In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 35 and Appendix 7 to the rules, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to speak at Council meetings.
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.
Members of the public must provide 3 clear working days notice, in writing, if they wish to ask a question at the meeting. It is not a requirement to give notice of the intention to make use of public speaking provision. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours notice is encouraged.
Minutes:
Two members of the public had indicated that they wished to use public speaking time to address the Council.
Mr William Stewart attended the meeting and used public speaking time to speak in relation to member allowances. He stated that as Members would be aware the country was facing financial problems and as a result cuts had been made to the Council’s budget. As everybody was being asked to make sacrifices, he proposed that all allowances paid to Councillors should be reduced by 20% from 1 May and for the next 4 years. This would make a saving of £1m. He hoped the Council would take this on board when considering their allowances.
Mr Byron Evans attended the meeting and used public speaking time to speak in relation to three areas of concern:
(1) The Independent Remuneration Panel
The Council was receiving a report today with details of how much councillors should receive in expenses and allowances. Councillors have had the opportunity to comment on the current system of financial payments and voice any concerns they have on how to improve it. His worry was that with the ongoing criticism and debacle concerning MPs’ pay and the misuse of public money by some of them, he would strongly suggest that the administration and councillors reflect that a way forward for clear and transparent remuneration was for councillors to make representations to the panel but not to be involved in setting their level of any expenses and allowances. There was a need to ensure transparency and safeguard public money and ensure that councillors remuneration levels are not controlled by themselves. That should stop and councilors should always accept the Panel’s decision without any further committee and Council amendments.
(2) Housing in Crewe
Recently there has been concern from residents he had spoken to, at least in Leighton, over the strategic housing land allocation assessment. While the vision for Crewe is being touted, one of its aims was that it be bedded in reality, so it was both deliverable and sustainable. But there seems to be a disjoint in much of the community about how this is being developed. The current housing plans and consultations in the pipe line were raising serious questions as to the ability of the town to provide the necessary jobs and infrstructure to make Crewe prosperous. He hoped the Council will help explain things better to allay his fears.
(3) Reivew of Parish Boundaries
It was of concern to him that with the many administrative boundary reviews that have occurred in the last 15 years the Parish boundaries have not been reviewed. He was aware that locally, and was sure other councillors had anecdotal evidence, that especially around the periphery of the unparished Crewe town, there were boundaries originally using hedgerows and other landmarks that have long disappeared to housing developments with quite arbitrary lines now draw sometimes the boundary crossing through a property! A parish review would also make further ward and parliamentary boundaries hopefully seem more logical! As Crewe residents now also pay a precept to the charter trustees, surely one must also question which side of the boundary people wish to be on if they can see no tangible benefit to their contribution and the practicality of other changes to the parish also could be arranged.