Agenda item

Public Speaking Time/Open Session

In accordance the Council Procedural Rules, a total period of 30 minutes is allocated for members of the public to speak at Council meetings. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 2 minutes, but the Chair will have discretion to vary this requirement where they consider it appropriate. 

 

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days’ in advance of the meeting and should include the question with that notice.  Questions should be submitted to: katie.small@cheshireeast.gov.uk or brian.reed@cheshireeast.gov.uk.

 

Petitions - To receive any petitions which have met the criteria - Petitions Scheme Criteria, and falls within the remit of the Committee. Petition organisers will be allowed up to three minutes to speak.

Minutes:

Mr Thomas Eccles spoke on behalf of the Save Dane Moss Community Group and urged the Council to urgently consider establishing a Peat Partnership for the preservation and sustainable use of peatlands in Cheshire. Mr Eccles stated that Peat Partnerships existed in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland to preserve and restore peatlands within their respective areas. Currently, there was no equivalent organisation for Cheshire. 

 

In response, Councillor Mick Warren, Chair of the Environment and Communities Committee, stated that such partnerships required a collaboration between multiple agencies with an ambition to restore and conserve peatlands. They typically involved a range of stakeholders and whilst the Council was not currently in a position to lead the establishment of such a partnership, through teams in the Place Directorate the Council invested across the natural environment. The Rural and Cultural Economy Team were directly involved in improvements to Council owned assets and worked with partners for wider benefits (such as the Bollin Valley Partnership); S106 and Biodiversity Net Gain also provided funding streams for investment in nature. Additionally, the Council also supported the Lindow Moss Landscape partnership which sought to preserve, restore and enhance the Lindow Moss peatland at Wilmslow. The forthcoming Local Nature Recovery Strategy, to be published for consultation in the New Year, would be a regional plan for the natural environment, which was being developed with partner local authorities, DEFRA, Natural England, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and multiple farmers, landowners and other stakeholders. Through this process the Council would set out its priorities for nature, including the protection of peat land.

 

Ms Natalie Abbott spoke on behalf of Global Justice Macclesfield in support of the Notice of Motion on Fossil Fuel non-Proliferation Treaty and welcomed the Council’s acknowledgement of the climate emergency through its endorsement of a Motion in May 2019 declaring an environment and climate emergency. She stated that local actions on environment and climate crisis were essential, and everyone had a part to play in reducing energy demand and restoring nature. She stated that it was essential that the Council recognised it interconnectedness with the whole of humanity and that emissions across the globe were already causing frequent and catastrophic weather events. Global Justice Macclesfield welcomed the Notice of Motion and stated that the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty had been devised to gain momentum for the urgent action required in relation to climate change, which had been acknowledged in the Council’s Carbon Neutral Action Plan. The premise of the treaty sought to bring enough countries together to work on a plan that would become a roadmap to a managed transition that would be fast, fair and just. Ms Abbott urged the Council to endorse the principles of Treaty to influence and encourage the UK government to work with other countries to implement the treaty.

 

Mr Robert Douglas spoke on behalf of the residents living on Thistle Way Estate, Padgbury Lane, Congleton and raised concerns that the S106 monies for their estate had not been paid to Cheshire East. Mr Douglas referred to the October 2024 S106 schedule generated by Cheshire East and stated that £540,000 of S106 monies due prior to first occupation of Thistle Way, almost six years ago and a further £255,000 prior to 75% occupation, 3 years ago, had not been received. An additional £10,000 had also not received. The developer had gone into administration in January 2024 and Mr Douglas asked why the £800,000 had not been received and if the debt had been lodged with the administrators. Mr Douglas estimated that for sites within Congleton Town’s boundary, except Thistle Way and the bridge linking Astbury Place with Congleton Park, over £1m of S106 monies have not yet been received and asked how much of this was overdue. It was estimated that there was £575,000 of S106 monies within Congleton’s boundary that had been received and was listed as available. Mr Douglas asked when had these monies received, and what plans were in place to utilise them and by what date. Finally, Mr Douglas queried why Planning Applications 13/4216C and 13/4219C were not accessible on the Planning Portal, as this meant that residents were unable to obtain any information.

 

In response, Councillor Mick Warren, Chair of the Environment and Communities Committee, undertook to providing a written response.

 

Ms Sue Helliwell spoke in support of the Notice of Motion Protecting Family Farms and Preserving Rural Communities across Cheshire East. Ms Helliwell shared the concerns that many local farmers had in relation to government proposals over inheritance tax and how this would impact them. Ms Helliwell stated that Cheshire East needed to urgently support its farmers, and that the Council should ensure that all refreshments used for council meetings were locally sourced and produced.

 

Mr Stuart Redgard spoke in relation to the tragic tree incident leading to the death of Mr Chris Hall in 2020. Mr Redgard referred to the Health and Safety investigation report of Cheshire East Council and its wholly owned ground maintenance company, ANSA Environmental Services Limited, and shared his concern about the matter. Mr Redgard looked forward to learning more about the changes that were instigated following the investigation. Mr Redgard confirmed that Mr Hall’s family intended to attend a future full Council meeting, and he hoped that the Mayor would exercise their discretion in offering a 1-minute silence in memory of Mr Hall.

 

Mr Richard Yarwood spoke in relation to the Notice of Motion Protecting Farms and Preserving Rural Communities across Cheshire East. Mr Yarwood stated that the Yarwood family had farmed in Brereton for 100 years, firstly as tenants of the Somerford Estate and subsequently as owner occupiers. Mr Yarwood was the third generation, and he farmed in partnership with his wife and son at Handfield Farm. Mr Yarwood’s farm of 220 cows supplied Muller Dairies with 7000 litres a day destined for the Cooperative Stores, which was enough milk to supply the needs of a town the size of Congleton. Currently, Mr Yarwood was the landowner of Handfield Farm which had a value well in excess of the proposed Agricultural Property Relief threshold. The Business Property Relief (BPR) business assets, the cattle, machinery and buildings also exceed the threshold.  Mr Yarwood stated the Chancellor failed to take account of BPR in her budget announcements, and his son could face a liability on over a million pounds of assets amounting to £200k.  Mr Yarwood stated the impact this would have on his family and business and urged the Council to support the campaign to reform the Family Farm Tax.

this Notice of Motion would be referred to the appropriate service committee.

 

Ms Charlotte Peters-Rock spoke in relation to SEND education and raised concerns in respect of the David Lewis Centre, and recent correspondence received from the Executive Director Adults, Health and Integration.  Ms Peters-Rocks stated that SEND pupils costed significant monies to educate, particularly cohorts who attended such facilities as the David Lewis Centre, largely because of its rural location. Ms Peters-Rock stated the impact that surges of busyness across the SEN campus had on this cohort, especially when no impact assessments were undertaken in advance, and that there was a lack of communication with parents. Mrs Peters-Rock asked that this was investigated, and that the Council ensured that those who were physically disabled using the campus, were safeguarded.

 

In response, Cllr Carol Bulman, Chair of the Children and Families Committee, sympathised with the issues raised and stated that the response the Executive Director for Adults, Health and Integration had previously provided was comprehensive, demonstrating the Council had good oversight. Cllr Bulman thanked Ms Peter’s Rock for raising awareness surrounding the difficulties faced for those pupils when their environment changed over time and agreed to provide a written response if any further details were required.