Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Byrne, Kerrigan, Mahon, S. Mainey and Preston.

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

The following declarations of interest were received:

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 October 2010

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 21 October 2010 be approved as a correct record.

Death of Mr. Vincent Platt

The Mayor reported on the sad death on 15 November 2010 of a former Member of this Council, Mr. Vincent Platt.  Vincent originally represented Formby No. 16 Ward, which became Ravenmeols Ward, as Councillor from 1976 to 1996.  He was re-elected in May 2000 and served Ravenmeols Ward until his retirement in May 2010.  He will be especially remembered for his contribution to the Children's Services and his role as the Cabinet Member - Health and Social Care.

The Mayor and many others attended Vincent's funeral on Tuesday, 23 November 2010.

Councillor Parry paid tribute to Vincent Platt.

Death of Former Mayoress Mrs. Audrey White

The Mayor also reported on the sad death of ex-Mayoress Mrs. Audrey White on 8 December 2010 (her 90th birthday).  Audrey had accompanied her husband, former Councillor Ernest White, on many of their engagements carried out during their term of office as Mayor and Mayoress during 1980/81. 

Audrey's funeral would take place in Reading next Wednesday, 22 December 2010, but the family intend to hold a Memorial Service in Southport some time in January 2011.  Details of this service would be disseminated as soon as they are known. 

Councillor Glover paid tribute to Audrey White.

The Council then stood in silence for one minute as a mark of respect for Vincent Platt and Audrey White.

To deal with matters raised by members of the public within the Borough, in accordance with the procedures relating to Petitions, Public Questions.and Motions set out in Rule 11 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.

(Details of any further Petitions notified or Questions submitted to the Legal Director by members of the public in accordance with Rule 11 will be circulated at the meeting).

The Mayor reported that members of the public had not submitted any petitions or questions.

To receive and consider questions to Cabinet Members, Chairs of Committees or Spokespersons for any of the Joint Authorities upon any matter within their portfolio/area of responsibility, of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 12 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.

The Council considered a written question from Councillor Papworth to the Cabinet Member - Regeneration relating to the proposed redevelopment in Crosby, a written question from Councillor Shaw to the Cabinet Member - Leisure and Tourism relating to the Registration Service and a written question from Councillor Tonkiss to the Cabinet Member - Technical Services relating to parking in Crosby Village.  One supplementary question was put and responded to.

The Independent Chair of the Standards Committee, Mr Neil Edwards, will attend and present the attached report to the Council

The Council considered the Annual Report of the Standards Committee for 2009/10 and Mr. Neil Edwards, the Independent Chair of the Committee outlined the contents of the report.

It was moved by Councillor Fairclough, seconded by Councillor Hill, and

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

Report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families

Further to Minute No. 163 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 16 December 2010, the Council considered the report of the Strategic Director - Children, Schools and Families seeking approval to the implementation of a scheme in which a range of innovative ICT equipment would be purchased and used to support schools in transforming teaching and learning across all national curriculum stages, which would be funded from the Capital Redevelopment Grant Allocation for 2010/11.

It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Blackburn and

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to the inclusion of the scheme in the Children, Schools and Families Capital Programme 2010/11, to be funded entirely from specific resources.

Report of the Strategic Director - Communities

Further to Minute No. 150 of the Cabinet meeting held on 25 November 2010, the Council considered the report of the Strategic Director - Communities on proposals for the inclusion of a Strategic Asset Management Property Intervention provision within the Capital Programme to be funded from the proceeds of asset disposals, to address ongoing Property Management issues.

It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and

RESOLVED:   That

(1)            approval be given to the establishment of a £500,000 Strategic Asset Management Property Intervention provision within the Capital Programme to be funded and maintained from capital receipts derived from asset disposals; and

(2)            approval be given to the amendment of Part 3 of the Council Constitution (Responsibility for Functions) in order to give the management responsibility for the Strategic Asset Management Property Intervention provision to the Strategic Director - Communities, in conjunction with the Head of Corporate Finance and ICT.

