Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors M Addison, J Barber, M Beanland, J Buckley, B Evans, A Farrall, S Handley, L Jeuda, A Martin, S Pochin, L Roberts, L Smetham, M Warren and N Wylie.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 18 May 2022.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 May 2022 be confirmed as a correct record, subject to an amendment to state that the first part of the meeting was chaired by Councillor S Pochin and not Councillor D Marren.

The Mayor, in summary

1          advised that he had assisted in organising a multi-cultural event.  It followed on from an event which took place last February by the previous Mayor, Cllr S Pochin, and the Mayor of Crewe Town Council Cllr Tom Dunlop. The Mayor thanked the team which organised the  event, with particular thanks to Magda Kolodziej of the Communities team. The next multicultural event was planned as a joint event with the Nantwich Mayor, Councillor Peter Groves, scheduled to be held in December.

2          reported that Cllr S Pochin, the previous Mayor, had been the target of political hate mail which had been reported to the Police. He asked all Councillors to give Cllr Pochin their support and urged anyone who received or who was the subject of malicious communication to report such instances to the Police.

In accordance the Council Procedural Rules, a total period of 30 minutes is allocated for members of the public to speak at Council meetings. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 2 minutes, but the Chair will have discretion to vary this requirement where they consider it appropriate. 

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days’ in advance of the meeting and should include the question with that notice.  Questions should be submitted to: katie.small@cheshireeast.gov.uk or brian.reed@cheshireeast.gov.uk.

Ms Laura Turner spoke in respect of the ‘Fight for Middlewich’ petition. Following her speech, she handed over the petition to an officer to pass on to the Mayor.

Mr N Cowie spoke in respect of anti-social behaviour taking place at Barnaby’s Park, Poynton.  He asked if consideration would be given to the sale of the play area, owned by Cheshire East Council, to a developer and thus remove the anti-social behaviour. He outlined the anti-social behaviour in question and asked that if the sale of the park could not be achieved then, as a minimum, access to the play park be restricted from 4.30pm until 8am the following day. In response, Cllr C Browne stated that the Council was not currently considering the disposal of the public open space at Barnaby Park in Poynton. He acknowledged that there had been an escalation in anti-social behaviour in the park and this matter had been considered at the latest Multi Agency Action Group meeting which included representatives from the Council, the Police and Poynton Town Council.  A working group had been established to consider the options available to reduce anti-social behaviour with the working group reporting back to the Multi Agency Action Group at the next meeting in September.

Mr S Redgard spoke in reference to a letter he had received, dated 26 November 2021, relating to the emptying of roadside gullies. He referred to comments which he said had been made by Cllr C Browne within the correspondence which stated: “We are carrying out an 18-month programme to attend to all gullies and collect asset and condition data to allow a more risk-based approach to be adopted for future schedules". However, Mr Redgard pointed out that the Council’s website stated that all gullies would be emptied before October 2022. He asked for clarification as to which statement was correct and whether the Council was on target to meet either of the dates. In addition, Mr Redgard asked when and what action the Council intended to take with regard to an alleged breach of condition 15 of planning application 15/0016M.  In response, Cllr C Browne, the Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee, stated that he recognised that a number of gullies across the borough had not been emptied since the Council’s inception and therefore the Council would be investing significant funds in this area, including £1.1M towards drainage repairs and a further £305,000 in managing flood risk. Further to this, Cllr Browne advised that the Council’s commitment to empty all highway gullies at least once during an 18 month period commenced in April 2021 and was on target to be completed in late October 2022.  During this undertaking, officers had identified gullies not previously included on the Council’s asset inventory system. It was anticipated that this would total approximately 9,000 additional gullies being included within the programme, which was an increase of nearly 10%. The additional asset and condition data collected during the programme would allow the Council’s highways  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

To receive such announcements as may be made by the Leader and Deputy Leader.

