Agenda and minutes
PDF 68 KBVenue: Town Hall, Southport
Contact: Steve Pearce. Head of Committee and Member Services
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Booth, Brady, Hubbard, Larkin and Pearson. |
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Declarations of Interest 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. Minutes: The following declarations of interest were received:
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Minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2010 Minutes: RESOLVED:
That the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 16 December 2010 be approved as a correct record subject to:
· the amendment of Minute No. 47 (Declarations of Interest) to indicate that Councillor Shaw had a prejudicial interest in Option SCL7a in the revised Appendix E and not a personal interest and that he left the Council Chamber during the vote on that particular issue which is referred to in Minute No. 58 (Transformation Programme and Further Options) and,
· the amendment of Minute No. 58 (Transformation Programme and Further Options) to indicate that the meeting was adjourned to enable Councillor Parry to seek legal advice from the Monitoring Officer and not Councillor Porter as indicated in the minute. |
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Mayor's Communications Minutes: Death of Former Mayoress Mrs. Audrey White
The Mayor reported that the family of the late Audrey White, former Mayoress of Sefton had made arrangements for a Memorial Service to be held on Friday 4 February 2011, at 12 noon in Christ Church, Lord Street, Southport.
Death of Former Councillor Mr. Robert Henry Golightly
The Mayor reported on the recent sad death of former Councillor, Mr. Robert Henry Golightly who served the Birkdale Ward from September 1978 until May 1980. A service was held for Mr. Golightly at Southport Crematorium on Monday, 17 January 2011.
Holocaust Memorial Service 2011
The Mayor reported that in conjunction with the Chairman and Members of the Southport Branch of the Association of Jewish Ex-Service Men and Women, a Holocaust Memorial Day Service would take place at the Garden of Remembrance, Lord Street, Southport on Sunday, 30 January 2011 at 10.30 a.m. |
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Constitution - Rules of Procedure - Revenue Budget Report of the Monitoring Officer Minutes: Further to Minute No. 187 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 27 January 2011, the Council considered the report of the Acting Head of Corporate Legal Services and Monitoring Officer on proposals to amend the Constitution with regard to the setting of the Revenue Budget.
It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED:
That approval be given to the amendment of the Constitution to provide that the provisions of Rule 15.4 (Content and Length of Speeches) and Rule 17 (Previous Decisions and Motions) of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules be suspended only to enable statements to be made on behalf of the three Political Groups on the forthcoming year's Revenue Budget and to allow Political Group Leaders to move amendments to the forthcoming Revenue Budget where items have been previously debated and voted upon at a Council meeting in the past six months. |
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Matters Raised by the Public 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 the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.
A petition with 3,329 signatures has been submitted objecting to the proposed closure of the Botanic Gardens Nursery operation (see attached note) and Mr S.D.Taylor, the organiser of the petition will be permitted to speak for a period of up to five minutes at the meeting, to speak in support of the petition.
(Details of any other Petitions notified or Questions submitted by members of the public in accordance with Rule 11 will be circulated at the meeting). Minutes: 1) The Mayor reported that a petition with 3,329 signatures had been submitted objecting to the closure of the Botanic Gardens Nursery operation which had been approved by the Council on 16 December 2010.
In accordance with the Council's Petition Scheme, Mr S. Taylor of Southport, the lead petitioner, made a statement in support of the petition.
Councillor Robertson referred to the current position relating to the operation of the nursery and the support being given to the existing staff, and a debate took place on the content of the petition.
It was then moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED:
That the petition be noted.
2) The Mayor reported that another petition with 3,775 signatures had been submitted requesting the Council to reconsider the closure of a number of SureStart Centres which were referred to in the report to be considered later in the meeting under Minute No.69
In accordance with the Council's Petition Scheme, Ms G. Brannan, the lead petitioner, made a statement in support of the petition.
Councillor Robertson referred to the decision taken by Cabinet earlier that day (Cabinet Minute No. 183 (10) (d) refers) relating to a deferral of any decision on all stages of the Sure Start Programme – Childrens Centres pending a Strategic Review and a debate took place on the content of the petition.
It was then moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED:
That the petition be considered as part of the Strategic Review. |
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Questions Raised by Members of the Council 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. Minutes: The Council considered a written question from Councillor Papworth to the Cabinet Member - Technical Services relating to the proposal to increase the parking charges on the Crosby Town Centre Car Parks. One supplementary question was put and responded to. |
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Adult Social Care Department I.T. Capital Programme Report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Wellbeing Minutes: Further to Minute No. 188 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 27 January 2011, the Council considered the report of the Strategic Director - Social Care and Wellbeing which provided further information relating to the I.T. Capital Programme for the Adult Social Care Department together with proposals to use the ICT Strategy Capital in conjunction with the Adult Social Care infrastructure grant to support the implementation of a new Client Management Database.
