Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED

That Councillor Andrew Martin be appointed Chairman of the Sub-Committee.

Councillor Martin in the Chair

RESOLVED

That Councillor Gordon Baxendale be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Sub-Committee.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda.

The following members declared personal interests in relation to an item on historic and ceremonial regalia and property:

Councillor Carolyn Andrew as a member of the Macclesfield Charter Trustees.

Councillors Laura Jeuda and Peter Nurse as members of the Crewe Charter Trustees.

Councillors Andrew Martin and Arthur Moran as members of Nantwich Town Council.

Councillor Gordon Baxendale as a member of Congleton Town Council.

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 meeting. 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.

There were no members of the public present.

To consider a report on the work being undertaken in relation to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

The Sub-Committee considered a report on the work being undertaken in relation to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.

The celebrations would centre on an extended weekend on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th June 2012. Buckingham Palace had issued plans for the celebrations and identified how they would like communities to be involved.  An overview of the plans had been circulated with the report and set out a series of events and initiatives including:

§         The Big Jubilee Lunch (3^rd June 2012), in which people would be encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends in the form of traditional street parties or picnics.

§         The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons, the aim being to light 2,012 or more beacons across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.

§         Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge - a campaign to protect 2012 outdoor recreational spaces in communities across the country as a permanent living legacy of the Jubilee. 

§         Jubilee Woods Project, which aimed to plant six million trees across the UK in 2011/12.

§         Jubilee Time Capsule - a digital archive of the Queen’s reign to which individuals could contribute.

§         The Thames Jubilee Pageant – a flotilla of up to 1,000 boats on the River Thames.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport was responsible for co-ordinating the Government’s role for the celebrations. Local authorities in conjunction with their Lord Lieutenants would be expected to provide details of any planned activities in their areas. The Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, David Briggs, was meeting representatives of Councils across Cheshire.

An officer working group had been established at Cheshire East, led by the Performance and Partnerships Team, to co-ordinate and promote activities in the Borough and ensure that communities had as much information as possible to run events easily and safely. The Council would also be co-ordinating the lighting of Jubilee Beacons in Cheshire East, as well as ensuring a good involvement in all the initiatives.

The Performance and Partnerships Manager reported as follows:

§         a dedicated website on the Jubilee would be going live in a week or so;

§         town and parish councils, schools and faith groups were being advised of the event and encouraged to take part;

§         the Council would not impose any charges for facilitating street party arrangements;

§         there was a possibility that a boat from Cheshire would be taking part in the Thames Jubilee Pageant;

§         there was an opportunity to name something as a legacy for the Diamond Jubilee; a number of capital projects were under consideration;

§         Bishops were organising services of celebration across the country; a service had been planned for Chester Cathedral and Officers were ascertaining whether a similar service was planned for Macclesfield;

§         The Lord Lieutenant had appointed Deputy Lieutenants to liaise with town and parish councils across Cheshire.

§         Leisure Services were considering suitable sites for the QE II Fields Challenge.

Members agreed on the need for any legacy projects to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To consider a report which recommends that the title of Honorary Alderman be conferred on former Members of the Council

The Sub-Committee considered proposals to confer the title of Honorary Alderman on former Members of the Council.

The Council had introduced a scheme for conferring the title of Honorary Alderman on former Members who had undertaken ‘eminent service’, which was defined as a minimum of 12 years’ service, whether consecutive or otherwise. Service on predecessor authorities was included for this purpose. The Council’s records indicated that former Councillors Arnold, Cannon, Westwood, Knowles, Ranfield and Goddard were eligible to be appointed as Honorary Aldermen of the Council. Each had confirmed that he would accept the title of Alderman if nominated.

The ceremony would be held at a special meeting of the Council. All Cheshire East Aldermen and Freemen would be invited to attend. At the ceremony, those upon whom the title was to be conferred would be presented with a framed scroll and a medallion.

Members were asked to consider whether the special Council meeting should be held on the same day as an ordinary Council meeting or on a separate day. The Scrutiny Chairmen had suggested that the special meeting should taken place on a separate date.

Members also considered a suggested ceremonial procedure.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   the Constitution Committee be asked to recommend to Council that

1. the title of Honorary Alderman be conferred on the following former Members of the Council:

Mr Ainsley Arnold

Mr David Cannon

Mr Ray Westwood

Mr Andrew Knowles

Mr Tony Ranfield

Mr John Goddard

2. the formal ceremony take place at a special meeting of the Council to be held on a day other than the day of an ordinary Council meeting;

3. the ceremonial procedure set out in paragraph 6.6 of the report be approved for the special Council meeting;

(2)   the Officers identify a suitable date, time and venue for the special Council meeting in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and report thereon to the Constitution Committee; and

(3)   the Communications Officer ascertain whether there are any other events of an appropriate civic nature which could be dealt with at the special Council meeting.

To consider a report which requests authorisation for officers to continue negotiations with the Crewe and Macclesfield Charter Trustees concerning the historic and ceremonial regalia and property of the former Crewe and Nantwich and Macclesfield Borough Councils.

The Sub-Committee received an update on negotiations with the Crewe and Macclesfield Charter Trustees concerning the historic and ceremonial regalia and property of the former Crewe and Nantwich and Macclesfield Borough Councils, such regalia and property now being in the possession of Cheshire East Council.

To facilitate the negotiations towards agreement, the Asset Management Team had commissioned inventories of the two Town Halls which had been shared with the Charter Trustees. Officers from the Asset Management Team and Democratic Services would attempt to reach provisional agreement as to what property would be property of the Trust, and what would be the property of the Council, taking reference from the Regulations and guidance. There may also be property which may vest in other bodies, such as parish or town councils.

Other matters to consider would be:

§         Whether the Charter Trustees or any new Parish would retain the regalia in the current town halls.

§         Whether the Charter Trustees and any subsequent Parish Council or body had the resources required to repair, insure and curate the property. 

§         Whether the inheritance of the obligations to look after this property may be burdensome on any new Parish Council or may inflate the precept from such a Council to reflect that burden.

The Officers reported progress on the negotiations at the meeting.

Councillor David Neilson attended the meeting as a Charter Trustee for Macclesfield and gave an account of the background to the position at Macclesfield.

Members also asked about the position with regard to the Mayoral number plates from the former Borough Councils, and the regalia of the former County Council. Officers undertook to look into the matter and report back.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted and a further report be awaited.