Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

Councillor D Brickhill declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 5 - Call In of Cabinet Decision - CE09/10-10 Car Parking Control and Charging in the area of the Former Borough of Congleton, due to being a Member of Cabinet when the decision was made. In accordance with the code of conduct he withdrew from the room immediately after answering questions and giving evidence. He did not return to the meeting.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a total period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the Committee on any matter relevant to the work of the Committee.

Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers.

Note: In order for officers to undertake any background research it would be helpful if questions were submitted at least one working day before the meeting.

In accordance with the Constitution, Town Councillor W Goodall spoke in respect of item 5 – Call In of Cabinet Decision –CE0910/10 Car Parking Control and Charging in the area of the Former Borough of Congleton.

To approve the minutes as a correct record

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting dated 13 May 2009.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting be approved as a correct record.

To give consideration to the Call In of the above decision

The Committee reviewed the Cabinet decision of 16 June 2009 for car parking control and charging in the area of the former Borough of Congleton.

Councillor Baxendale attended the meeting to explain the reasons for the Call In. The Portfolio Holder, Head of Service for Safer and Stronger Communities, Parking Manager and Legal Consultant attended the meeting to explain the background to the decision and answer to any questions.

Councillors S Jones, L Gilbert, A Kolker, A Moran, B Moran and A Thwaite also attended the meeting to speak in respect of this item.

Members raised questions relating to the consultants report being flawed and inaccurate, the proposed parking charges, the number of car parks and parking spaces taken into account, the consultation process, residents parking schemes, civil enforcement and proposed tariff bands.

The Portfolio Holder confirmed that resident parking schemes would be considered for every town and that tariff bands were being developed in time for the 20010/11 budget.

Due to having a personal and prejudicial interest the Portfolio Holder withdrew from the room once he had explained the reasons for the decision and answered any questions.

Following detailed consideration of the explanations and reasons for the decision, the Committee decided to offer the following advice to Cabinet:

1. That Cabinet ensure that the facts and figures contained within the report are correct
2. That the charging policy be standardised across the Borough
3. That parking be free of charge for the first hour
4. That the consultation period for the off street car parking order be extended to two months
5. That the Council’s Parking Strategy be adhered to.

Members also agreed that in future any policy issues should be submitted to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee prior to Cabinet consideration.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet give consideration to the above advice

To receive a presentation of the Head of Service – Environmental Services

This item was deferred until the next meeting of the Committee

To give consideration to the draft work programme

The Committee gave consideration to the draft work programme. It was agreed that an additional meeting would be arranged for 6 August 2009 to give consideration to give to the following issues:

1. Presentation on highway maintenance

2. Presentation on waste management

3. Presentation on residential parking schemes

4. Progress report – Macclesfield Town Centre

5. Housing and Homelessness Strategies

The Committee also agreed that any issues with a low priority should be deleted from the work programme.

RESOLVED

That the work programme be approved subject to the above amendments.

To give consideration to the areas of the forward plan which fall within the remit of this Committee

The Committee gave consideration to the extracts of the forward plan, which fall within the remit of the Committee.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

The report relating to the remaining item on the agenda have been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matters may be determined with the press and public excluded.

The Committee may decide that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item pursuant to Section 100(A)4 of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

Due to minute 13 - Call In of Cabinet Decision - Key Decision CE09/10-10 Car Parking Control and Charging in the area of the Former Borough of Congleton - Legal Implications not being discussed, the Committee decided not to exclude the press and public from the meeting.

To note the legal implications contained within the report

The Committee noted the content of this report and did not discuss it.