It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED:
That the following three schemes be approved for inclusion in the Capital Programme for completion:-
Social Care |
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Big Idea 5 - Transforming Sefton - Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Review - Stage 1 Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Additional documents:
Minutes: Further to Minute No. 182 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 27 January 2011, the Council considered the report of the Assistant Chief Executive on the initial outcome of the review undertaken by a project group of Members and Officers on how the Council supports, commissions and procures services through the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector. The review is one of the six 'Big Ideas' projects being undertaken as part of the Council's Transformation Programme.
It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Blackburn:
That:
(1) approval be given to the honouring of 90 day contractual commitments for all Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector organisations or groups that lose 100% funding as set out in Appendix D1 and D2 to the report, and to the sum of £10,661 being prioritised in the 2011/12 budget (£5,242 for schemes in Appendix D1 and £5,419 for schemes reduced in Appendix D2 of the report);
(2) approval be given to the reduced allocations of funding for organisations as detailed in Appendix D1 of the report and to Officers being mandated to formally write to the organisations advising them that the funding has ceased;
(3) approval be given to the proposed reductions in funding for organisations as detailed in Appendix D2 of the report and to Officers being mandated to formally write to the organisations advising them that the funding has been proportionately reduced and/or ceased and that this will be further reviewed in 2011/12;
(4) approval be given to officers being mandated to formally write to the organisations in Appendix B1, 2 and 3 of the report advising them that the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative funding has ceased and/or will cease and the Council will not have the resources to continue with these schemes once the specific funding comes to a natural end;
(5) approval be given to the sum of £15,705 (core) being retained and to the provision of £56,258 for the activity detailed in Appendix C of the report continuing for one year only;
(6) approval be given to the establishment of a set of reviews as detailed at Appendix E of the report and to the sum of £1,855,353 being prioritised in 2011/12 pending the outcomes of the reviews;
(7) approval be given to the establishment of a consolidated grant fund of £50,000 for 2011/12 and to Officers and Members of the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Overseeing Group being mandated to establish criteria and a process for the allocation of such funds to eligible organisations and that this fund be the responsibility of a designated Cabinet Member (as yet to be determined); and
(8) further reports be submitted to the Cabinet and Council on the outcomes of the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector Reviews proposed with any further recommendations.
An amendment was moved by Councillor Hardy and seconded by Councillor P. Dowd that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text:
"Subject to the deletion of Options B15-114 and B15-115 in Appendix D1, the deletion of ... view the full minutes text for item 68. |
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Transformation Programme and Further Options Report of the Chief Executive Additional documents:
Minutes: Further to Minute No. 183 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 27 January 2011, 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 informed the identification of further budget options which would reduce the 2011/12-2013/14 budget gap.
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:
That
(1) approval be given to the activities of the Economic Development Division being directly funded from successful bids for external funding, realising a core budget saving of £714,000, and the Economic Development Division be allowed to reinvest future “other achievements” of external funding into maintaining and further developing service provision;
(2) approval be given to officers being mandated to continue the consultation process with employees and Trade Unions with a view to realising the reduction in costs identified for the Specialist Transport Unit including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications;
(3) approval be given to the further tactical savings options set out in Appendix B of the report subject to:
a) the amendment of option SCL4A to a budget saving of £40,000 to be achieved across the Borough including a reduction in winter bedding
b) the deferral of option CM60
c) a revised charge of £10 for Option CM61 achieving a saving of £10,000 (to be confirmed); and
d) the deletion of option CM62;
(4) approval be given to the package of terms and conditions proposals identified in paragraph 4.3 of the report for negotiating purposes and to officers being mandated to continue negotiations with Trade Unions in this respect;
(5) the activities to cease/reduce as outlined in Appendix C of the report be noted and approval be given to officers being mandated to commence a consultation process with partners, employees and Trade Unions with a view to ceasing the activities identified including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications;
(6) approval be given to:
a) all Tier 3 Services detailed in Appendix E being de-commissioned to achieve savings of £3.0m in 2011/12;
b) subject to the review of Neighbourhoods/Safer Stronger Communities (Tier 1 Service), savings of £1.2m being assumed from these areas from improved co-ordination and the rationalisation of functions. (The detailed achievement of this saving to be reported to the Cabinet meeting on 17 February 2011);
c) a saving of £400,000 to be identified in Leisure Centres to reflect smarter ways of working (Tier 1 Service). (The detailed achievement of this saving to be reported to the Cabinet meeting on 17 February 2011);
d) the deferral of any decision on all stages of the Sure Start Programme - Children’s Centres pending a Strategic Review which will consider the national policy direction, local priorities and the need to engage communities to deliver priority outcomes with fewer resources. ... view the full minutes text for item 69. |
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REECH (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Community Housing) Project
Joint report of the Planning and Economic Development Director and Neighbourhood and Investment Programmes Director Additional documents: Minutes: Further to Minute No. 192 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 27 January 2011, the Council considered the joint report and supplementary note of the Planning and Economic Development Director and Neighbourhoods and Investment Programmes Director which indicated that the REECH (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Community Housing) Project had now been approved by the North West Development Agency; and seeking, subject to the agreement of arrangements for the delivery of economic development activity, approval to accept the Offer Letter and to approve the revenue and capital financial implications of the Project.
