In accordance with paragraph 1.18 of the Council Procedure Rules, opportunity is provided for Members of the Council to ask the Mayor, the appropriate Cabinet Member or the Chairman of a Committee any question about a matter which the Council, the Cabinet or the Committee has powers, duties or responsibilities.
At Council meetings, there will be a maximum question time period of 30 minutes. Questions will be selected by the Mayor, using the criteria agreed by Council. Any questions which are accepted, but which cannot be dealt with during the allotted period will be answered in writing. Questions must be brief, clear and focussed.
Minutes:
1. Cllr G Baxendale asked the Cabinet Member for Corporate Policy to join him in thanking the officers and Members involved in enabling the Cheshire East Reflects programme over the past four years. Cllr Findlow, Corporate Policy and Legal Services Portfolio Holder, responded.
2. Cllr N Mannion referred to questions that he had submitted previously concerning hydrolic fracking and stated that he had received a holding response, but that there was still no settled policy on this issue. He referred to the Government proposals to remove mineral planning powers from Local Authorities and asked the Leader of the Council to write to local MPs and the relevant Minster to ask that the powers not be removed. The Leader of the Council responded briefly and undertook to provide a written response, or to submit a report to Cabinet.
3. Cllr S Gardiner asked the Leader to provide assurance that any definition of anti-semitismused by the Council would be that accepted nationally and not any diluted version. The Leader of the Council responded briefly and undertook that Cabinet would consider the matter.
4. Cllr A Moran referred to a recent meeting of the Constitution Committee, where two items regarding an all party working group relating to an alternative committee system and regarding chairmanships and vice-chairmanships being offered to opposition parties, were voted down and he asked whether the Council was Member-led or Whip-led. Cllr A Martin, Chairman of the Constitution Committee, responded.
5. Cllr G Baggott asked why the public car parks in Macclesfield town centre were being resurfaced to the detriment of pot holes in the town centre. The Leader of the Council responded.
6. Cllr C Andrew referred to regeneration and asked what assurance he and the residents of Macclesfield could be given that the decision of ASK to withdraw from the proposed town centre development would not have a damaging effect on the town centre and what sort of alternative scheme could be expected from the Council for the regeneration of the town. The Leader of the Council responded.
7. Cllr P Groves referred to the Connected Community Centres and stated that, in Nantwich, there had been two very useful meetings with the relevant officers regarding potentially expanding the programmes to utilise programmes in Nantwich and Stapeley. He asked whether the delivery of the centres was on schedule and how this was progressing. Cllr J Clowes, Adult Social Care and Integration Portfolio Holder, responded.
8. Cllr M Deakin referred to the Cemetery Strategy report, considered by Cabinet, where it had been agreed that the Council would meet with Alsager Town Council and residents. He asked that, given the limited number of burial spaces in Alsager and the continuing demand for plots, when would the pledged meeting take place. The Leader of the Council responded briefly, with assistance from Cllr D Marren, Chair of Orbitas Bereavement Services, and undertook to provide a written response.
9. Cllr Menlove referred to limited parking capacity in Wilmslow, leading to commuters parking in residential areas. He stated that Wilmslow was due a full parking review and asked to be assured that the funding was available to carry this out, to commence in the second half of this September, with a report on the findings in October. Cllr P Bates, Finance and Communication Portfolio Holder, responded.
10.Cllr D Brown referred to a recent meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board, where Congleton Councillors and the Leader of the Council had attended to address the Committee concerning rumours relating to Congleton War memorial hospital facilities. He asked for an assurance that proper public consultation and debate would take place before any final decision was made. Cllr Gardiner, Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee, responded.
11.Cllr S Corcoran referred to the Council’s Investigation and Disciplinary Committee(IDC) and asked, now the allegations concerning two senior officers of the Council had been dealt with, had the IDC seen any evidence that might implicate any elected Member, which might warrant further investigation. Cllr M Simon, Acting Chairman of the IDC, responded.
12.Cllr J Rhodes asked what measures the Council intended to take to ensure that there would be an officer to deal with the granting of licenses for annual town fairs and circuses that used Cheshire East land. The Leader of the Council undertook to discuss this with Cllr Arnold, Housing, Planning and Regeneration Portfolio Holder, and undertook to provide a written response.
13.Cllr A Harewood asked what cost there had been to the Council in respect of the failed Macclesfield regeneration scheme. The Leader of the Council responded briefly and undertook to provide a written response.
14.Cllr R Fletcher asked for an update as to whether funding had been found for a crossing from the Coppice estate to the Cranberry Academy in Alsager. The Leader of the Council and Cllr J Saunders, Children and Families Portfolio Holder, responded briefly and undertook to provide a written response.
15.Cllr B Roberts referred to two basket ball teams that had been formed in Crewe and had joined a league. A tournament, with visiting teams, was due to take place on 5 August and the team was struggling to access a basket ball court to play on, although there were suitable facilities at schools and colleges in Crewe and at the MMU. He asked whether the Leader of the Council could assist with this. The Leader of the Council responded.
16.Cllr S Brookfield asked for assurances that the Crewe Town Centre scheme would progress. The Leader of the Council responded.
17.Cllr G Merry welcomed the results relating to the outstanding schools in the area and asked the Portfolio Holder to elucidate on the Key Stage 2 results. Cllr J Saunders, Children and Families Portfolio Holder, responded.
18.On behalf of Cllr L Jeuda, Cllr M Grant asked whether the Leader of the Council would agree that the tone of the press release relating to a recent tribunal result was inappropriate. Cllr Findlow, Corporate Policy and Legal Services Portfolio Holder, responded.
19.Cllr D Flude referred to a question that she had previously asked at the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee. She asked for reassurance that all the legislation required to provide for Children with autism had been accepted by the Council. Cllr J Saunders, Children and Families Portfolio Holder, responded and undertook to provide a written response, once the Action Plan for Autism has been published and shared for scrutiny. (Cllr Flude also asked for a copy of the response sent to her previously by Cllr Clowes regarding a question that she had asked at the 22 February Council meeting, relating to double charging when people died in residential care. – Cllr J Clowes, Adult Social Care and Integration Portfolio Holder, undertook to provide this again).