Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bliss, Bradshaw, Kevin Cluskey, Linda Cluskey, Jones, McGuire, Pitt, Anne Thompson and Lynne Thompson.  

No declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interest were received.

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2017.

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 21 September 2017 be approved as a correct record.

Mayor of Sefton’s Charity Night

The Mayor, Councillor Dave Robinson reported that he held his first Charity Night at Bootle Town Hall, which he stated was extremely well attended and was a huge success raising in the region of £1700 for the Charity fund.  The Mayor took the opportunity to thank all those Members who attended.

VC Commemorative Paving Stone for Major Alexander Lafone

The Mayor reported that he had the honour of attending a special service at Five Lamps War Memorial, Waterloo on Friday 27th October to unveil the VC Commemorative Paving Stone for Major Alexander Lafone.  The service was attended by the family of Major Lafone who unveiled the stone with the Mayor; and there were also representatives from Major Lafone’s military units in attendance.

Remembrance Sunday

The Mayor extended his thanks and appreciation to all Members of the Council, Officers, Royal British Legion, Ex Service Organisations and members of the public who attended the various Remembrance Sunday events held throughout the Borough, which were all extremely well attended.

Sefton OPERA Tea Dance

The Mayor reported that on Monday 13 November, Bootle Town Hall hosted a Tea Dance that was organised by Sefton OPERA. The event was extremely well attended with just over 160 people in attendance and guests were welcomed with live entertainment, tea and coffee and scones! All the monies raised from the event will go to The Mayor of Sefton’s Charity Fund to which Sefton OPERA is a charity that the Mayor is supporting during his term of office, 2017/18.

To deal with matters raised by members of the public resident within the Borough, of which notice has been given in accordance with the procedures relating to public questions, motions or petitions set out in Paragraph 36 to 46 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules in Chapter 4 of the Council Constitution.

(Details of any further petitions notified or questions submitted by members of the public will be circulated at the meeting).

The Mayor reported that no matters had been raised by Members of the Public.

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 by Members of the Council in accordance with Paragraph 48 to 50 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, set out in Chapter 4 of the Council Constitution.

The Council considered a schedule setting out the written questions submitted by:

1.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills (Councillor Atkinson)

2.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing (Councillor Hardy)

3.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control (Councillor Veidman)

4.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services (Councillor Lappin)

5.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Locality Services (Councillor Fairclough)

6.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Building Control (Councillor Veidman)

7.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Locality Services (Councillor Fairclough)

8.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Locality Services (Councillor Fairclough)

9.       Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services (Councillor Lappin)

10.   Councillor David Barton to the Cabinet Member for Locality Services (Councillor Fairclough)

11.   Councillor McKinley to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

12.   Councillor McKinley to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

13.   Councillor Sayers to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

14.   Councillor Shaw to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

15.   Councillor McGuire to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

16.   Councillor Daniel Lewis to the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services (Councillor Lappin)

17.   Councillor Brodie-Browne to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

18.   Councillor Hands to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

19.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Councillor Moncur)

20.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Councillor Moncur)

21.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Councillor Moncur)

22.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Councillor Moncur)

23.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Councillor Moncur)

24.   Councillor Pugh to the Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services (Councillor Lappin)

25.   Councillor Dawson to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills (Councillor Atkinson)

26.   Councillor Dawson to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

27.   Councillor Dawson to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

28.   Councillor Dawson to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

29.   Councillor Dawson to the Leader of the Council (Councillor Maher)

together with responses given.  Supplementary questions 1 to 14 and 16 to 23 were responded to by Cabinet Members for Regeneration and Skills, Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Services, Locality Services, Health and Wellbeing, Planning and Building Control and the Leader of the Council.

The Mayor reported that questions were dealt with in the order that they were received by the Head of Regulation and Compliance; and that as set out in the Councils Constitution the period set aside for questions should not exceed 30 Minutes and so the Members asking questions 24 – 29 were not able to ask supplementary questions as the threshold of 30 minutes had been reached.

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

Further to Minute No. 106 of the Council Meeting held on 20 April 2017, the Council considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance which requested the Council to approve and authorise the absence of Councillor Kevin Cluskey from attendance at Council and Committee Meetings pursuant to Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

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

RESOLVED: That:

(1)      the current absence from all Council and Committee Meetings of Councillor Kevin Cluskey due to ill-health be authorised and approved for a six month period until the Council Meeting schedule to take place on 15 May 2018, pursuant to Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972; and

(2)      the Head of Regulation and Compliance be requested to write to Councillor Kevin Cluskey, on behalf of the Council, wishing him well.

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

The Council considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance in relation to the newly Elected Councillor, John Pugh as a result of the recent by election for Dukes Ward, which had changed the Political Balance on the Council and that the change in proportionality affected the entitlement to formal Committee Places.

The impact of the change in proportionality was that the Liberal Democrat Group would now be entitled to one additional place on the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health) and a corresponding decrease in the Conservative Group entitlement of one place on that same Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Keith also referred to a number of changes to the membership of Committees by the Liberal Democrat Group.

