Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

Councillor Alan Platt declared a personal interest in item 7. Review of Members' Allowances Scheme 2023 as Chair of the Governance Committee. 

Councillor Aidy Riggott declared a personal interest in item 10. Woodlands Site due to his Cabinet position at Lancashire County Council. 

Approved.

Resolved (unanimously) that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 19 September 2023 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Mayor.

The Mayor updated members on fundraising activities and charity events, including a White Ribbon UK event and a forthcoming Christmas Tea Dance. 

The Leader congratulated the Mayor on the recent completion of the Santa dash in aid of Derian House. 

Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask question(s) on any item(s) on the agenda will have three minutes to put their question(s) to the relevant Councillor. Members of the public will be allowed to ask one short supplementary question.

To view the procedure for public questions/ speaking click here and scroll to page 119

There were no public questions for consideration.

To receive and consider the report of the Chief Executive.

That the Corporate Strategy 2023/2024 be approved.

The Executive Member (Resources), Councillor Peter Wilson presented the report of the Chief Executive which sought approval for the refresh of the Corporate Strategy 2023/2024.

Over the past 12 months the council had continued to deliver improved outcomes for the borough and residents, communities and businesses.  This included opening a second extra care scheme at Tatton Gardens, a new community centre, GP surgery and café. 

Other achievements included the completion of Strawberry Meadows Business Park and the launch of a household energy support scheme.  Projects had also been undertaken towards climate change objectives and safe and healthy communities, including the launch of a health and wellbeing programme.  Additionally, family support to enable the best start in life, plus jobs skills to ensure meaningful employment.

For the Corporate Strategy 2023, the vision, priorities and long term-outcomes remained the same to ensure that the long-term impacts of strategic activity and investment were maintained.  The strategy continued to progress on action to address the economic impact of unprecedented inflation rates and high cost of living including support for businesses and activity to increase jobs and skills.

The strategy responded to the needs of communities, moving health and wellbeing initiatives into their next phase of delivery and doing more for neighbourhoods right across the borough.  Housing and homelessness prevention remained key themes for the strategy with specific council action to ensure that everyone was able to live in good quality, energy efficient and suitable homes.

The four priorities continue to be:

·                Housing where residents can live well

·                A green and sustainable borough

·                An enterprising economy with vibrant local centres in urban and rural areas

·                Healthy, safe and engaged communities

The performance measures had also been reviewed and updated.  Indicators

had been amended and targets updated to reflect performance over the past months as well as to better align to future priorities.

The key projects that would be delivered under each priority, to support the Council to meet its commitments were:

Housing where residents can live well

·                Refresh the Prevention of Homelessness Strategy

·                Develop and deliver a plan to improve housing standards across the borough

·                Deliver the Home Energy Support Scheme

·                Refresh the Housing Strategy

·                Deliver the Local Plan

A green and sustainable borough

·                Continue to deliver improvements to Chorley's bus shelter network

·                Increase the number of parks with a Green Flag Status

·                Deliver the Business Energy Support Scheme to boost businesses across the Borough

·                Deliver a Rural Business Support and Grant Scheme

·                Maintain and improve council buildings

·                Develop and deliver a plan to improve Chorley bus station

·                 

An enterprising economy with vibrant local centres in urban and rural areas

·                Develop a destination management plan for the borough

·                Deliver a Jobs and Skills Programme to upskill residents across the borough

·                Refresh of the Economic Development Strategy to promote growth across the borough

Healthy, safe and engaged communities

·                Launch an Enhanced Social Prescribing service focussed on supporting family and early years

·                Deliver the Cost of Living Action Plan

·                Deliver a Health and Wellbeing Programme to support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

To consider any changes to Committee appointments.

To note the Shadow Cabinet positions as follows:

Finance and Chief Executive          Councillor Alan Cullens

Policy and Governance                    Councillor Alan Platt

Customer and Digital                        Councillor Aidy Riggott

Planning and Development             Councillor Craige Southern

Communities                                      Councillor Debra Platt

To appoint Councillor Alan Platt as a member of the Development & Assets WG in place of Councillor Aidy Riggott.

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens, proposed and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Platt seconded and it was Resolved (unanimously)

1.         To note the Shadow Cabinet positions as follows:

Finance and Chief Executive Councillor Alan Cullens

Policy and Governance            Councillor Alan Platt

Customer and Digital                Councillor Aidy Riggott

Planning and Development     Councillor Craige Southern

Communities                               Councillor Debra Platt

2.         To appoint Councillor Alan Platt as a member of the Development & Assets WG in place of Councillor Aidy Riggott.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Governace.

