Issue - meetings

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 meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman 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 three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos. 11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes had been allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. This was extended to 30 minutes at the discretion of the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services.

The Cabinet Member made an opening statement about agenda item 4 - Formal Consultation Proposal for Macclesfield High School and Tytherington High School - before inviting members of the public to address the meeting.  She outlined the issues relating to the proposal but indicated that there were other options which required exploration in greater depth before reaching a final decision. For this reason she was minded to defer a decision in order to allow informal consultation to be undertaken.

Six members of the public addressed the meeting. Each speaker welcomed the Portfolio Holder’s opening remarks and explained their reasons for objecting to the proposal as detailed in the report submitted.