It was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne and
RESOLVED:
That approval be given to the inclusion of the REECH Project in the Capital Programme as set out in Annex A of the report in the sum of £7,170,624 to be fully funded from European Regional Development Fund grant. |
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Postponement of Guillotine Procedure Minutes: At this point in the meeting, the Mayor indicated that the Guillotine Procedure should be applied as the time was 11.00 p.m.
It was then moved by Councillor Moncur, seconded by Councillor Friel that the Guillotine Procedure be postponed in accordance with Rule 10.5 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.
On a show of hands, the Motion was carried by 34 votes to 19 and it was
RESOLVED:
That the Guillotine Procedure be postponed in accordance with Rule 10.5 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules. |
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Membership of Committees 2010/11 To consider any changes to the Membership of any committees etc. Minutes: It was proposed by Councillor Ibbs, seconded by Councillor Porter that the following changes be made to the membership of Committees:
Cabinet Member - Children's Services
Councillor Dutton to replace Councillor Doran as the Substitute Spokesperson.
Cabinet Member - Communities
Councillor Papworth to replace Councillor Doran as the Spokesperson.
Cabinet Member - Leisure and Tourism
Councillor Griffiths to replace Councillor Glover as the Spokesperson.
Councillor Jones to replace Councillor Pearson as the Substitute Spokesperson.
Cabinet Member - Regeneration
Councillor Ibbs to replace Councillor Pearson as the Substitute Member for Councillor Dorgan.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children's Services)
Councillor Dorgan to replace Councillor Glover as Spokesperson on the Committee.
Councillor McIvor to replace Councillor Glover as a Member of the Committee.
Councillor Barber to replace Councillor Sir Ron Watson as a Substitute Member for Councillor McIvor.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Health and Social Care)
Councillor Jones to replace Councillor Pearson as Spokesperson on the Committee.
Councillor Ibbs to replace Councillor Pearson as a Member of the Committee.
Councillor Dutton to be the Substitute Member for Councillor Ibbs.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Environmental Services)
Councillor McIvor to replace Councillor Pearson as a Member and Vice-Chair of the Committee.
Councillor Cuthbertson to be the Substitute Member for Councillor McIvor on the Committee.
Overview and Scrutiny Committee Management Board
Councillor McIvor to replace Councillor Pearson as a Member of the Management Board.
Audit and Governance Committee
Councillor Barber to replace Councillor Sir Ron Watson as the Substitute Member for Councillor McIvor.
Licensing and Regulatory Committee
Councillor Dorgan to replace Councillor Doran as a Member of the Committee.
Councillor Barber to replace Councillor Pearson as a Member of the Committee.
Planning Committee
Councillor Papworth to replace Councillor Doran as the Substitute Member for Councillor Ibbs.
Councillor Barber to replace Councillor Pearson as the Substitute Member for Councillor Griffiths.
Councillor Cuthbertson to replace Councillor Jones as a Member of the Committee and Councillor Jones to be the Substitute Member for Councillor Cuthbertson
Planning (Urgent Referrals) Committee
Councillor Griffiths to replace Councillor Glover as a Member of the Committee.
Councillor Dorgan to be the Substitute Member for Councillor Griffiths.
Joint Consultative Committee for Teaching Staffs
Councillor Dutton to replace Councillor Glover as a Member of the Committee.