1.         To add a new role within the Members Allowances Scheme ‘Deputy Portfolio Holder’ with a payment of £1,619.96.

2.         To increase the payment for the Vice Chair of Governance from £56.70 (½ day) when they chair the meeting due to the absence of the Chair to a flat rate of £1,619.96 per annum.

3.         To increase the payment for the Chair of Governance from £1,942.74 to £3,288.65.

4.         To add an option to the annual uprate mechanism in the event of a lump sum payment to staff of the middle percentage of the salary scales, from the lowest – to the highest. The scales used would be the Shared Services pay scales, from the lowest scale up to the Chief Executive. The median percentage increase for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is 5.95% and 5.62% respectively.

5.         To pay these new allowances with effect from the Annual Meeting in May 2023.

6.         To authorise any consequential changes to the Constitution.

Councillor Alan Platt declared a personal interest as the Chair of the Governance Committee.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley presented the report of the Director of Governance.

The members of the Independent Remuneration Panel were appointed by the Council at the last meeting and had met to consider the points as requested.   

The Executive Leader and Leader of the Opposition thanked the Panel for their work. 

Following a query from the Leader of the Opposition the Executive Leader agreed that the Deputy Portfolio Holders produce an annual report, in conjunction with their Executive Member, moving forwards. 

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded, and it was Resolved (40:0:1)

1.         To add a new role within the Members Allowances Scheme ‘Deputy Portfolio Holder’ with a payment of £1,619.96.

2.         To increase the payment for the Vice Chair of Governance from £56.70 (½ day) when they chair the meeting due to the absence of the Chair to a flat rate of £1,619.96 per annum.

3.         To increase the payment for the Chair of Governance from £1,942.74 to £3,288.65.

4.         To add an option to the annual uprate mechanism in the event of a lump sum payment to staff of the middle percentage of the salary scales, from the lowest – to the highest. The scales used would be the Shared Services pay scales, from the lowest scale up to the Chief Executive. The median percentage increase for 2022-23 and 2023-24 is 5.95% and 5.62% respectively.

5.         To pay these new allowances with effect from the Annual Meeting in May 2023.

6.         To authorise any consequential changes to the Constitution.

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Communities.  

1.         To receive the funding amount (£72,793 per year / 5 years - £363,965 / 8 years - £582,344 40,000 and create an expenditure budget to administer the funding.

2.         To proceed to further develop and implement the proposed delivery plan.

The Executive Member (Early Intervention), Councillor Bev Murray presented the report of the Director of Communities which provided details of the proposed collaboration agreement with LCC to delivery Healthy Weight Services in Chorley. 

Addressing unhealthy weight and supporting people to sustain weight loss was complex, with multiple causes, and had significant implications beyond health. A flexible service was needed that adapted to meet need and promote sustainability whilst contributing to a whole systems approach to tackling obesity, working closely and in partnership with stakeholders to improve outcomes for all.

Members noted the health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight and supported the five year funding for the initiative. 

The Executive Member (Early Intervention), Councillor Bev Murray proposed and the Executive Member (Health, Wellbeing and Partnerships), Councillor Margaret France seconded and it was Resolved (unanimously)

1.         To receive the funding amount (£72,793 per year / 5 years - £363,965 / 8 years - £582,344 40,000 and create an expenditure budget to administer the funding.

2.         To proceed to further develop and implement the proposed delivery plan.

To consider the exclusion of the press and public for the following items of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

By Virtue of Paragraph 3: Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Condition:

Information is not exempt if it is required to be registered under-

The Companies Act 1985

The Friendly Societies Act 1974

The Friendly Societies Act 1992

The Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 1965 to 1978

The Building Societies Act 1986 (recorded in the public file of any building society, within the meaning of the Act)

The Charities Act 1993

Information is exempt to the extent that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Information is not exempt if it relates to proposed development for which the local planning authority may grant itself planning permission pursuant to Regulation 3 of the Town & Country Planning General Regulations 1992(a).

Approved.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and it was Resolved (unanimously) that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the disclosure of exempt information as defined by paragraph 3 of Part 1 of schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

To approve the recommendations set out in the tabled resolution.  

Councillor Aidy Riggott declared a personal interest in this item, given his Cabinet position at Lancashire County Council. 

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley presented the confidential report of the Deputy Chief Executive.  The reasons for the decision and aspirations were presented.  Members noted the proposed timescales and risks relating to the decision. 

Members noted the all member briefing with officers the previous week on this topic. 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens, raised several queries, including the amount of borrowing, and received advice from the Monitoring Officer in relation to the legal position. 

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded, and it was Resolved (35:4:1)

To approve the recommendations set out in the tabled resolution.