Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2011.

That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 14^th September 2011 be agreed as a correct record pending the inclusion of the following Members on the on attendance register; Cllr Becket, Cllr D Clarke, Cllr Reddish and Cllr K Taylor.

The Mayor announced that the funfair and fireworks display would be taking place on Sunday 23^rd October in the Lyme Valley from 5.30pm. There would be a make-up and jewellery party in the Mayors Parlour hosted by the Mayoress on Tuesday 8^th November from 7.30pm.

The date had now been set for the Mayors Ball of 30^th March 2012 at Keele University; tickets would be available in the New Year.

Consideration was given to the Statement of the Leader of the Council.

The Leader was asked about the current accommodation review being carried out by the Council. The review included the police, the PCT and staff from Staffordshire County Council occupying space in the Civic Offices thus meaning that staff already working in the building were being moved in order to free up space. The Leader was asked to clarify the cost of these moves(including staff time). The Leader stated that he would respond to the question in writing.

The Portfolio holder for Customer Services and Transformation stated that any costs relating to the movement of Council staff and equipment would be met by the Partners moving into the building and that the aim of the project was to provide the best value for money for the public and to make the best use of the space available.

The Leader was questioned regarding the Cabinet response to the Scrutiny Task Group Recommendations in relation to the Newcastle Development Programme. A question was raised regarding the consultation proposals that had been identified by the Task Group and as to whether issues relating to public consultation were still being looked into. It was stated that these issues were still live and being taken into consideration at all levels of the ongoing site allocations plan document currently being put together by the planning department and that new formats of consultation were being investigated. The work being undertaken now would be of great benefit to the Council in the future and help to facilitate all future consultation processes.

Resolved:     That the statement of the Leader of the Council be received.

The Council received a report requesting that the current Member Development Working Group be formalised to create the Member Development Panel.

Members considered the report and agreed that it was a fundamental requirement that Councillors be provided with more support regarding ICT and that issues relating to ICT should form a major tenet of the Panels remit.

Resolved:     (a)       That the Member Development Working Group become an established panel of the Council.

(b)               That the membership of the Panel be 8.

(c)        That the remit of the Panel attached  at Appendix A to the report be agreed

A report was submitted seeking approval to revise the Council’s Capital Programme to replace a road sweeping vehicle which had reached the end of its serviceable life span and which was now uneconomical to maintain.

Resolved:       (a)       That the Council approve the procurement of a replacement road sweeping vehicle.

                        (b)       That the cost of the vehicle be met from the approved General Fund Capital Programme and that the Programme be revised accordingly.

The Transformation and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee had received a presentation from the Council’s Head of Customer and ICT Services and from the Head of Performance and Transformation. An additional meeting of the Committee had been considered pending the publication of the report to Cabinet regarding Members ICT, this meeting had not been though necessary following the publication and submission of the report to Cabinet. The Chair was due to meet with Officers of the Council regarding the upcoming Performance Management Review.

The Health Scrutiny Committee had received a presentation from representatives of the UHNS regarding the Fit For The Future Programme and move of the accident and emergency department. Members of the Committee would be visiting the new A&E building in the New Year. The Committee had also submitted a response to the County Council regarding its consultation over adult mental health services in the Borough. Work was also being undertaken regarding cardiac rehabilitation and questions were being asked regarding the closure of the High Street GP Practise in Newcastle.  There would be an NHS accountability session on 10^th November at the Civic Offices and Members were requested to forward any questions they wanted addressing to Julia Cleary as soon as possible

A question was raised regarding concerns in relation to the amalgamation of the PCTs into a cluster and how whether this would prove detrimental to the specific requirements of the Borough. The Chair stated that the County Council Health Scrutiny Committee of which he was a Member were looking at this.

The Chair and Vice Chair of the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee and held two meetings with Officers to discuss issues arising from the Forward Plan (volunteers staffing the CCTV control room and the Primary Authority Scheme). Further information regarding the CCTV issues would be submitted to the next full meeting of the Committee and an additional full meeting of the Committee had been held to discuss the Primary Authority Scheme report prior to its submission to Cabinet on 19^th October, the comments from the Scrutiny Committee had been included in the final report.

The Overview and Scrutiny Coordinating Committee had met to consider the Call In regarding the disposal of Knutton Recreation Centre. The report from this Committee had been submitted to the relevant portfolio holder and a report detailing Cabinet’s response had had been agreed that morning.  

Resolved:     That the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be noted.

To consider any communications which pursuant to Standing Order No18 are, in the opinion of the Mayor, of an urgent nature and to pass thereon such resolutions as may be  deemed necessary.

A document was circulated to Members of the Council in relation to the proposed changes to parliamentary boundaries in Staffordshire and the impact that this could have on Newcastle under Lyme.

The document stated the following:

The Borough Council wishes to object to the proposals put forward by the Boundary Commission to abolish the present parliamentary constituency of Newcastle.  In particular the Commission’s proposals:

(a)              Take no account of the unique character and identity of Newcastle as a cohesive community;

(b)              Undermine the existing and well-defined local government boundaries;

(c)       Seriously disrupt social, electoral and community ties.

The Commission’s ‘solution’ to the review of boundaries would, if approved, effectively split Newcastle into two by creating two new artificially contrived constituencies and the effect of this will be to weaken electoral affiliations and so reduce accountability.

The present proposals should, therefore, be rejected in favour of an alternative solution that better reflects and, where possible, strengthens the character and identity of Newcastle.

The Council discussed the document and the proposal and a named vote was taken regarding whether the proposal and content of the document be accepted. Thirty Members opted in favour of the proposal, thirteen were against and there was one abstention.

The option of an additional meeting of the Council being called to discuss the boundary changes in more detail and to possibly formulate an alternative proposal was also discussed and it was agreed that the Mayor would meet with the group leaders to consider this option. The deadline for any submissions to the Boundary Commission was 5^th December 2011.

Resolved:     (a) That following a named vote the proposals and content contained within the document be agreed.

                        (b)       That the Mayor and group leaders meet to consider whether an additional meeting to the Council should be held to discuss boundary changes.

Named vote (item 7, resolution (a))

Abstained:  J. Tagg

For:

Hambleton, Mrs Astle, Bailey, Becket, Mrs Beech, Boden, Mrs Burnett, D. Clarke, M R Clarke, Mrs Cornes, Eagles, Mrs S. Hambleton, Mrs H Johnson, Jones, Jones,  Kearon, Mrs B Lewis, Olszewski, Miss Olszewski, Miss Reddish, Richards, Robinson, Mrs Shenton, Snell, Studd, Taylor K N, Miss Walklate, Waring, Welsh, Mrs Williams and Williams

Against:

Bannister, Blair, Cooper, Miss Cooper, Fear, Hailstones, Mrs Hailstones, Mrs Heames, Holland, Loades, Matthews, Slater and Sweeney