On behalf of the Council the Mayor expressed best wishes to Councillor Matthew Lynch on a speedy recovery. 

Decision: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 18 September 2018 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Mayor.

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.

One declaration of interest was received.

Councillor Roy Lees declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 9: Notice of Motion in relation to Chorley Community Housing. 

The Mayor thanked everyone who attended one of the many Remembrance Sunday services that took place in the town and across the borough to mark the centenary the end of the First World War. 

The Mayor advised Members that her next charity events are a sponsored microlight flight, Chorley’s Got Soul on 2 March, a Burns Night on 26 January and the Charity Ball on 15 February. 

She invited Members to give a donation of their choice to her charity appeal instead of sending Christmas cards to one another.  She highlighted that Councillors are invited to Chorley FM Kids Sing Christmas - a night of festive music provided by local primary schools and the Youth Zone on 5 December.

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.

There were no public questions for consideration.

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance). 

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member (Resources) presented the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) seeking approval to the refresh of the Council’s Corporate Strategy for 2018/19 – 2020/21.

The report provides a summary of the performance of the Corporate Strategy in 2017/18 and the changes proposed as part of the Corporate Strategy refresh for 2018/19.

The Corporate Strategy for 2017/18 delivered improvements for core service provision such as streetscene services, neighbourhood working and housing.  It also drove key development projects through to completion to make improvements to services across the borough and transforming the way the Council operates to ensure the best provision for the residents of Chorley. 

This year, the construction of Primrose Gardens, completion of the Youth Zone and the development of Market Walk provide examples of activity by the Council to boost the wider economy and ensure sustainable future provision for people of all ages in Chorley.

For 2018/19 – 2020/21, the Corporate Strategy vision and long term outcomes have been refreshed to reinforce the Council’s commitment to supporting all residents in both rural and urban areas, and ensuring access to services via both traditional and digital channels.

Projects have been reviewed and refreshed to reinforce the direction of travel for the Council, some projects will continue through 2018/19.  Provision of better services will also be reflected in the new projects including improvements to playing pitches and building community resilience.  In addition, the delivery of the Digital Office Park and Housing Company which balances a more commercial approach to ensure the long term sustainability of Council services with a commitment to addressing social housing needs across the borough.

The performance measures which help assess how the Council is improving and whether the Council is achieving its long term goals have also been reviewed and updated.  The four key priorities remain the same. 

The following projects are included within the Corporate Strategy:

Involving residents in improving their local area and equality of access for all

·                Develop Astley Hall and park as a visitor destination

·                Support people from across the borough to be digitally included

·                Develop a framework for building community resilience and delivery of identified projects (NEW)

Clean, safe and healthy homes and communities

·                Deliver the Primrose Gardens retirement village

·                Deliver improvements to the playing pitches in the borough (NEW)

·                Deliver the Housing Company (NEW)

A strong local economy

·         Bring forward key sites for development

·         Deliver the Market Walk Extension

·         Deliver the Digital Office Park (NEW)

An ambitious council that does more to meet the needs of residents and the local area

·         Transform the way the council delivers services

·         Deliver a borough wide programme of improvements to street services

·         Deliver a review of our approach to partnership working (NEW)

Councillor Alan Cullens, Leader of the Opposition, queried the description of the project relating to building community resilience.  Councillor Wilson explained that the project needs to be flexible to meet the individual needs of communities.  The aim is to encourage groups to operate independently. 

Councillor Martin Boardman, Deputy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.C.53

To consider a report of the Conservative Group.

Councillor Alan Cullens, Leader of the Opposition, presented the Conservative Group’s Alternative Corporate Strategy. 

Councillor Cullens reiterated the support of Conservative Group for the Youth Zone, Primrose Gardens and the Digital Office Park, but their continued opposition to the Market Walk extension. 

The five themes and 22 projects of the Alternative Corporate Strategy are:

Health and Wellbeing - Making Chorley Borough a place where people ‘start well, live well and age well’

·         Create an additional Digital Inclusion Officer Post targeted at our Rural and

·         Parish areas

·         Establish a community connectivity and inclusion fund

·         Develop targeted wellbeing schemes for all generations from child through to older adult

·         Establish a Community Partnerships Unit with a Community Projects Leader

·         Establish a strategy and fund to revitalise and re-engage young people with outdoor recreation and activities

Retail, Leisure and Tourism - Making Chorley Borough a better place to visit, shop

·         Establish a Visitor and Tourism Manager post

·         Establish and deliver an independent retail grants scheme focusing on local and artisan retailers throughout the Borough

·         Deliver a programme of sustainable improvements to the Chorley Markets

·         Improve the look and feel of the town centre streetscene

·         Improve the borough-wide leisure offer for young people by creating an Outreach from our Youth Zone

·         Carry out a feasibility study for developing a Borough wide accessible sports village

Education - Making Chorley Borough a better place to educate and be educated

·         Undertake a needs analysis of educational requirements in Chorley Borough

·         Partner with local business and education providers to develop a further education offer based in Chorley

Business - Making Chorley Borough a better place to do business

·         Undertake a borough-wide land usage assessment

·         Appoint an Inward Investment Business Growth Officer

·         Develop and deliver a Chorley apprenticeship scheme, in partnership with established further education providers and employers

·         Undertake a survey to identify which type of business operate within the Borough and where they are

Housing - Making Chorley Borough a better place to live

·         Develop an action plan and programme of work to establish Lifetime Homes Standards in Chorley

·         Establish a strategic housing delivery board with local stakeholders, housing providers and developers

·         Review options to accelerate alternative housing delivery across the borough with a focus on the development of new build social housing

·         Undertake initial feasibility work to improve borough wide connectivity

·         Develop a student accommodation offer in and around the town centre, in partnership with local universities

Councillor Martin Boardman, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, supported the Alternative Corporate Strategy, in particular the projects in relation to young people and student accommodation. 

