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.

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.

No members of the public wished to speak.

To consider a report on the proposed merger to bring together Plus Dane Cheshire and Plus Dane Merseyside and to consider a Deed of Variation of the Collateral Warranty in order to enable an assignment to a Security Trustee on terms to be agreed by the Director of Legal Services.

That the Portfolio Holder:

1        endorse the proposed merger to bring together Plus Dane Cheshire and Plus Dane Merseyside on the basis that Cheshire East Council:

·       retains the ability to nominate one representative onto the Board to represent the interests of the Cheshire East area

·       the new entity is taking over all assets and liabilities by way of a Transfer of Engagement

·       there is a clear client management relationship between the Council and the new entity including the development of a clear set of service standards in order to establish an effective monitoring arrangement.

2        agree to a Deed of Variation of the Collateral Warranty in order to enable an assignment to a Security Trustee on terms to be agreed by the Director of Legal Services.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning considered a report on the proposed merger of the Boards of Plus Dane Cheshire and Plus Dane Merseyside.

Plus Dane Housing was one of Cheshire East’s three Large Scale Voluntary Transfer Organisations (LSVTs). Plus Dane had recently approached Cheshire East to advise that they wished to merge Plus Dane Cheshire Board into Plus Dane Merseyside’s and create one single Board. This would be undertaken by a Transfer of Engagement and the proposed new name of the merged entity was to be Plus Dane Housing.

Cheshire East currently had the ability to nominate one representative onto the Plus Dane Cheshire Board and the Council would be seeking to ensure that this was retained under the new Board arrangement.

As part of the original Stock Transfer Agreement there was a requirement for Plus Dane to consult with the Council if any mergers were proposed and to give reasonable consideration by the Company’s Board of Management to any representations which the Council may wish to make in relation to the Company’s proposals.

Plus Dane was seeking Cheshire East’s agreement to the merger to enable them to conclude the Transfer of Engagement by 30th September 2017.

RESOLVED

That the Portfolio Holder

1          endorses the proposed merger to bring together Plus Dane Cheshire and Plus Dane Merseyside on the basis that:

·         Cheshire East Council retains the ability to nominate one representative onto the Board to represent the interests of the Cheshire East area

·         the new entity is taking over all assets and liabilities by way of a Transfer of Engagement

·         there is a clear client management relationship between the Council and the new entity, including the development of a clear set of service standards in order to establish an effective monitoring arrangement.

2          agrees to a Deed of Variation of the Collateral Warranty in order to enable an assignment to a Security Trustee on terms to be agreed by the Director of Legal Services.