Issue - meetings

To consider an extension of the terms of reference of the Wilmslow Community Governance Review Sub-Committee to enable it to make recommendations on precepting for any new parishes created by the Review and to deal with such governance, accommodation and other preparations as may be required.

The Chairman is of the opinion that this matter constitutes urgent business and may be dealt with at this meeting in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 37.2. The reason for urgency is as follows:

“To enable the Wilmslow Community Governance Review Sub-Committee to continue with the next stages of the Review in accordance with the statutory timetable.”

The Chairman was of the opinion that this matter constituted urgent business and could be dealt with at the Committee’s meeting in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 37 and Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for urgency was as follows:

“To enable the Wilmslow Community Governance Review Sub-Committee

to continue with the next stages of the Review in accordance with the statutory timetable.”

The Wilmslow Community Governance Review Sub-Committee had met on 27^th September 2010 to consider the outcome of the Stage 2 consultation and to give initial consideration to the potential running costs and budgetary requirements of the three proposed parish councils.

Members had been advised that established Parish Councils advised the Borough Council in January each year of their precept requirements and these were then included by the Borough Council as part of the total Council Tax-setting process. The difficulty with the process for proposed new parish councils in the Wilmslow area (if that were the outcome of the review), was that the parish councils themselves would not come into operation until Councillors had been elected in May 2011. Action was therefore required by Cheshire East Council to ensure that the new parish councils had a budget to work with.

The Sub-Committee felt that as part of its work on the Review, it should make recommendations on precepts for the first year of the new parish councils. This would require an extension to the Sub-Committee’s terms of reference by the Constitution Committee.

It was important to be clear that in considering this matter the outcome of the Community Governance Review was not being prejudiced. However, in view of the tight timescales involved, thought had to be given to matters of precepting, budgets and governance arrangements in early course.

RESOLVED

That the terms of reference of the Wilmslow Community Governance Review Sub-Committee be extended to enable it to make recommendations on precepting for any new parishes created by the Review and to deal with such governance, accommodation and other preparations as may be required.