Members debated the Alternative Corporate Strategy including proposals for alternative homes, student accommodation and related transport issues, the potential for a sixth form college in Chorley and the provision of adequate schools places in existing schools. 

AMENDMENT

The adoption of the Alternative Corporate Strategy as set out in the report, was moved as an amendment by Councillor Alan Cullens, Leader of the Opposition, and seconded by Councillor Martin Boardman, Deputy Leader of the Opposition.  The vote  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.C.53a

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance).

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader of the Council, presented the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) which proposes that the name of the Local Development Framework Working Group be changed to the Local Plan Working Group.

The Local Development Framework has been superseded through national policy changes. It is appropriate to rename the Working Group to reflect this. 

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded the Decision

1.    To change the name of the Local Development Framework Working Group to Local Plan Working Group.

2.    For the Local Plan Working Group to agree terms of reference at their first meeting.

To appoint to a Joint Overview and Scrutiny inquiry into “Our Health Our Care” with South Ribble and Preston. 

Councillor Alistair Bradley, the Executive Leader, proposed, Councillor Peter Wilson, the Deputy Leader, seconded the Decision - To appoint Councillors Alistair Morwood, Yvonne Hargreaves, Steve Holgate and Greg Morgan to a Joint Overview and Scrutiny inquiry into “Our Health Our Care” with South Ribble and Preston.

The enclosed Notice of Motion has been submitted by Councillor Kim Snape. 

A second Notice of Motion has been submitted by Councillor Alan Whittaker. 

Councillor Kim Snape presented the following Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

Cooperative Party Charter Against Modern Slavery

That this Council will support and sign the Cooperative Party Charter Against Modern Slavery and it will promote awareness of Modern Day Slavery amongst our residents and work with officers to support survivors, as follows:

"Charter Against Modern Slavery” Chorley Borough Council will:

1. Train its corporate procurement team to understand modern slavery through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply’s (CIPS) online course on Ethical Procurement and Supply.

2. Require its contractors to comply fully with the Modern Slavery Act 2015, wherever it applies, with contract termination as a potential sanction for non-compliance.

3. Challenge any abnormally low-cost tenders to ensure they do not rely upon the potential contractor practising modern slavery.

4. Highlight to its suppliers that contracted workers are free to join a trade union and are not to be treated unfairly for belonging to one.

5. Publicise its whistle-blowing system for staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

6. Require its tendered contractors to adopt a whistle-blowing policy which enables their staff to blow the whistle on any suspected examples of modern slavery.

7. Review its contractual spending regularly to identify any potential issues with modern slavery.

8. Highlight for its suppliers any risks identified concerning modern slavery and refer them to the relevant agencies to be addressed.

9. Refer for investigation via the National Crime Agency’s national referral mechanism any of its contractors identified as a cause for concern regarding modern slavery.

10. Report publicly on the implementation of this policy annually."

Councillor Yvonne Hargreaves seconded the motion.

Following debate, Members unanimously made the Decision - that the motion be supported.

Councillor Roy Lees left the meeting at 7.45pm. 

The Councillor Alan Whittaker presented the following Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

Chorley Community Housing (CCH)

“Chorley Council notes the commitment undertaken by Chorley Community Housing (CCH) at the time of housing stock transfer from the council, to deliver 1,000 off street parking spaces which it has done. However, it also notes that CCH has accrued significant funds in excess of those anticipated from it’s Chorley housing stock that it has subsequently utilised in it’s recent growth initially as part of Adactus Housing Group and latterly as part of the Jigsaw Housing Group. Therefore the council requests that the Council Leader write formally to CCH/Jigsaw to request that they undertake to supply a further number of off street parking spaces in areas where the legacy issues have not been resolved as anticipated. These works are to be undertaken across Chorley borough and identified and evidenced by councillors in order to recognise the specific issues in each council ward and also the significant contribution of Chorley to the wider groups finances”.

Councillor Kim Snape seconded the motion and spoke in support of it.

Following debate, Members made the Decision - that the motion be supported.

To receive and consider the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) enclosed.

If you would like to display individual streets please click on the following link to LGBCE website which contains a map that can be increased (by zooming in) https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/13207.

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader of the Council, presented the report of the Director (Policy and Governance) which presents the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) draft recommendations on new warding arrangements for Chorley Council. 

A formal response will be formulated by the Electoral Review of Chorley Council Committee and presented to Council on 22 January prior to submission to the LGBCE.   The draft recommendations are currently out for public consultation, the deadline for which is 14 January 2019. 

The LGBCE’s final recommendations will be published on 26 March after which the proposed changes must be approved by Parliament. The draft Order will provide for new electoral arrangements to be implemented at the all-out elections for Chorley in 2020.

Members discussed the need for Town and Parish Councils to be aware of the electoral review and noted that the topic has been discussed at Chorley Liaison and articles included in intheboro, however, the consultation is being run by LGBCE and not the Council. 

Councillor Alistair Bradley, the Executive Leader, proposed and Councillor Peter Wilson, the Deputy Leader, seconded the Decision – that the report be noted.