Agenda item

In accordance with paragraph 1.32 of the Council Procedure Rules and Appendix 7 to the rules, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to speak at Council meetings. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 2 minutes, but the Chairman will have discretion to vary this requirement where they consider it appropriate. 

Members of the public wishing to ask a question or make a statement 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.

Sue Helliwell asked the Council to provide free parking to support local businesses and residents. She also referred to a lack of public consultation and funding in relation to active travel schemes. The Leader responded that shop keepers in Knutsford had asked that parking charges be kept in order to prevent office workers from using spaces intended for shoppers. With regard to active travel schemes, he commented that all members had been emailed on 4^th August. A public consultation was launched was still running. Of nine schemes put forward, one had been withdrawn and several others amended in response to comments received during the consultation. The Deputy Leader added that Sue Helliwell’s reference to a £26m projected spend was actually a projected budget deficit resulting from additional costs and lost revenue arising from Covid-19, and this had now fallen to £13m, largely due to the work of officers.

Congleton Town Councillor Robert Douglas stated that the Council’s proposals for household waste recycling sites, which were out to public consultation, were misleading in that they were based on the period of the first lockdown when many residents did not use the sites and that the figures of usage were much higher than stated. He also said that the proposals did not include a detailed analysis of the environmental impact and the likely increase in fly tipping. He asked that the current consultation be withdrawn and that any future proposals contain up to date information and address environmental impact. The Portfolio Holder for Highways and Waste responded that sufficient information was available during the current consultation and she encouraged people to respond before the close of the consultation on 4^th January 2021.

Macclesfield Town Councillor Fiona Wilson indicated that the Town Council was supporting the ’20 is Plenty’ initiative and she asked Cheshire East Council to support the motion before them today. She said that the initiative would support active travel schemes and lead to safer streets and lower carbon emissions. The Mayor indicated that the matter would be debated later in the meeting.

Nick Cheetham also asked the Council to support the ’20 is Plenty’ motion on the agenda and referred to his experience of living in Edinburgh where a city-wide 20 mph restriction had been introduced.

Jane Smith asked the Council to ban trail hunting on its land. The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration responded that the Council’s current policy did not allow hunting with hounds, or the promoting of such activities, on its land. The Council retained such rights when granting leases. There were a few instances where the Council was unable to exercise such control where a lease predated the creation of the Council in 2009 but these related to quite small pieces of land.

Brian Fox urged the Council to support the ’20 is Plenty’ motion on the agenda as a way of providing an environment which would enable children to move about freely and safely.

Mary Edwards also asked the Council to support the ’20 is Plenty’ motion as a way of providing a safe environment which people of all ages could enjoy.

The Mayor encouraged all those who had spoken on the ’20 is Plenty’ motion to remain for the debate later in the meeting.

Connor Naismith referred to a motion on the agenda in relation to bullying and asked if the culture at Cheshire East Council had improved. The Leader responded by giving an assurance that the culture had improved, referring to the Brighter Futures programme set up by the previous administration in response to a report by the Local Government Association, and which was continuing. The new administration had submitted the Council to an LGA peer review and earlier this year which had concluded that there had been remarkable progress in the culture of the organisation over a relatively short space of time.

The Mayor referred to an unsigned letter which had been submitted to the Council. It was the Council’s policy that the identity of those who ask questions should be known. The letter had been included in the papers for the meeting and the Mayor was content that the inclusion of the letter was sufficient for the purposes of the meeting.

The Mayor placed on record his own appreciation of all staff. He referred to a proposal in the budget to increase the pay of staff by 2.5% but went on to say that this proposal had been included in the budget before the Government’s recent announcement that it intended to freeze public sector pay.