Agenda, decisions and minutes

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.

No declarations of interest were made.

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.

There were no members of the public present.

To consider a proposal to introduce a site management agreement which aims to protect and support local residents from unacceptable conduct and harassment by some street fundraisers. 

1.    That approval be given to adopt the Site Management Agreement with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

2.    That the Town Councils be thanked for their input into to Site Management Agreement, and for their future involvement.

The Cabinet Member considered a report on a proposal to adopt a Site Management Agreement with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association to deal with face to face street fundraisers.

The Council was unable to formally deal with complaints from members of the public and/or local businesses relating to face to face fundraisers  - commonly known as ‘Chuggers’, who approach members of the public with a request to make a regular donation to a particular charity by way of a monthly direct debit.  Face to face fundraising was currently unrestricted in terms of where they could fundraise and which towns to visit in Cheshire East.

A Council led working group had been established to look at ways to control face to face fundraisers.  All towns across Cheshire East were invited to send representatives to join the group and responses were received from 6 towns – Crewe, Congleton, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Nantwich and Wilmslow, where face to face fundraising issues had been identified.  The working group recommended that a Site Management Agreement with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association be drawn up. 

The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association was a charity led, self-regulatory membership body for all types of face to face fundraising.  It currently had 90% of the organisations, both charity and fundraising agency members, involved in all types of face to face fundraising activities signed up to the self-regulatory scheme.

Although the Council was unable to restrict face to face fundraisers from visiting towns within Cheshire East, it could seek to exert some influence over the access, location, times and numbers through an agreed Site Management Agreement.

The Site Management Agreement would:

·         specify which days of the week fundraisers could attend

·         specify how many fundraisers may attend

·         specify the times fundraisers may operate

·         specify the locations fundraisers could operate

Approval was sought for the Site Management Agreement drawn up by the Council and the Town Council representatives.  A copy of the Agreement was attached as an appendix to the report.

RESOLVED:                                                                                                                                                 

1          That approval be given to adopt the Site Management Agreement with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

2          The Town Councils be thanked for their input into to Site Management Agreement, and for their future involvement.