A period of 20 minutes is allocated for questions to be put to Cabinet Members by members of the Council. A maximum period of two minutes will be allowed for each member wishing to ask a question. The Leader will have discretion to vary this requirement where he considers it appropriate. Members wishing to ask a question at the meeting should register to do so in writing by not later than 4.00 pm on the Friday in the week preceding the meeting. Members should include the general topic their question will relate to and indicate if it relates to an item on the agenda. Questions must relate to the powers, duties or responsibilities of the Cabinet. Questions put to Cabinet Members must relate to their portfolio responsibilities.
Where a question relates to a matter which appears on the agenda, the Leader may allow the question to be asked at the beginning of consideration of that item.
Minutes:
Councillor J Clowes referred to a Notice of Motion to be submitted to the 16th December Council meeting, proposing that the Council support the cessation of car park charges on all Cheshire East Council-owned car parks that directly served the Borough’s towns from 3rd December to 17th January, to support local businesses and encourage residents to shop locally. She asked if Cabinet would support the motion.
The Portfolio Holder for Finance, IT and Communication responded that she would need to consider the detailed financial implications before supporting any such proposal. The Deputy Leader shared a graphic which he said showed that the Borough’s towns were performing better than the national average in terms of footfall over the 12 month period to September 2020, and that footfall was recovering month on month, and that this seemed to indicate that parking charges were not the main determinant of whether people returned to town centres and that the loss of revenue was perhaps not the most effective way to stimulate economic recovery. The Portfolio Holder for Public Health and Corporate Services added that from a public health perspective, the Council would not want to encourage people to dwell in town centres for long periods during the pandemic. The Portfolio Holder for Highways and Waste referred to parking initiatives already in place in some town centres and said that the proposal to suspend charges was an option for the future but was not appropriate for now, given the public health considerations.
Councillor M Simon referred to a question she had asked at a recent Cabinet meeting about idling car engines outside schools and the effect this had on air quality. She asked what the Council had since done to discourage this practice which she had also witnessed at her local GP’s surgery car park. She also asked what plans there were to address this issue in the Council’s Environmental Strategy.
The Leader indicated that a written response would be provided.
Councillor L Smetham referred to the second tranche of Active Travel funding, which she said had been promised for rural areas, and asked when schemes would be coming forward to make rural roads safer.
The Portfolio Holder for Highways and Waste clarified that the second tranche of funding, which amounted to £588,000, was not specifically for rural roads. The Council was working with ward members and town and parish councils, and would be consulting residents and local stakeholders, with a view to bringing forward detailed proposals in the Spring.
Councillor L Wardlaw asked for a meeting of the Staffing Committee to be held to consider the issue of staff leaving the Council.
The Portfolio Holder for Public Health and Corporate Services responded that the Council had to respect the rights of officers to choose where to live and work. She added that the reasons for individual officers deciding to leave the Council were not a matter for a public meeting. The Leader declined to allow the question to be considered further as it related to an employment issue.
Councillor S Akers Smith referred to a Notice of Motion to be submitted to the 16th December Council meeting, urging councillors to support a reduction in speed limits from 30mph to 20mph in central, urban and residential areas of the Borough. She asked Cabinet to support the motion.
The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Regeneration referred to a road safety campaign taking place in Congleton on 3rd December, involving the Council, Cheshire Police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, which aimed to educate drivers to help keep people safe on the roads. The Portfolio Holder for Highways and Waste added that she fully supported 20 mph zones where these were appropriate.