Agenda and minutes

To appoint a Chairman for the 2014/15 Municipal year.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor B Murphy be appointed as Chairman for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

To appointment a Vice-chairman for the 2014/15 Municipal year.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor K Edwards be appointed as Vice -Chairman for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.   

There were no apologies for absence.

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.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes be approved as a correct record.

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 relating 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.

Ray Perry felt with regard to the postal ballot, it was obvious that those who responded supported a Town Council – as the other options received fewer votes. That this Committee was now being allowed to discuss the matter in his view seemed strange, but he was very interested to hear the views of the meeting.

The Chairman explained that the views of this Committee would be considered by the Constitution Committee, which would then make a recommendation to the Council. It would then be a matter for the Council to determine.

Roy Spoors, of the Citizens Advice Bureauwas in favour of local representation and indicated that all the public speakers at the meeting on 7 October had been of one voice – in that they felt there should be a Town Council for Macclesfield.  Mr Spoors stated that every town within Cheshire East had one and why should Macclesfield be any different.  He explained that CAB worked directly with Town Councils extremely well in areas such as Knutsford and Wilmslow.  The CAB wished to see the same relationship with Macclesfield.

The Community Governance Review Sub-Committee considered the attached report, at its meeting held on 7 October 2014 and agreed that the Macclesfield Local Service Delivery Committee be informally consulted on the outcome of the consultation for the Macclesfield Community Governance Review.  The informal views of the Committee would then be reported to the next meeting of the Constitution Committee, to inform the decision making process.

The Committee’s views are, therefore, sought on the attached report.

As explained by the Chairman earlier in the meeting,  The Registration Service and Business Manager re-iterated that the Community Governance Review Sub Committee, at its meeting on 7 October 2014, had agreed that this Committee be informally consulted on the outcome of the Macclesfield Community Governance Review, and that the informal views of the Committee be reported to the next meeting of the Constitution Committee (which was scheduled for 19 November 2014) in order to inform the decision making process. The members of the Committee were also invited to attend the meeting to express their views. A copy of the draft minutes of the Meeting of the Sub Committee held on 7 October 2014 was circulated for information.

A copy of the published report for the Constitution Committee meeting on
19 November 2014 was circulated at the meeting. The Registration Service and Business Manager outlined the key recommendations which would be required at that meeting to be made to the Council, together with a draft timetable outlining the steps which would be required, should the option to proceed with establishing a Town Council be agreed.

The Committee noted that  in the event of a decision being made to support the creation of a Town Council, it would be called a Parish Council at that stage. It would then be a matter for the Parish Council to determine if it wished to be called a Town Council once established. The Council was legally required to make a recommendation for the outcome of the review,  which would then be published. That recommendation needed to include various matters,  including proposed electoral arrangements for any proposed Parish Council. Electoral arrangements included the number of Councillors to be elected, warding arrangements and the date for elections.

The Registration Service and Business Manager summarised the legislative requirements and the National Association of Local Councils’ guidance on the number of Parish Councillors to be elected.  In terms of the number of Parish Councillors to be elected and the warding arrangements, the Committee felt there was a strong case to replicate the arrangements of  the current Borough Ward boundaries, with either 12 or 24 Councillors being elected.

The Chairman gave the opportunity for each Member of the Committee to express their views. Councillor Druce asked for his view to be recorded that the Council’s presentation of the options and the way the Council went about the review were atrocious.

The Chairman then invited members of the public to make further comment, if they wished.

The Chairman said, if the Council approved the establishment of a Town Council, further meetings of the Local Service Delivery Committee would consider the detailed arrangements for the transfer of functions and assets. He added that although he thought the referendum had failed to produce a sufficient mandate for a constitutional change, if a Town Council is to be established, he would strive to ensure the people of Macclesfield secured the best possible arrangement for the new Town Council.

It was suggested that discussion  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.