The Leader, in summary

1             advised that the Covid-19 infection rate in Cheshire East was 332 per 100,000 and local hospitals were under pressure. He reiterated that people could reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19 by maintaining social distancing, ensuring good ventilation indoors and washing hands thoroughly with soap and water;

2             updated the Council on those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine.  To date, 804 Ukrainians had registered to come to Cheshire East under the Homes for Ukraine scheme and, of these, 424 had arrived in the borough. There were currently 277 sponsors registered in Cheshire East. The Education Team was supporting Ukrainian families in accessing education and, to date, the Council had offered places to approximately 90 children and young people. Officers were undertaking a wide range of safeguarding, housing and welfare visits, arranging payments and supporting volunteer, community and faith sector groups and sponsors. Colleagues from other local agencies, including Health, Police and the Fire and Rescue Service were all supporting the scheme and he thanked them, and everyone else who had contributed so positively;

3             reminded the Council of the ongoing work by the Council in supporting Afghan refugees, a number of whom were still in temporary accommodation in his ward. A bicycle scheme had been introduced to help them to be more mobile;

4             thanked the Officers who had put forward a strong technical bid resulting in Crewe being shortlisted for the HQ of Great British Railways. The team, he felt, had created an excellent presentation for the Rail Minister’s visit, including visiting Avanti West Coast’s national training academy, visiting the entrance to Crewe station with virtual-reality goggles to show what the area would look like if plans were implemented and a trip to a site restoring classic trains;

5             reported that the Council had received the Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award. This latest award made by the Ministry of Defence, followed the Bronze Award which the Council received in 2020, and highlighted the ongoing commitment the Council was making to support serving personnel, reservists, veterans, families, cadets, and the wider military community across the borough;

6             reported that, for the fifth year in succession, the Registration Service had won the Ceremony Provider of the Year category at the North West Wedding Awards. He congratulated the Registration Service team for maintaining such a performance.

The Deputy Leader, in summary

1             attended a sod-cutting ceremony on 27 May to mark the commencement of work on the North-West Crewe Package;

2             reported that the design and development work for the Middlewich Eastern Bypass scheme continued to make good progress. A package of early site work was implemented earlier this year, whilst other environmental works, earthworks and landscaping were currently in preparation;

3             reported that since Council last met, the second reading of the Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester) Hybrid Bill had taken place, which had triggered the petitioning process. A resolution had been made to petition against the Bill, as it was felt the proposals did  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

To consider the recommendation from the Children and Families Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Children and Families Committee, which had met on 23 May 2022, in relation to the Approval of Supplementary Estimates of over £1m.

RESOLVED: That Council

approve the supplementary estimates over £1,000,000 set out in Appendix B, Table E.

To consider the recommendation from the Adult and Health Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Adults and Health Committee, which had met on 30 May 2022, in relation to the Approval of Supplementary Estimates of over £1m.

RESOLVED: That Council

approve the supplementary estimates over £1,000,000 set out in Appendix B, Table D.

To consider the recommendation from the Corporate Policy Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee, which had met on 9 June 2022, in relation to the Approval of Supplementary Estimates of over £1m.

RESOLVED: That Council

approve the supplementary estimates over £1,000,000 set out in Appendix B, Table E.

To consider the recommendations from the Finance Sub Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Finance Sub Committee, which had met on 6 July 2022, in relation to the Approval of Supplementary Estimates of over £1m.

RESOLVED: That Council approve

1.    the fully-funded supplementary revenue estimates over £1,000,000 in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules as detailed in Appendix 2, Table 1; and

2.    the virement of £2.3m in 2022/23 from the Medium-Term Financial Strategy Reserve to the General Reserve as detailed in Appendix 5, paragraph 4.

To consider the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee.

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee, which had met on 14 July 2022, in relation to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund - Cheshire East Allocation.