Report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 152 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 25 November 2010, the Council considered the report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director on the progress made on applications for grant aid funding from the Environment Agency for Flood Risk Management Schemes.

It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and

RESOLVED:

That approval be given to the following schemes being included in the Capital Programme, to be fully funded from ring-fenced Environment Agency grant and a revenue contribution from within the Council's existing Land Drainage Works Budget:

Report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 135 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 28 October 2010 the Council considered the report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director on the implications of amending the draft protocol to govern the lifting of the current moratorium on the siting of telephone transmission masts on Council owned land by including the Area Committees in the site selection and consultation process and by delegating to the relevant Area Committee the decision to authorise the use of Council land for the siting of telephone transmission masts.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and

RESOLVED:   That

(1)      the revised protocol be noted; and

(2)      approval be given to the amendment of Part 3 of the Council Constitution (Responsibility for Functions) by the inclusion of the following text:

          "AREA COMMITTEES - Specific Delegations

          Environmental and Technical Services

Determination of applications for permission to site mobile phone

masts on Council owned land within the Wards covered by the Area

Committee, in accordance with the Council's protocol."

Report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director

Further to Minute No. 35 of the Meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee held on 25 October 2010, the Council considered the report of the Environmental and Technical Services Director on the revised Statement of Licensing Policy.

The report indicated that under the Licensing Act 2003, all Licensing Authorities were required to prepare and publish a 'Statement of Principles' for exercising their functions under the Act every three years, the current Policy having come into force on 7 January 2008 and consultation on the Council's current Licensing Policy Statement had taken place between 28 June 2010 and 19 September 2010.

A copy of the latest revised Licensing Policy Statement was attached at Annex 1 and details of the consultation exercise were attached at Annex 2 to the report.

It was moved by Councillor McGuire, seconded by Councillor D. Rimmer and

RESOLVED:

That the revised Statement of Licensing Policy as set out in Annex 1 of the report be approved, to come into force on 7 January 2011.

Report of the Chief Executive

Further to Minute No. 162 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 16 December 2010, the Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the Transformation Programme and set out recommendations on the relative priority of Council services in the light of the forecast savings required, following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.  This prioritisation informs the identification of budget savings options which were set out in the report to reduce the 2011/12 - 2013/14 budget gap.

An extract of Minute No. 162 of the Cabinet meeting held on 16 December 2010 was circulated at the meeting together with the revised recommendations to Council and a revised Appendix E (Tactical Savings Options).

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

Mr. Glen Williams, Branch Secretary of Unison addressed the Council on the trade union perspective on the Transformation Programme and the Budget Position generally.

It was then moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne:

That:

1.       the progress to date on the Transformation Programme be noted;

2.       the assessment of critical, frontline and regulatory services as defined in Appendices A, B and C of the report be approved;

3.       the associated savings set out in Appendix D of the report be approved;

4.       the tactical savings options as set out in the revised Appendix E of the report be approved;

5.       the changes to the Medium Term Financial Plan be approved as set out in the report and it be noted from the illustrative assumption that corporate and departmental management and admin can be reduced by 25%;

6.       officers be authorised to commence a consultation process with employees and Trade Unions with a view to reaching an agreement on the Terms and Conditions issues outlined in paragraph 4.4 of the report, including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications, if appropriate to achieve change;

7.       the Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, 13 January 2011 in Southport Town Hall be postponed until Thursday, 27 January 2011 to allow time for political groups to consider the prioritisation of ‘other services’.

8.       the savings options set out in Appendix F of the report to achieve savings of £2.4m be approved;

9.       the savings options (external funding review) set out in Appendix G of the report be approved;

10.     the savings options (tactical savings Table A) set out in Appendix H of the report, be approved; and

11.     the savings options (tactical savings Table B) identified in Appendix H of the report, be approved.

An amendment was then moved by Councillor Maher and seconded by Councillor Moncur that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (4):

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CS9 (Cease School Clothing Grant)

The requisite number of Members having then signified their wish that the voting on the amendment should be recorded in accordance with Rule 18.4 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

To consider any changes to the Membership of any committees etc.

There were no changes made to the membership of Committees.