Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee.

Consideration was given to the report on the Community Governance Review of Town and Parish Council Governance, which had been considered by the Community Governance Review Sub Committee on 4 April 2022 and the Corporate Policy Committee on 14 April 2022.

The recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee were moved and seconded and, during consideration of the matter, a motion without notice was proposed and seconded:-

“That where a speaker has spoken at the Community Governance Review Sub Committee, Corporate Policy Committee or Council in opposition to the proposals in the agenda pack, these be referred back to the Community Governance Review Sub Committee for further consideration.”

The Mayor adjourned the meeting for five minutes to allow consideration of the matter by the Monitoring Officer.

Following the adjournment, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that this was a valid motion to refer the matter to the sub-committee. 

The Monitoring Officer advised that if the matter was referred back to the Community Governance Review Sub Committee it would have impact on the debate at the Council meeting.  The whole review would have to be adjourned as the matter had to be concluded as a whole and not in separate parts.  The matter would then have to come back to a future Council meeting and the delay could have consequential impact on things such as council tax, voters’ registration and the elections in 2023.

The motion without notice was debated and put to the vote and declared lost.

An amendment was moved and seconded:-

“Congleton Town boundary to revert back to the boundary changes that were proposed in the draft Community Governance Review Plan that was consulted upon in October 2021. The original plan was to extend the Congleton Town Boundary to the new Congleton Link Road which would incorporate the new housing and business development which are natural extensions to the Current town boundary.”

The amendment was debated and then put to the vote and declared lost.

Council then considered the substantive motion to approve the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee.

RESOLVED:

That Council resolve that the recommendations made in the review of Community Governance, contained in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 to the report, will ensure that

A.        the proposed community governance arrangements reflect the identities and interests of the community in the Borough of Cheshire East; and

B.        the proposed community governance arrangements are effective and convenient

and that Council resolve, by order, to give effect to the recommendations.

To consider a report on the community governance review of town and parish council governance.

Prior to consideration of the report, the Chair invited the Chair of the Community Governance Review Sub-Committee, Councillor J Bratherton, to make some introductory remarks regarding the community governance review. She took the opportunity to thank the members of the Sub-Committee and the officers for their work on the review. The Chair echoed those thanks.

The Chair invited visiting members to speak on the community governance review. A summary of the remarks made is as follows.

Councillor L Smetham endorsed the revised CGR proposals on behalf of parishes in the Gawsworth Ward and expressed her opposition and that of Eaton Parish Council to any proposal to place the boundary between Congleton and Eaton at the Congleton link road.

Councillor R Moreton referred to the final recommendations on the boundary of Congleton and questioned whether the consultation feedback from residents of Hulme Walfield and Somerford Booths parish was sufficient to support significant changes.

Councillor L Gilbert, disagreed with the proposal not to transfer the area of Bluebell Green and Dunkirk Farm from Brereton to Holmes Chapel and asked the Sub-Committee to support the transfer for reasons of community identity. He proposed that a date be set aside for further consideration of those cases where alternative proposals had been put forward.

Councillor D Murphy expressed the Town Council’s view that all housing and business development on land contained within the new link road should be included within the area of Congleton Town, the link road forming a natural boundary.

Councillor S Holland expressed disappointment at the revised proposals for the Boundary of Congleton Town Council and asked that further discussion take place.

Councillor D Marren asked the Committee to support the recommendations in the report relating to the boundary between Shavington and Wybunbury and not to support any counter proposals that might come forward at the meeting.

The Committee considered the report which sought resolutions of the Community Governance Review Sub Committee, Corporate Policy Committee, and finally Council, following a Community Governance Review of Town and Parish Council Governance.

The review had been in progress for over three years. Engagement with the public, town and parish councils and other stakeholders had been central to the review. There had been an informal pre-consultation survey, as well as a formal consultation process which, together, had secured over 5,000 responses.

The background to the review, including the terms of reference, guiding principles and process followed, were set out in the report.

Appendix 1 to the report provided a summary of the review’s final recommendations. Appendix 2 contained maps showing recommended changes to parish and parish ward boundaries. Appendix 3 set out in detail the evidence and analysis on which the final recommendations had been made.

The Community Governance Review Sub-Committee had considered the report at its meeting on 4^th April 2022.

At that meeting, Councillor S Edgar, on behalf of the relevant parish councils, had asked that the style of the new Weston and Crewe Green council be changed from ‘Community’ to ‘Parish’. With  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94