the Council.

Cabinet received an update in respect of a legal claim against the Council.

RESOLVED

That authority to agree the terms of settlement at Mediation be delegated to Peter Bates (Chief Operating Officer), in consultation with Mike Suarez (Chief Executive), Brenda Smith (Director of Adult Social Care and Independent Living), Bill Norman (Director of Legal Services), Councillor Janet Clowes (Portfolio Holder for Adults, Health and Leisure) and Councillor Paul Findlow (Portfolio Holder for Performance).