Councillor Jamieson also referred to Councillor Jones as the Member and Councillor Bliss as his Substitute Member to be taken off the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health)

It was moved by Councillor Grace, seconded by Councillor Lappin and

RESOLVED: That

(1)      it be noted that the change in proportionality resulted in an increase in the Liberal Democrat Group entitlement of one Committee place and a corresponding decrease in the Conservative Group entitlement;

(2)      Councillor John Pugh be appointed as a Member and Councillor Jo Barton as his Substitute Member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health);

(3)      Councillor Jones as the Member and Councillor Bliss as the Substitute Member to be deleted from the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Adult Social Care and Health); and

(4)      the following changes to the membership of Committees and Outside Bodies, as submitted by the Liberal Democrat Group be approved:

Local Joint Consultative Committee

·        Cllr Hands to replace Cllr Bill Welsh as the substitute member for Cllr Dodd on Local Joint Consultative Committee.

Audit & Governance Committee

·        Cllr Pugh to replace Cllr Ashton as the member on Audit and Governance Committee

The Council considered the report of the Leader of the Council setting out the details of those urgent matters dealt with in accordance with Rule 46 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules in Chapter 6 of the Councils Constitution.

It was moved by Councillor Grace, seconded by Councillor Lappin and

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Burns:

Sling the mesh motion

Vaginal mesh is used for women who may have suffered incontinence or prolapse after childbirth or the menopause.  It is a net like product which supports the affected organs and is supposedly there for life.

Patients are told that it’s a simple quick procedure which will take about 20 minutes and they will be able to leave hospital later in the day. However, cases of severe complications after the operation are now emerging as women start to talk more openly about this usually taboo subject.

Some women have spoken about how quickly their symptoms began and others have been affected years later. There are women who have walked into an operating theatre perfectly fit and healthy and come out as physical wrecks, some needing a wheelchair or sticks to walk; others facing a lifetime of pain and the prospect of losing their jobs/homes and others have lost their marriages due to chronic pain while having sex.

Most women aren’t informed of these risks and even when they experience them they’re not taken seriously. Women’s health in general is not taken seriously even now in the 21st Century.

We call on Sefton Council to write to the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt and request a suspension of at least 2 years on the use of vaginal mesh implants until a full investigation into the long term affects has been concluded.

If, after a full investigation has taken place, women are still to be encouraged to have this operation, they should be fully informed of the risks associated with this operation, so they can make an informed choice and women who do choose to have vaginal mesh implants in the future are tracked for life in order to collate accurate data on the long term affects.

It was moved by Councillor Burns, seconded by Councillor Thomas and unanimously

RESOLVED:

Sling the mesh motion

Vaginal mesh is used for women who may have suffered incontinence or prolapse after childbirth or the menopause.  It is a net like product which supports the affected organs and is supposedly there for life.

Patients are told that it’s a simple quick procedure which will take about 20 minutes and they will be able to leave hospital later in the day. However, cases of severe complications after the operation are now emerging as women start to talk more openly about this usually taboo subject.

Some women have spoken about how quickly their symptoms began and others have been affected years later. There are women who have walked into an operating theatre perfectly fit and healthy and come out as physical wrecks, some needing a wheelchair or sticks to walk; others facing a lifetime of pain and the prospect of losing their jobs/homes and others have lost their marriages due to chronic pain while having sex.

Most women aren’t informed of these risks and even when they experience them they’re not taken seriously. Women’s health in general is not taken seriously even now in the 21st Century.

We call on Sefton Council to:

(1)      write to the Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt and request a suspension of at least 2 years on the use of vaginal mesh implants until a full investigation into the long term affects has been concluded; and

(2)      if, after a full investigation has taken place, women are still to be encouraged to have this operation, they should be fully informed of the risks associated with this operation, so they can make an informed choice and women who do choose to have vaginal mesh implants in the future are tracked for life in order to collate accurate data on the long term affects.

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Pugh:

Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre

This council: 

(1)      notes the concerns of several members about the purchase of the Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre; and
                    

(2)      calls for the contract of sale and any additional documents relevant to the understanding of it, to be made available, without redaction or delay, to all members of council .

It was moved by Councillor Pugh and seconded by Daniel Lewis:

 This Council: 

(1)      notes the concerns of several Members about the purchase of the Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre; and
                    

(2)      calls for the contract of sale and any additional documents relevant to the understanding of it, to be made available, without redaction or delay, to all Members of Council.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Maher, seconded by Councillor Fairclough that the Motion be amended as follows: 

(2)      first sentence: replaces the words “the contract of sale and any additional” with the word “all”;

          Second sentence replaces the word “it” with the words “the purchase” and after the word “available” add the following words “to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) or the Audit and Governance Committee subject to the normal Local Government disclosure rules” and deleting the words “without redaction or delay, to all Members of Council”

Following the debate and on a show of hands the Mayor declared that the amendment was carried by; 35 votes to 5 with 16 Abstentions and on the Substantive Motion it was carried by 39 votes to 0 with 17 Abstentions and it was

RESOLVED:

This Council: 

(1)      notes the concerns of several Members about the purchase of the Bootle New Strand Shopping Centre; and
                    

(2)      calls for all documents relevant to the understanding of the purchase to be made available to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) or Audit and Governance Committee subject to the normal Local Government disclosure rules.