Local Joint Consultative Committee
Councillor Parry to replace Councillor Sir Ron Watson as a Member of the Committee.
Councillor Barber to replace Councillor Parry as the Substitute Member for Councillor McIvor on the Committee.
Joint Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee
Councillor Ibbs to replace Councillor Pearson as a Council representative on the Committee.
(On a show of hands the Motion was carried by 32 votes in support of the Motion and none against).
It was proposed by Councillor Blackburn, seconded by Councillor Brodie – Browne that the following change be made:
Pay and Grading Committee
Councillor Hands to replace Councillor Robertson as a Member of the Committee.
RESOLVED:
That the changes to the membership of Committees listed above be approved. |
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Notice of Motion by Councillor Sir Ron Watson To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Sir Ron Watson:
"This Council:
Supports the Prime Minister in his opposition to the introduction of an Alternative Voting (AV) system;
Believes that AV is an unfair system that unduly complicates the electoral process and gives fringe parties several votes whilst supporters of mainstream candidates have one vote only;
Considers that as there are only three countries in the world using AV – Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia, this hardly represents an endorsement of the system by the international community;
Agrees with the Deputy Prime Minister, who has described AV voting as "a miserable little compromise" and with the late Lord Jenkins of Hillhead who has described AV as "disturbingly unpredictable”; and
Believes that introducing such a system in the UK would further alienate the general public from the democratic process and considers that Sefton should restate its commitment to "first past the post". Minutes: It was moved by Councillor Sir Ron Watson, seconded by Councillor Glover:
"That this Council:
Supports the Prime Minister in his opposition to the introduction of an Alternative Voting (AV) system;
Believes that AV is an unfair system that unduly complicates the electoral process and gives fringe parties several votes whilst supporters of mainstream candidates have one vote only;
Considers that as there are only three countries in the world using AV - Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia, this hardly represents an endorsement of the system by the international community;
Agrees with the Deputy Prime Minister, who has described AV voting as "a miserable little compromise" and with the late Lord Jenkins of Hillhead who has described AV as "disturbingly unpredictable"; and
Believes that introducing such a system in the UK would further alienate the general public from the democratic process and considers that Sefton should restate its commitment to "first past the post".
During the debate, Councillor Sir Ron Watson indicated that he would withdraw the words "Prime Minister in his" in the second line of the motion in order to gain all-party support for the motion.
Following debate, on a show of hands, the revised motion was carried by 35 votes to 23 and it was
RESOLVED:
That this Council:
Supports the opposition to the introduction of an Alternative Voting (AV) system;
Believes that AV is an unfair system that unduly complicates the electoral process and gives fringe parties several votes whilst supporters of mainstream candidates have one vote only;
Considers that as there are only three countries in the world using AV - Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia, this hardly represents an endorsement of the system by the international community;
Agrees with the Deputy Prime Minister, who has described AV voting as "a miserable little compromise" and with the late Lord Jenkins of Hillhead who has described AV as "disturbingly unpredictable"; and
Believes that introducing such a system in the UK would further alienate the general public from the democratic process and considers that Sefton should restate its commitment to "first past the post".
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Notice of Motion by Councillor Sir Ron Watson To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Sir Ron Watson:
"This Council considers that the representations from Unison to the effect that there is an important financial issue in relation to school balances needs to be addressedand suggests that as the balances in Sefton schools is now in excess of £12 million, the Coalition Government should be urged to consider ways in which these amounts can be used possibly through more advantageous lending arrangements to alleviate the financial pressure on Sefton Council and on its service provision.
The Council support any moves in a pragmatic manner by Unison on both a local and national basis to help secure this flexibility.
On a local basis the Council will work with Unison and the schools in a constructive manner to identify service areas where the schools could reasonably be expected to meet the costs currently borne by all Council taxpayers from their own resources." Minutes: It was moved by Councillor Sir Ron Watson, seconded by Councillor Glover and unanimously
RESOLVED:
This Council considers that the representations from Unison to the effect that there is an important financial issue in relation to school balances needs to be addressed and suggests that as the balances in Sefton schools is now in excess of £12 million, the Coalition Government should be urged to consider ways in which these amounts can be used possibly through more advantageous lending arrangements to alleviate the financial pressure on Sefton Council and on its service provision.
The Council support any moves in a pragmatic manner by Unison on both a local and national basis to help secure this flexibility.
On a local basis the Council will work with Unison and the schools in a constructive manner to identify service areas where the schools could reasonably be expected to meet the costs currently borne by all Council taxpayers from their own resources. |