Agenda 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.

There were no declarations of interest received.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the last Council meeting held on 19 July 2016 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Mayor.

The Mayor updated Members of the Council on her fundraising activities including her Charity Skydive in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society on 26 September 2016.

She was also organising a Tea Dance on 18 October in the Lancastrian and provided dates for her Christmas by Candlelight event at Astley Hall and her Charity Ball at Park Hall Hotel in February 2017.

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 consider the attached general report of the Executive Cabinet meeting held on 25 August 2016.

Members considered a general report of the meeting of Executive Cabinet held on 25 August 2016.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the report be noted.

To consider a general report of the Governance Committee meeting held on 14 September (enclosed).

Members considered a general report of the meeting of Governance Committee held on 14 September 2016.

The Chair of Governance Committee, Councillor Paul Leadbetter proposed and the Vice Chair, Councillor Anthony Gee seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the report be noted.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Policy and Governance.

Members were advised in a report of the Chief Executive that as part of the December 2015 Spending Review, the Government had offered local authorities a four year funding settlement subject to the publication of an Efficiency Plan by 14 October 2016. This was for the funding period 2016/17 to 2019/20.

The report set out the benefits of a four year funding settlement which would create much greater certainty of resources and would allow consistency with the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). In presenting the report, Councillor Peter Wilson indicated that whilst he did not agree with the changes and reduction in funding, if the Council did not accept the four year offer it would be exposed to a major risk that levels of funding would reduce. A table setting out Revenue Support and Transitional Grant for the years 2016/17 to 2019/20 was included in the report and showed a steep decline in support from Central Government to be met in part by business rates retention.

The proposed Efficiency Plan for the Council was appended to the report and drew together existing corporate plans and strategies including the Transformation and Corporate Strategies; the MTFS; the Chorley Local Plan and the Economic Regeneration Strategy.

The Executive Member for Resources, Councillor Peter Wilson proposed and the Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley seconded and it was RESOLVED –  

3.         It be noted that the budget gap and savings identified in the Efficiency Plan are subject to change and will be updated and refined during the budget setting process.

To consider the attached report of the Chief Executive.

Members considered a report of the Chief Executive proposing a revised draft Householder Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document. This was to replace the previous version adopted in 2008 and provided guidance to those wishing to extend or alter their property to achieve high quality extensions which respect their surroundings and protect the amenity of neighbours.

The draft document would be subject to a period of consultation and be brought back for Council approval in January 2017.

The Executive Member for Public Protection, Councillor Paul Walmsley proposed, Councillor June Molyneaux, Chair of the Development Control Committee seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the draft Householder Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document be approved for public consultation for a 6 week period from 4 October to 15 November 2016.

To consider the attached report of the Director of Policy and Governance.

The Director of Policy and Governance submitted a report on a longstanding issue regarding the need to legally divert a footpath at Croston. A report had been considered by the Council on 6 November 2012 on this matter but the legal extinguishment of the previous path had not been progressed to completion. This report proposed actions to rectify this and formally divert the footpath which would then allow it to be maintained by Lancashire County Council as the responsible body for footpaths.

The Executive Member for Public Protection, Councillor Paul Walmsley proposed, Councillor Chris France, Vice Chair of the Development Control Committee seconded and it was RESOLVED –

There were no questions for consideration under Procedure Rule 8.

There were no motions for consideration under Procedure Rule 10.

A number of changes were proposed to Council appointments.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the following Councillors replace Councillor Mark Jarnell on Committees and other positions:

·         Councillor Adrian Lowe on Licensing and Public Services Committee with Councillor Aaron Beaver as a substitute member.

·         Councillor Gordon France on Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·         Councillor Anthony Gee on General Purposes Committee

·         Councillor June Molyneaux on the Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancs Children’s Partnership Board

·         Councillor Beverley Murray to take on the duties of the Council Champion for Young People until the next Council meeting.

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).

RESOLVED – that the press and public be excluded for the remaining items of business on the grounds that it involves the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To consider the attached report of the Chief Executive.

Councillor Graham Dunn, Executive Member for Customer and Advice Services presented a report with a detailed update on the proposal to develop the Fleet Street Extra Care Scheme, and seeking approval to proceed with the project.

Councillor Dunn indicated that demographic forecasts showed a clear need for this type of supported accommodation both now and into the future to avoid over use of residential care. The type of retirement village proposed would provide additional care and support for older people, and was still a fairly new concept, with only a few similar schemes in existence elsewhere.

It had taken some time to get the proposals to this point, but funding was now in place with Government support through a Homes and Community Agency grant of almost £3m and support from Lancashire County Council of £1m in return for this Council’s commitment to a Partnership Agreement and  associated grant conditions. LCC would procure the care and support provider for the scheme, linked to their adult social care responsibilities.

Previous reports to Council had considered the detail of the proposals including location and consultation; community facilities including dance hall and café; and the public realm proposals including car parking. The report submitted, provided detailed financial implications for the capital scheme and also ongoing revenue financing. There was an element of financial risk linked to both the take up of the accommodation and any changes in welfare reform as well as the need for prudential borrowing if the expected level of S106 funding was delayed. Overall it was felt that there would be significant demand for tenancies and in the long term the scheme would generate income for the Council.

Councillor Paul Leadbetter, Leader of the Conservative Group expressed his group’s support for the scheme and queried whether any early stage deficit would be shared with LCC. This was not likely to be the case as the Council’s preference would be for Chorley Borough residents to be offered tenancies.

Councillor Graham Dunn, Executive Member for Customer and Advice Services proposed and Councillor Bev Murray, Executive Member for Early Intervention seconded and it was RESOLVED (subject to the removal of reference to the Camelot site in paragraph 68 of the report) –

To consider the attached report of the Chief Executive plus the following appendices:

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To consider the attached report of the Chief Executive.

Further to the previous decision to proceed with the Market Walk Extension, Members considered a report of the Chief Executive on the appropriation of part of the Flat Iron car park for planning purposes and to authorise the Council to exercise power under S203 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 should it be necessary to facilitate the Market Walk extension.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and it was RESOLVED –