Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors M Addison, R Bailey, L Braithwaite, D Brown, B Evans, A Farrall,  R Fletcher, L Gilbert, A Gregory, I Macfarlane, N Mannion, B Murphy, D Murphy, L Roberts, L Smith, D Stockton and M Warren.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

It was noted that Councillor David Marren and Councillor Rod Fletcher had a personal interest in the appointment of Mayor and of Deputy Mayor, respectively.

To elect a Mayor for 2022/23, who will also act as Chairman of the Council.

Council was requested to elect a Mayor for the Borough of Cheshire East for 2022-23 Municipal Year, who would also act as Chairman of the Council for that period.

It was proposed by Councillor A Moran, seconded by Councillor S Akers Smith that Councillor David Marren be elected as Mayor for 2022-23 Municipal Year.

The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor David Marren be elected Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2022-23 Municipal Year and be appointed as Chairman of the Council for that period.

The Mayor was invested with his chain of office and then completed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took the oath of loyalty.

The Mayor thanked the Council for electing him to this office and informed Members that his wife, Mrs Belinda Marren, was to be his Mayoress.

(Councillor Marren, as Mayor, took the chair).

To appoint a Deputy Mayor for 2022/23, who will also act as Vice-Chairman of the Council.

Council was requested to appoint a Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2022-23 Municipal Year, who would also act as Vice-Chairman of the Council for that period.

It was proposed by Councillor P Williams, seconded by Councillor C Browne that Councillor Rod Fletcher be appointed as Deputy Mayor for 2022-23 Municipal Year.

The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Rod Fletcher be appointed as Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Cheshire East for the year 2022-23 Municipal Year and as Vice-Chairman of the Council for that period.

Councillor Sam Corcoran paid tribute to the retiring Mayor, Councillor
Sarah Pochin, for the dedicated work that they had undertaken during their term of office.

The Mayor presented Councillor Pochin with a Past Mayor’s Medal.

Councillor Pochin then addressed Council, as outgoing Mayor.

The Mayor announced that he would be using his term in office to raise money for Ukrainian refugees.

The Mayor referred to the Council’s commitment to tackling climate change and asked those present to listen to a piece of music entitled ‘Manta Ray’ from the documentary ‘Racing  Extinction’, which encouraged people to think about what they could do and change to help tackle climate change.

The Mayor thanked all those who had attended the Mayor Making Ceremony and stated that the meeting would now be adjourned and would be reconvened, following lunch.

(The meeting was adjourned at 12.20 pm and reconvened at 1.45 pm)

Apologies for absence were updated.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

No declarations of interest were made.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 27 April 2022.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 April 2022 be approved as a correct record.

To elect a Leader of the Council for the municipal year 2022/23.

Nominations were invited for the election of the Leader of the Council.

The following were nominated:

Councillor Sam Corcoran – proposed by Councillor M Houston and seconded by Councillor C Browne

Councillor Janet Clowes –   proposed by Councillor S Gardiner and seconded by Councillor M Simon

A requisition for a named vote was submitted. The nominations were put to the vote with the following result:

For Councillor Corcoran - 34

Cllrs S Akers Smith, L Anderson, J Barber, J Bratherton, S Brookfield, C Browne, J Buckley, C Bulman, B Burkhill, P Butterill, S Carter, S Corcoran, L Crane, D Edwardes, H Faddes, K Flavell, M Goldsmith, S Handley, A Harewood, S Hogben, M Houston, M Hunter, D Jefferay, L Jeuda, A Moran, R Moreton, C Naismith, J Nicholas, J Parry, S Pochin, B Puddicombe, J Rhodes, A Stott and P Williams.

For Councillor Clowes - 25

Cllrs M Beanland, Cllr M Benson, Cllr J Clowes, Cllr S Davies, Cllr T Dean, Cllr S Edgar, Cllr JP Findlow, Cllr A Gage, Cllr S Gardiner, Cllr P Groves, Cllr G Hayes, Cllr S Holland, Cllr A Kolker, Cllr C Leach, Cllr A Martin, Cllr K Parkinson, Cllr P Redstone, Cllr J Saunders, Cllr M Sewart, Cllr M Simon, Cllr L Smetham, Cllr L Wardlaw, Cllr J Weatherill, Cllr J Wray and Cllr N Wylie.

