Mayor's Announcements
To receive such announcements as may be made by the Mayor.
Minutes:
The Mayor
1. Informed Members, with sadness, of the recent deaths of former Macclesfield Borough Councillors Barbara Fawkes, who had been Councillor for the Lacey Green Ward in Wilmslow and Brian Reeves, who had been a Ward Member in Poynton and Cllr David Martin, Town Mayor of Congleton.
2. Informed Members that, after the previous meeting of Council he had received a complaint from a member of the public that some Members were using electronic devices such as Blackberries, Smart phones and iPads during the meeting. He had explained that increasingly Members were using such devices to help them follow the business of Council, however, he requested that Members only use such equipment to help them to follow the proceedings, make notes, or in other ways to assist with their contribution to the meeting.
3. Announced that all Members would shortly be receiving an invitation to a service to be held on the morning of Sunday 22nd April, at St Michael’s Church Macclesfield, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen. After the service and with the support of his nominated charity, Age UK Cheshire East, he would be hosting a celebration charity lunch at the Tytherington Club, Macclesfield to which all those attending the service would be warmly invited. This lunch, for which there would be a modest charge, would, for his Mayoral year, replace the now traditional Mayor’s Ball. He hoped this would provide an excellent opportunity for the Council to celebrate the almost unique occasion of the Queen’s Jubilee and help raise funds for his nominated charity.
4. Announced that, at a previous meeting of the Council, Councillors Flude and Thorley had proposed a Notice of Motion asking the Council to consider erecting a small memorial, in the Crewe area, in recognition of the bravery of six Royal Engineers who were killed by one of four bombs, which fell in a field opposite Alvaston Hall, near Crewe, in August 1940. He was delighted to report that plans for such a memorial were now well advanced and that the management of Alvaston Hall Hotel have agreed for the memorial to be located in their grounds. A very appropriate site had been identified and Officers were working with the Hotel and representatives of the Royal Engineers Association to ensure that a memorial could be constructed later in the year.
(Cllr Flude thanked the officers concerned for their work in respect of the above matter.)
5. Announced that he and the Deputy Mayor had been on many engagements since the last meeting. However, due to the length of the agenda, he did not intend to provide details of them at today’s meeting.