Councillor J Clowes proposed an amendment to the recommendations of the Committee, to include an additional sentence which also noted the requirements of additional guidance from time to time.  The Mayor asked if the proposer and seconder of the substantive motion were prepared to accept the amendment.  Councillor S Corcoran, as the proposer of the motion, requested advice from the Monitoring Officer, who advised that the amendment was acceptable.  Councillor J Clowes confirmed she was content to accept the advice, as were the proposer and seconder.

RESOLVED: That

1.    authority be delegated to the Executive Director Adults, Health and Integration to:

            (i)        make any amendments to the Local Investment Plan for the Multiply element of the Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as are required by government in order to release Multiply funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective management of the fund; and

          (ii)        accept the Multiply funding allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue Estimate of up to £1,535,547, and to allocate that funding as set out within the Local Investment Plan over the years 2022-23 to 2024-25;

2.    Council note the emerging Local Investment Plan for the core element of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East.

3.    Council note that the Chief Executive, S151 Officer and Leader are required to approve the core UKSPF Investment Plan once completed to comply with the requirements of the UKSPF government Prospectus and to also take note such guidance as may be issued from time to time ;

4.    authority be delegated to the Executive Director Place to:

            (i)        submit the approved completed Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East to the government Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities for the deadline of 1 August 2022;

          (ii)        make any amendments to the Investment Plan for the core UK Shared Prosperity allocation for Cheshire East as required by government in order to release the funding or as required during the plan period to enable the effective spend of the fund;

         (iii)        accept the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation for Cheshire East and approve a Supplementary Revenue/Capital Estimate of up to £11,585,762, (split to be confirmed on approval of the Investment Plan) and to allocate the funding as set out within the Local Investment Plan over the years 2022-23 to 2024-25; and 

         (iv)        manage the Cheshire East UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2022-25 programme, taking all necessary actions in the interests of maximising the impacts of the fund aligned to the fund parameters and local priorities aligned to the core UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan; and

5.    Council note that Cheshire East Council will act as accountable body for the Shared Prosperity Fund where funds are allocated to third party organisations, for the duration of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To consider the establishment of a Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System Joint Health Scrutiny Committee; and adoption of the amended Protocol for the establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny Arrangements in Cheshire and Merseyside, and to note the consequential revisions to the Constitution.

Consideration was given to the recommendations arising following the meetings of the Adults and Health Committee and Scrutiny Committee, which had met on  30 May 2022 and 14 June 2022 respectively, in relation to the Establishment of a Cheshire and Merseyside Joint Health Scrutiny Committee and Consequential Revisions to the Constitution.

RESOLVED: That Council

1.    Agree to the establishment of a Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care System Joint Health Scrutiny Committee as set out in the Joint Committee Arrangements document at Appendix A.

2.    Adopt the amended ‘Protocol for the establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny Arrangements in Cheshire & Merseyside’ as set out in Appendix B.

3.    Note that Corporate Policy Committee at its meeting on 4 November 2021 delegated the appointment of members to external scrutiny functions to the Scrutiny Committee, which may invite any member with the appropriate knowledge of health and social care, having regard to political proportionality.

4.    Note the constitutional changes delegated by Council to the Director of Governance and Compliance on 27 April 2022 as set out in Appendix C.

To determine the political representation on the Council's Committees.

Consideration was given to a report  which sought a resolution from Council which would determine the political representation on the Council's Committees.

RESOLVED

That the political group and other representation, as set out in the Appendix to the report, 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.

(Prior to consideration of the following item, the meeting was adjourned for a short break).

To consider any Notices of Motion that have been received in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules.

Consideration was given to the following Notices of Motion, which had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s Procedural Rules.

1          Review of Winter Service (Gritting) Programme Assessment Criteria

Proposed by Councillor R Moreton and Seconded by Councillor D Edwardes.

Council resolves that: prior to carrying out the next planned operational review of the Winter Service (Gritting) Programme for the 2022/23 season and in advance of any changes to secondary gritting routes, the scoring assessment criteria and threshold for inclusion in the Winter Service (Gritting) Programme should also be reconsidered.

