Agenda and minutes

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

Councillor S Hogben declared a non-pecuniary interest as a Crewe Charter Trustee.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relating to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 19^th December 2012.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting of 19^th December 2012 be approved as a correct record.

The report relating to the following item on the agenda has been withheld from public circulation and deposit pursuant to Section 100(B)(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that the matter 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 Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

PART 2 – MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT THE PUBLIC AND PRESS PRESENT

RESOLVED

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 Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 and the public interest would not be served in publishing the information.

The Sub-Committee is invited to interview candidates for the appointment of an Interim Parish Clerk for Crewe Parish Council.

The Sub-Committee interviewed two candidates for the appointment of an Interim Parish Clerk for Crewe Parish Council. Both candidates currently served as town clerks for town councils in Cheshire East.

With regard to working arrangements, Members agreed that the Interim Clerk would be appointed for the period up to the Annual meeting of the new parish council; any continuation of the appointment beyond that would be a matter for the parish council. The Clerk would be expected to work an average of ten hours a week, primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays to allow for liaison with the Clerk to the Crewe Charter Trustees. The Interim Clerk would be paid by ChALC who would then seek reimbursement from the parish council. The Clerk would be expected to keep a record of the hours worked and to submit an invoice either direct to ChALC or to the Registration Service and Business Manager at Cheshire East. The Clerk’s salary grade would be based on his current grade as a parish clerk.

Each candidate was interviewed in turn, using a standard set of questions agreed by Members.

RESOLVED

That Mr Jonathan Williams, currently the Town Clerk to Middlewich Town Council, be offered the position of Interim Clerk to Crewe Parish Council.

The public to be readmitted to the meeting for the remaining business.

RESOLVED

That the public and press be re-admitted to the meeting.

To receive updates on the following matters:

1.    Transfer of Assets from Cheshire East Council – Allotments / Public Conveniences

2.    Arrangements for the annual Meeting of the Crewe Parish Council (Draft list of agenda items attached)

3.    Historic and Ceremonial Regalia and Property of the Charter Trustees (Report of Democratic Services Team Manager attached)

1.    Transfer of assets

Members were informed that the Chief Executive had appointed the Democratic and Registration Services Manager to project manage the transfer of assets (allotments and public conveniences) to the parish council. This would involve the production of a communications plan in the first instance, and the publication of any public notices required.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

2.    Arrangements for the annual meeting of Crewe Parish Council

Members considered a draft agenda for the Annual Meeting of Crewe Parish Council. It dealt with such matters as the election of Chairman, appointment of a temporary clerk, the transfer of assets, the adoption of standing orders, the appointment of committees, training of councillors and various administrative and financial arrangements.

RESOLVED

That the draft agenda be approved subject to Item 11 – consideration of the designation of Crewe Parish Council as Crewe Town Council – being moved to Item 2, to follow the election of a Chairman, and it being made clear under Item 1 that if such designation were approved, the title of Chairman would be replaced with the title of Mayor.

3.    Historic and ceremonial regalia and property of the Charter Trustees

Members considered a report of the Borough Solicitor on the ongoing negotiations with the Crewe Charter Trustees concerning the historic and ceremonial regalia  and property of the former Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council.

The Asset Management Team had commissioned inventories of the Municipal Buildings, Crewe. Officers from Democratic Services had attempted to reach provisional agreement with the Crewe Charter Trustees as to what property would become the property of the Trustees. At their meeting on 17^th January 2013, the Charter Trustees had passed a resolution identifying the property they wished to claim. Arrangements were being made for the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Policy to confirm the property to be transferred. It was hoped that the regalia, once transferred, would remain in the Municipal Buildings. This would be a matter for discussion between Cheshire East Council and the new parish council.

Cheshire East Council would need to determine the responsibility for the insurance and care of historic and ceremonial regalia and property that remained in its possession.

RESOLVED

That the report be noted.

There were difficulties in convening a meeting of the Sub-Committee during January due to Members’ limited availability. Priority in the early part of the year has been given to publishing the outcome of the Crewe Community Governance Review and establishing the interim arrangements required to enable the new Crewe Parish Council to come into existence from 1 April 2013.

a) Project Plan

Members are asked to review and update the project plan (attached) for the Macclesfield Community Governance Review, to provide a workable timeframe for the conduct of the first stage, taking account of the overlapping timetable with Crewe Community Governance Review until mid-April 2013.     

b) Consultation Leaflet

Members are asked to consider the proposed text of the leaflet to be used for the first stage of public consultation (attached).     

The Sub-Committee considered a revised project plan for the Macclesfield community governance review, together with a first draft of the consultation leaflet.

It was intended that the leaflet to stakeholders would be supplemented by a number of public meetings.

Members agreed on the need for the leaflet to be informative and neutral, identifying all options while not giving the impression of favouring any one of them.

RESOLVED

That

(1)  the Registration Service and Business Manager, in consultation with the Communications Team, give further consideration to the consultation leaflet to ensure that it is clear and balanced, and a revised version be submitted to the next meeting for consideration; and

(2)  the timetable for the project plan be reviewed and reconsidered at the next meeting.

To be agreed.