Agenda item

To consider any Notices of Motion that have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 12

Consideration was given to the following Notices of Motion, submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 12.

 

1.       HIGHWAYS COMMITTEES

 

Proposed by Councillor David Brickhill and seconded by Cllr Michael Parsons.

 

That

·        Three Highways Committees be formed to correspond to the three old District boundaries with one Member from each local Ward entitled to sit on them. 

·        All highways alterations must first be discussed by the appropriate Committee, which will send a recommendation to the Cabinet Member. 

·        All delegated powers to alter or make highways orders, other than temporary closure orders, must first be subjected to this process.

·        That priorities for implementation will be decided by the appropriate Committee if there are budgetary constraints.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

2          HS2

 

Proposed by Councillor David Brickhill and seconded by Cllr Brendan Murphy

 

That if HS2 is to be built, Council will only support its construction, if the entire Cheshire East section is underground.

 

Note: The sections under Crewe and Manchester are already planned to be underground. This motion suggest that the intervening section is also in a tunnel, thus preserving all the agricultural land that would otherwise be destroyed.

 

In proposing and seconding the motion, the mover and seconder included the additional words “where possible, to avoid agricultural land and buildings” after the word ”if” and deleted the word “entire”, the motion to now read :-

That if HS2 is to be built, Council will only support its construction if, where possible, to avoid agricultural land and buildings, the Cheshire East section is underground.

RESOLVED

 

That, subject to the above changes to the wording,the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

3          LATE NIGHT LEVY

 

Proposed by Councillor David Brickhill and seconded by Councillor Michael Jones

 

That the Cabinet investigate the cost and likely income of imposing a levy on those establishments which sell alcohol after midnight in order to help fund the cost of control of the late night economy..

 

Background : The Financial Times reports that Newcastle City Council couldbecome the first local authority in the country to impose a late night levy on pubs, bars and clubs which sell alcohol after midnight to help fund the cost of policing the night-time economy. The paper adds that a further 30 councils are thought to be considering introducing similar levies.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

4          FIRE SPRINKLERS

 

Proposed by Councillor Gillian Merry and seconded by Councillor Jacqueline Weatherall

 

The Council recognises the consequences of fire and the benefits of fitting fire sprinklers in properties.

 

The Council welcomes the decision of Cheshire Fire Authority to assist social landlords by part-funding the retro-fitting of sprinklers in some high-rise buildings.

 

The Council urges social landlords to complete a programme of sprinkler retro-fitting to all of their high-rise buildings and to act as advocates for the fitting of sprinklers.

 

The Council instructs its officers to use whatever powers are available to it to secure the fitting of sprinklers by others, where necessary changing Council’s own policies and its approach to implementation.

 

The Council instructs its officers to investigate the fitting of sprinklers in Council-owned properties.

 

The Council calls on the Secretary of State to legislate for sprinklers as a requirement in all new residential buildings.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

5            FUNDING OF ADULT CARE

 

Proposed by Councillor Laura Jeuda and seconded by Councillor Janet Jackson

 

Council notes that the Coalition Government has issued new Draft Rules for consultation on the future funding of Adult Social Care. In an attempt to prevent the ‘postcode lottery’ that currently exists all councils will be required, from 2015, to fund services for those deemed to have ‘substantial needs’.

 

Council further notes that that several important national charities and voluntary organisations believe that the barrier is being set too high and that many elderly people currently receiving care will not meet the threshold of ‘substantial needs’, which would therefore have the effect of excluding people who need help with everyday tasks. The Local Government Association questions the relevance of trying to provide clarity over who is eligible for care if the money is not available in the system to  enable local authorities to provide, appropriate, effective, and responsive services.

 

This motion calls on Council to join with Age UK, Scope, the Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Autistic Society, in opposing the proposals as they stand, because they fail to meet the needs of those who rely on them most, and who will not benefit from these reforms.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

6          DIAL A RIDE

 

Proposed by Councillor Sam Corcoran and seconded by Councillor Steve Hogben

 

In order to limit its potential exposure the Council should make an offer to the Trustees of East Cheshire Community Transport of £2,000 for the Chair of Trustees and £250 for each other Trustee in ‘full and final settlement’ of all claims they might have against the Council as a result of the demise of East Cheshire Community Transport and any actions by the Council, its staff or Members.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion be not accepted.

 

7          LYME GREEN DIP REPORT

 

Proposed by Councillor Brendan Murphy and seconded by Councillor Arthur Moran

 

In the light of the findings of the Designated Independent Person - as published by the former Interim Chief Executive in the matter Lyme Green - and to have this matter finally concluded, the Council requests its Leader to publish on its behalf a formal apology for the following reasons:

 

1.     The matter has caused widespread anxiety and considerable unnecessary and avoidable expense for taxpayers and employees.

2.    The handling of the crisis has seriously damaged the reputation of the Council and its employee; furthermore it is undermining public confidence in local democracy.

3.    The published report clearly indicates a failure of the Council’s Executive body to maintain due diligence in its oversight of the Council’s affairs.

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to Cabinet.

 

8                    STAFFING COMMITTEE REMIT

Proposed by Councillor Brendan Murphy and seconded by Councillor Arthur Moran

 

The Council requests an immediate review of the Staffing Committee’s terms of reference with a view to widening its remit to encompass matters that are normally entailed in the work of a staffing committee such as corporate culture, employee relations and communications, senior appointment, disciplinary matters and management structures.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to the Constitution Committee.

 

9            TRANSPARENCY

 

Proposed by Councillor Brendan Murphy and seconded by Councillor Arthur Moran

 

The Council believes openness and rigorous accountability are essential components in sustaining trust and confidence in the democratic process and therefore calls for a review of the use, justification and value of Compromise Agreements and for this purpose requests the matter be considered by the Staffing Committee.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion stand referred to the Chief Executive, as Head of Paid Service.

 

10            LOCALISM IN PLANNING

 

Proposed by Councillor David Brickhill and seconded by Councillor Lloyd Roberts

 

Noting the Government’s anti-democratic determination to override local opinion in local planning and noting in particular that the Council’s Strategic Planning Board was required to ignore the 82% majority of Macclesfield residents, including over 3000 individual written representations, opposed to the Wilson Bowden planning application, the Council calls upon all Cheshire East MPs to demonstrate a definite commitment to localism in especially in planning matters by taking a more proactive stance in relation to planning matters in Parliament; we call upon them furthermore to repudiate any attempt to impose “special measures” on Cheshire East on account of its record in relation to the determination of planning applications.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the motion be not accepted.