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 or person presiding 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 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.

Honorary Alderman Peter Kent expressed his thanks for the way in which the ballot of Crewe electors had been conducted. He went on to say that he had written to the Registration Service and Business Manager with suggestions for the warding of a new Crewe Parish in the event that this was created. His suggestion was that the existing Borough wards be used for the parish wards, with two parish councillors for each Borough councillor, but that the unparished area of Leighton comprise a separate parish ward with one parish councillor. This would result in a parish council of 21 members, which was broadly in line with official guidance. He also suggested that elections to the parish council could be held in November, 2012 at the same time as the election of Police Commissioners. Finally, he urged Cheshire East Council to arrange a seminar for prospective parish councillors for Crewe and asked that the Council consider what support it could give to the parish council in the initial stages.