RESOLVED:

That the Motion be referred to the Highways and Transport Committee.

2          Safer School Streets

Proposed by Cllr Suzie Akers Smith and Seconded by Cllr Lata Anderson.

That Council creates a process that allows a Safer School Street to be created for all schools, where supported by those schools and the community, which will provide a safer environment and enable children to walk and cycle to school safely.

RESOLVED:

That the Motion be referred to the Highways and Transport Committee.

3          Sprinklers Save Lives and Protect Property from Fire       

Proposed by Councillor N Mannion and seconded by Councillor J Nicholas

That:-

1.      Our Council explores local policy options to promote and secure the fitting of sprinklers in the above building types when they are built, or if they undergo a major refurbishment.

2.      Our Council writes to the Secretary of State for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and local Members of Parliament to promote changes to the law to require sprinklers in at least the above building types.

3.      Our Council writes to the Secretary of State for the Department for Education to strongly oppose  the proposed removal of sprinkler provisions from the revision of the design guide for fire safety in schools (Building Bulletin 100) and to request that the requirement for sprinklers in schools is strengthened rather than removed.

RESOLVED:

That the Motion be referred to the Environment and Communities Committee.

In accordance with the Council Procedure Rules, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Mayor or the Chair of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.

At Council meeting, there will be a maximum question time period of 30 minutes. A period of two minutes will be allowed for each Councillor wishing to ask a question.  The Mayor will have the discretion to vary this requirement where they consider it appropriate.

Cllr P Williams asked if the Council would consider applying for government funding available for the Brownfield Land Release Fund 2. 

In response, Cllr N Mannion, Chair of the Economy and Growth Committee, stated that officers were currently assessing the criteria for the fund against sites identified by Housing Development and examining whether the timescales aligned with the priorities for these sites. There would be funding rounds for the next two financial years; therefore, if the Council was unable to develop a bid by the 2022 deadline, it was likely that proposals would be developed for Spring 2023.  Cllr Mannion would provide a written response with detail on exact dates and funding amounts.

Cllr S Holland asked a question in respect of the New Burden Grant and whether the grant could be utilised to fund, reinstate, or replace via a similar service as the pathfinder service.  The Leader requested that the question be submitted in writing and he would then provide a written response.

Cllr J Bratherton referred to an art project proposed to be located outside Crewe station and asked who made the decision to appoint the artist, what criteria it was based upon and which other artists had put forward work to obtain the contract. She stated that she felt both examples offered bore no resemblance to Crewe and stated that she would have liked to have had some broader say within the Council on the designs. Councillor N Mannion, Chair of the Economy and Growth Committee, agreed that he would provide a written response.

Cllr L Smith asked if the Council would look to Manchester, Yorkshire and other areas of the UK in respect of how bus services operated, for example the municipal ownership of buses and whether the Council would look at removing contracts from companies like Arriva who she believed continued to focus on profits rather than the service received by the public and treatment of workers.

In response, Cllr L Crane, Chair of the Bus Service Improvement Plan Advisory Group, stated that she would like to make such changes but the Council was restricted by the legal framework. The Council had, under the Bus Service Improvement Plan, been able to establish an enhanced partnership for bus companies which she hoped would address some of the issues raised. She felt it was a matter upon which all Councillors needed to lobby their MPs, as cities which had devolved powers had superior public networks and she felt Cheshire East deserved the same.

Cllr S Gardiner stated that he wished not to ask a question but to thank a colleague on behalf of the Council who was leaving the authority, Sarah Baxter, Democratic Services Officer, for her contribution over the years.

Cllr A Kolker commented that he found the content of the agenda disappointing as he felt every item reaffirmed decisions made in other Committees. He asked that, if agendas were going to lead to Members redebating items previously debated, whether the Chair might use his discretion,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.