Questions to Cabinet Members
A period of 20 minutes is allocated for questions to be put to Cabinet Members by members of the Council. Notice of questions need not be given in advance of the meeting. Questions must relate to the powers, duties or responsibilities of the Cabinet. Questions put to Cabinet Members must relate to their portfolio responsibilities.
The Leader will determine how Cabinet question time should be allocated where there are a number of Members wishing to ask questions. Where a question relates to a matter which appears on the agenda, the Leader may allow the question to be asked at the beginning of consideration of that item.
Minutes:
Councillor P Groves referred to heavy flooding in Nantwich over 25th-28th October and asked what pressure the Council could bring to bear on those landowners and farmers who had not maintained their ditches and gullies properly.
The Portfolio Holder for Highways and Waste responded that he had asked officers to liaise with local landowners about the need to clear out ditches and gullies. He had also asked for the Council’s policy on gullies to be reviewed.
Councillor Groves asked if a timeline could be produced for ensuring that landowners and farmers took action to clear out their gullies and ditches, to avoid further flooding over the winter.
The Leader asked that this be addressed in a written response.
Councillor J Saunders referred to the proposed budget that was now out to consultation and expressed disappointment at a proposal to defer the New Homes Bonus from which many communities had benefited. She asked that this proposal be reconsidered.
The Portfolio Holder for Finance, IT and Communication responded that she would consider carefully the feedback from the consultation.
Councillor T Dean noted that the proposed budget included an additional £19M government funding. He asked how much money would be spent on climate change measures and in particular the provision of a better bus service across the Borough.
The Director of Financial and Customer Services outlined a number of initiatives in the budget consultation aimed at supporting the Council’s Environmental Strategy. The Deputy Leader added that the Council was looking to invest in more sustainable public transport and would be bringing forward proposals in due course. The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration added that the Council had recently joined the Northern Forest and had submitted funding applications to the Cheshire and Warrington LEP for the development of energy saving initiatives and green technology.