Agenda item

To consider the recommendation from the meeting of the Community Governance Review Member Group held on 19^th January 2010, to be reported at the meeting.

The Committee considered the recommendation of the Community Governance Review Member Group in respect of the Crewe Community Governance Review.

The Group had met on 19^th January 2010 to consider the outcome of the Stage 2 consultation with a view to making a recommendation to the Governance and Constitution Committee. Having considered the matter, the Group had recommended as follows:

“That having taken into account all consultation responses made during the Second Stage of consultation, and having regard to the need to ensure that Community Governance within the area reflects the identities and interests of the Community, and is effective and convenient, the Crewe Community Governance Member Group recommends that the Governance and Constitution Committee recommends to Council that the draft recommendation of Council of the 15 October 2009 be reaffirmed i.e. “To accept the vote from the people of Crewe and to reject the notion of a Town Council for Crewe at this time.”  

Members of the Committee had before them the report to the Member Group, including the responses received to the Stage 2 consultation, together with the minutes of the Group’s meeting. The report contained a summary and analysis of the responses to the consultation. In presenting the report, the Elections and Registration Team Manager informed Members that three more responses had been received after the consultation deadline.

Members debated the matter in the light of the Stage 2 consultation outcome and the Member Group’s recommendation, and various arguments were deployed on all sides of the debate. It was stressed that any decision to reject the notion of a town council for Crewe at this time would not prevent the matter being considered again in the future in the light of experience in other parts of the Borough.

Members were advised that a public notice on the outcome of the Crewe Community Governance Review would need to be published after the Council made its final decision on 25^th January. A draft notice was circulated to Members for consideration.

RESOLVED

That

(1)   having taken into account all consultation responses made during the Second Stage of consultation, and having regard to the need to ensure that Community Governance within the area reflects the identities and interests of the Community, and is effective and convenient, the Governance and Constitution Committee recommends to Council that the draft recommendation of Council of the 15^th October 2009 be reaffirmed, namely “To accept the vote from the people of Crewe and to reject the notion of a Town Council for Crewe at this time”;

(2)   Council be recommended that

(a)   the draft public notice to publicise the outcome of the Crewe Community Governance Review, as circulated at the Committee’s meeting, be approved; and

(b)   the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any necessary technical and detailed amendments to finalise the notice to ensure that it fully complies with the requirements of Section 96 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

Note: In accordance with paragraph 31.4 of the Committee Procedure Rules, Councillors D Cannon  and R Cartlidge asked that the minutes of the meeting record their having voted against the motion.