Not Voting - 3:

Cllr A Critchley, Cllr D Marren and J Smith

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Sam Corcoran be elected as Leader of the Council for the
2022-23 municipal year.

To elect a Deputy Leader of the Council for the municipal year 2022/23.

Nominations were invited for the appointment of the Deputy Leader of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor J Nicholas and seconded by Councillor L Crane that Councillor Craig Browne be appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Council for the 2022-2023 Municipal Year.

The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Craig Browne be appointed as Deputy Leader of the Council for the 2022-2023 Municipal Year.

To determine the political representation on the Council's Committees and to appoint those Committees.

Consideration was given to a report relating to the political representation on the Council’s Committees.

The recommendation was moved and seconded. 

RESOLVED:

That the committees set out in Appendix A to the report be appointed, with the same functions, roles and responsibilities as are currrently set out in the Constitution; and that the political group and other representation, as set out in Appendix A and the methods, calculations and conventions used in determining this, as outlined in the report be adopted, and the allocation of places to Committees be approved.

To appoint the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Council’s committees.

Consideration was given to the appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Council’s committees.

The Appendix to the report set out the nominated persons for Chair and Vice-Chair for each committee.

The appointments for Chairs and Vice-Chairs were moved and seconded and put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED:

That the offices of Chair and Vice-Chair be allocated as detailed in the Appendix to the report.

To approve the appointments to the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel and the Cheshire Fire Authority.

Consideration was given to a report inviting Council to make appointments to the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel.

In relation to the Cheshire Fire Authority, it was reported that that the Cheshire East Council allocation of seats had increased from 8 Members, to 9 Members as a consequence of changes in the May 2022 electorates for the local authorities which nominate Members to the Fire Authority.

The nominations for the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel and the Cheshire  Fire Authority were moved and seconded and put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED: That

1          Councillors Paul Findlow, Laura Jeuda and Mick Warren be appointed to the Cheshire Police and Crime Panel, with Councillor Denis Murphy as named substitute.

2          Councillors Rachel Bailey, Michael Beanland, David Brown, Marilyn Houston, Nick Mannion, Rob Moreton, Denis Murphy, James Nicholas, Jonathan Parry be appointed to the Cheshire Fire Authority.

To approve the appointments to the Adoption Panel and Fostering Panel.

Consideration was given to a report inviting Council to approve a number of appointments to Statutory Panels which did not fall within the definition of “Committee” for the purpose of legislation.

It was moved and seconded that Councillor Brain Puddicombe be appointed to the Adoption Panel and that Councillor Carol Bulman be appointed to the Fostering Panel.  

The motion was put to the vote and was declared carried.

RESOLVED:  That

1          Councillor Brian Puddicombe be appointed to the Adoption Panel; and

2          Councillor Carol Bulman be appointed to the Fostering Panel.

To seek the approval of Council in respect of a Councillor’s absence from Council meetings due to reasons of ill-health.

Consideration was given to a report seeking the approval of Council in respect of Councillor Bryon Evans’ absence from Council meetings for a period of over 6  months due to reasons of ill-health.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Byron Evans’ absence from Council meetings for a period of over six months, due to reasons of ill-health be approved; such approval to apply until the date of the next local elections on 4 May 2023.

To approve a supplementary revenue estimate.

Consideration was given to a report seeking approval of a fully funded supplementary capital estimate.

The report detailed the expectations of local authorities as part of the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and sought approval to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to accept funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, up to £12,600,000. This sum made provision for up to 1,000 Ukrainian guests (£10,500 per individual) arriving and residing in 500 sponsor properties (a £4,200 thank you payment per annum per property).

RESOLVED:  That Council

1          approves a supplementary revenue estimate of up to £12,600,000 for the 2022/23 Financial Year; and

2          delegates authority to the Chief Executive to accept up to £12,600,000 of grant funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

2          authorises the Chief Executive to take all other action, including the distribution of grant monies, as they deems necessary, to ensure that the grant funding can be properly administered.