Issue - meetings

In accordance with Procedure Rules 11, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Chairman, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, the Cabinet or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.

Questions must be sent in writing to the Monitoring Officer at least 3 clear working days before the meeting.

The following questions had been submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 11:

Question 1

Councillor D Brickhill had submitted the following question:

What was the cost of the eight collections of the green bins in Crewe and Nantwich and what was the income from Shotton for the clean white paper during financial year 2010/11?

Councillor R Menlove, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services responded as follows:

The annual cost of the “green bin” paper collection in 2010-11 was about £260,000.  The income from the sale of paper collected in this kerbside operation was in the same period about £190,000.  So the net cost to the Council was about £70,000.

Councillor Brickhill asked the following supplementary question 

What was the net cost of the green bins to Cheshire / Crewe and Nantwich and what will be the net receipt after collection and disposal?

Councillor R Menlove responded as follows:

The green bins were purchased by the former Crewe and Nantwich Council and we are uncertain about their actual cost.  However, in considering ways to improve the recycling service for the new Borough, we established that to provide green bins to properties in the Macclesfield and Congleton areas would cost about £2m.  This would be an additional cost to the service now being implemented.  The collection and recycling of the green bins from the Crewe and Nantwich is a one-off cost of about £35,000.  There was no commercial interest in purchasing these used bins.

Question 2

Councillor D Brickhill had submitted the following question:-

Given that this Council was made aware on July 27^th 2010 that there was to be a sale by tender of the post office sorting office on Weston Lane, Crewe, why was it necessary to deprive the Council of debate on the purchase and use the emergency powers in November instead?

Councillor W Fitzgerald, Leader of the Council, responded as follows:

The Royal Mail site, Weston Road, Crewe was first marketed for disposal by the Royal Mail’s agents on 11^th October 2010, not 27th July 2010.   The Council was aware in July that the Royal Mail was due to vacate the site but at that point the Royal Mail had not declared their proposed route of disposal or their timetable. 

Councillor Brickhill asked the following supplementary question 

I believe that this was not taken to Council because there was no adequate financial plan to justify this, is that correct?

Councillor W Fitzgerald responded as follows:

The timescale was very compressed – on 11th October, the vendor instructed their agent to secure all offers by 12^th November with a timetable that requires exchange of contracts by 31^st December 2010, and completion of sale by
31^st January 2011.

Question 3

Councillor D Brickhill had submitted the following question:

Given that the Council Tax has not fallen since Cheshire East took over from county and district, how does the Leader (then Leader of Macclesfield Council) square his promises for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113