Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bradshaw, Brennan, Brodie – Browne, Cummins, Preece, Rimmer, Shaw and Sumner.

Members are requested to give notice of any disclosable pecuniary interest, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct, before leaving the meeting room during the discussion on that particular item.

No declarations of interest were received.

Death of Councillor Carol Gustafson O.B.E.

The Mayor reported on the sad death of Councillor Carol Gustafson O.B.E. on 7 September 2013.

The Mayor advised that Councillor Gustafson had represented the Church Ward from 3 May 1990 until 10 June 2004 and the Derby Ward from 1 May 2008 until her death.

The Mayor indicated that she had attended Carol’s funeral service at Southport Crematorium on 17 September 2013 along with many other Members and Officers of the Council and extended her sincere condolences to Carol’s family and friends on behalf of the Council.

Councillors P. Dowd, Hands and Sir Ron Watson paid tribute to the work which Councillor Gustafson had undertaken for the Borough of Sefton over a period of nineteen years as a Member of many Council Committees and Outside Organisations and as a former Member and Chair of the Merseyside Police Authority.

The Council then stood in silence for one minute as a mark of respect for Councillor Gustafson.

To consider the proposed changes to the membership of the following Committees / Outside Body following the death of Ex Councillor Carol Gustafson:

·         Licensing and Regulatory Committee

·         Planning Committee

·         Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Health and Social Care (Substitute Member)

·         Community Foundation for Merseyside

It was proposed by Councillor Webster that the following changes be made to the membership of Committees:

·         Councillor L. Cluskey to replace the late Councillor Gustafson as a Member of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee

·         Councillor K. Cluskey to replace the late Councillor Gustafson as a Member of the Planning Committee and Councillor Webster be appointed as the Substitute Member for Councillor K. Cluskey

·         Councillor Killen to replace the late Councillor Gustafson as a Substitute Member for Councillor J. J. Kelly on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Health and Social Care)

·         Councillor K. Cluskey to replace the late Councillor Gustafson as a Council Representative on the Community Foundation for Merseyside

RESOLVED:

That the changes to the Membership of the Committees be approved

Further to Minute No. 37 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 12 September 2013, the Council considered the report of the Chief Executive on the current position in relation to the consulation on the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review and the proposals to establish a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The following appendices were included in the report:

Appendix A - Report considered by the Cabinet on 12 September 2013

Appendix 1 - Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review which included the Legislative Requirements of the Governance Review and the Evaluation of Options Against the Tests

Appendix 2 - Draft Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Scheme

Appendix 3 - Consultation Summary

Appendix 4 - Equality Impact Assessment

The report set out the recommendations of the Cabinet and indicated that a similar report had been submitted to all Members in other Liverpool City Region authorities and the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor P. Dowd) advised the Council that the proposed Combined Authority would enable appropriate economic development and transport powers to be shared with other Councils within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and it would not be a Super Council. He indicated that if the proposals were approved by the Council, the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review and Scheme would be submitted to the Secretary of State on 30 September 2013 and thereafter, a statutory consultation period would follow and it was likely that the commencement date for the Combined Authority would be in April 2014. Prior to that date, the Council would have the opportunity at a future meeting, to discuss the Scheme for the Combined Authority and in particularly the proposed scrutiny arrangements in more detail.

It was moved by Councillor P. Dowd, seconded by Councillor Maher:

That:

(1)       the consultation responses to the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review as set out in Appendix 3 to the report be noted;

(2)       approval be given to the submission of the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review and draft Scheme to the Department for Communities and Local Government for the establishment of a Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on the basis of the documents set out in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report;

(3)       approval be given to Sefton Council formally becoming a constituent member of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, thereby sharing appropriate economic development and transport powers with other Councils within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Local Transport Act 2008; and

(4)       the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council be granted delegated authority to approve any technical amendments to the Liverpool City Region Strategic Governance Review and Scheme before it is submitted to the Secretary of State on 30 September 2013.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Robertson, seconded by Councillor Ashton that the Motion be amended by the addition of the following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.