Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor G Baxendale.

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

Councillor R Cartlidge declared a personal interest by virtue of being the Mayor of Crewe.

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 relevant to the work of the meeting. 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 26^th July 2011.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2011 be approved as a correct record subject to ‘Red Shift Radio’ being added to the list of proposed consultees listed in (3)a of the resolution, and Crewe Alexander Football Club being amended to Crewe Alexandra Football Club.

1.      To receive the revised project plan and timetable for the Crewe Community Governance Review (attached as an Appendix).

2.      To consider the proposed publicity and consultation arrangements for the review, and in particular the following:

(a)   the requirements for a draft leaflet to consultees and electors;

(b)   the draft press release (to be circulated at the meeting);

(c)   the draft public notice (to be circulated at the meeting);

(d)   the arrangements for the public meetings on 15^th and 16^th September (to be reported at the meeting); and

(e)   the format of the ballot paper.

Consideration was given to the project plan and timetable for the Crewe Community Governance Review which had been circulated with the agenda meeting papers, and to proposed publicity and consultation arrangements as circulated at the meeting.

a) Project Plan and Timetable

A revised project plan and timetable, incorporating changes made at the last meeting, was considered.  A summary of the Community Governance Review (CGR) guidance, circulated previously, made reference to the need to take into account any existing Parish boundary anomalies.  It was noted that there was a discrepancy in the boundaries in the area 1FJ4, containing approx 400 electors, whereby they would need to be asked if they wished to be included in the area of Crewe Town or Leighton Parish. It was possible that the area concerned would require a specifically worded ballot paper as had been the case for Handforth and Styal in the Wilmslow review.

A query was raised regarding the initial press release which referred to the review lasting 12 months; it was agreed that this should be amended to it being completed within 12 months.

b)  Draft Leaflet to Consultees and Electors

At the last meeting copies had been circulated of the public information leaflet produced for the first CGR for Crewe, and also of that for Wilmslow, Handforth and Styal which had drawn on and learnt from the earlier experience. 

Consideration was given to paras 80/81 of the Community Guidance Review Government Guidance document, and to the various options available to electors to choose from such as a Town, Parish, or Community Council; Area Committee; Tenant Management or Residents & Tenants  Association; Area, Community, Neighbourhood Forum; or Community Association.  Members were anxious not to appear to limit the choice available by the wording referring predominantly to, for example, Town or Parish Council.  It was, therefore, agreed that the leaflet should give equal prominence to all options and that they should be fully explained at the public meetings.   

In considering the inclusion of information on the possible precept to be levied on the formation of a new Council it was noted that there had been some lack of appreciation by electors in the Wilmslow review that separate precepts would be levied for the different areas. Although an initial precept, to get the new Council started, could be set by CE Council in advance of any new Town/Parish Council being established it was stressed that after the first year the amount would be set by the new Council; it was agreed that the leaflet should refer to this fact and that the monetary range of precepts levied by existing Councils should be shown. 

A question was raised as to which boundaries should be shown on the map in the leaflet and it was agreed that this should be limited to the red boundary only, namely the extent of the area to be covered by the review. 

It was agreed that a draft leaflet for a the CGR be circulated at the next meeting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To consider the arrangements for the next meeting on 22^nd September 2011.

RESOLVED

That the next meeting of the Sub-Committee be held on 22 September 2011, but that the time be moved from the originally agreed time of 10.30 am to the afternoon on the rise of the Constitution Committee.