Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Perks.

Members of the Council are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the Council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct.  If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, then the individual Member should not participate in a discussion on the matter and must withdraw from the Council Chamber and not seek to influence a decision on the matter.

No Member disclosed an interest in relation to matters under consideration at the meeting.

Minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 September 2005 for confirmation and signature by the Mayor (enclosed).

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 September 2005 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The Mayor informed Members of the following:

(a)      The Mayoral Charity Walk was held on Saturday, 15 October 2005 and all of the participants thoroughly enjoyed the day and walked an extra mile making a total of ten miles. The Mayor requested that any outstanding sponsorship monies are given to the Mayor’s Secretary as soon as possible.

(b)      The Annual Remembrance Sunday Service will be on held Sunday, 13 November 2005. Details of the arrangements have been circulated around the Council Chamber for each Councillor. The Mayor invited all Members to attend the Service and to support the British Legion Poppy Appeal.

(c)      The Mayoral Monte Carlo event scheduled for November has been cancelled.

General Report (enclosed)

The Chair of the Development Control Committee presented a report summarising the more significant proposals considered at meetings of the Committee held on 27 September and 25 October 2005.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

General Report (enclosed)

The Chair of the Licensing and Safety Committee presented a report summarising the principal matters considered at a meeting of the Committee held on 12 October 2005.

RESOLVED – 1.      That the report be noted.

2.         That a report be submitted to the next Council

meeting on the costs to the Council of administering

the Licensing Act 2003 procedures.

General Report (enclosed)

The Chair of the Accounts Committee presented a report summarising the principal matters considered at a meeting of the Committee held on 20 September 2005.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

General Report (enclosed)

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee presented a report summarising the principal matters considered at a meeting of the Committee held on 13 October 2005 and the ongoing work of its Panels.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report enclosed

The Executive Leader presented a report on proposals for the addition

of  schemes to the 2005/06 Capital Programme in order to assist the

achievement of the Council’s corporate priorities; and the separation of fully

approved and budgeted schemes from those remaining in the ‘pipeline’, to

enable the Capital Programme to be delivered and monitored

more effectively.

The report incorporated a copy of the Director of Finance’s report to the Executive Cabinet to enable Council Members to take account of all relevant factors before reaching a decision.

RESOLVED– (1) That approval be given to the addition to the 2005/06

                      Capital Programme of the schemes totalling £2,771,580 as

                      indicated in the  report;

                   (2) That approval be given to the categorisation of the Capital Programme as recommended in the report.

Report enclosed

The Executive Leader presented a report on a proposal to introduce a revised

version of the Contracts Procedure Rules in substitution for the Procedure

Rules contained in Part C of Appendix 3 to the Council’s Constitution. The

report incorporated a copy of the Director of Legal Services’ report to the

Executive Cabinet, and the proposed new Contracts Procedure Rules.

The Contracts Procedure Rules require to be revised and updated as a

consequence of the recent adoption of the Corporate Procurement Strategy in

order to enable the procurement processes to be carried out efficiently and

effectively.

The report indicated that Paragraph 27.2 of Part A of Appendix 3 to the Council’s Constitution requires that any motion to add to, vary or revoke any of the Council’s Standing Orders (including the Council and Contracts Procedure Rules) shall, when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without further discussion to the next Ordinary Meeting of the Council.

RESOLVED - That the proposal to adopt the new Contracts Procedure Rules in the form presented as Appendix 1 to the Director of Legal Services’ report, for inclusion in Part C of Appendix 3 to the Council’s Constitution be noted and stand adjourned to the next Ordinary Meeting of the Council on 13 December 2005 in accordance with Paragraph 27.2 of Part A of Appendix 3 to the Council’s Constitution.

Copy enclosed

The Executive Leader presented a report summarising the more significant items of business dealt with at a meeting of the Executive Cabinet held on 29 September 2005.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Report of the Head of Corporate and Policy Services (enclosed)

A copy of the Community Strategy is attached as a separate document

The Executive Member for Customers, Policy and Performance presented a report which incorporated a copy of the Community Strategy 2005-2025 prepared by the Chorley Partnership following extensive consultation.

Report of the Chief Executive (enclosed)

The Executive Leader presented a report which incorporated the report from the Independent Remuneration Panel on the review of the Members Allowances Scheme it had undertaken in accordance with statutory provisions. The Council had previously considered the report of the Remuneration Panel at its meeting on 12 July 2005 and appointed a Members Panel to take the issue of members allowances forward.

The report indicated that the Members Panel had subsequently met and submitted representations to the Remuneration Panel and gave details of response of the Remuneration Panel.

RESOLVED  (1) That the thrust of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations set out in its report to the Council be accepted with two major modifications to reduce potential cost of the proposals and minor adjustments to deal with anomalies as follows:

(a)   That the proposals relating to the introduction of pensions for Members and the payment of Dependant Carers Allowance be not accepted;

(b)  That the status quo be maintained in respect of Special Responsibility Allowances for Executive Members, Representative Members and the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

(c)   That the Special Responsibility Allowance of the Vice Chair of Licensing Committee be aligned with that for the Vice Chair of Development Control Committee; and

(d)  That the Special Responsibility Allowances for Group Secretaries be established as follows: 

i) Large Groups (12 or more Members)£1,512.34

ii) Medium Groups (6-11 Members)£ 707.55

iii) Small Groups (less than 6 Members)   £ 500.00

                          (2) That a revised Members Allowances Scheme be

                               produced on the basis of the above resolution.