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 22 November 2016 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Mayor.

The Mayor referred to the recent sad death of Ken Ball, former Councillor for the Coppull ward and Mayor of the Borough in 2010/11. All those present at the meeting, stood in silence in memory of former Councillor Ball.

The Mayor then provided an update on her fundraising activities which, following the Charity Ball on 3 February, would include a Soul Night, an Easter Tea Dance and a Houghton Weavers Concert.

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 meetings held on 17 November and 8 December 2016.

A further general report of the meeting to be held on 19 January 2017 will follow.

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader presented general reports of the Executive Cabinet meetings held on 17 November and 8 December 2016; and 19 January 2017. He corrected an error in the report of the meeting on 19 January under the Draft Budget and Summary Position for the Medium Term, to read a proposed 2% Council Tax increase from 2017/18.

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader proposed, Councillor Peter Wilson Executive Member for Resources, seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the reports be noted.

To consider the attached general report of meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 6 October; and Performance Panel meetings on 22 September and 1 December 2016; plus a Task Group update.

Councillor John Walker, Chair of the Committee presented a general report of a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 6 October; Performance Panel meetings on 22 September and 1 December 2016; and an update on the task group looking into the issue of Child Sexual Exploitation which had now concluded its review and produced a final report. He also thanked senior officers for their support for the work of the Committee.

Councillor John Walker, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee proposed, Councillor Roy Lees Vice Chair, seconded and it was

RESOLVED – that the report be noted.

To consider the attached report of the Director (Customer and Digital).

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources requested that this item be deferred for consideration to the next Council meeting on 28 February, in order for the proposed changes outlined in paragraph 4 of the report, to be reconsidered.

Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources proposed, Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader seconded, and it was RESOLVED – that this item be deferred for consideration at the next Council meeting on 28 February 2017.

To consider the attached report of the Director (Business, Development and Growth) on the adoption of this Supplementary Planning document.

Councillor Paul Walmsley, Executive Member for Public Protection, presented a report seeking approval to the adoption of the Householder Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) which was appended to the report. The draft SPD had been agreed at the Council meeting on 20 September 2016 and had since been subject to consultation and subsequent minor amendments.

Councillor Martin Boardman referred to the importance of this planning guidance and recommended that all Members read the SPD in detail, as it would impact on their neighbourhoods. He further requested that a Member Learning Session be organised to ensure Members are fully informed about the changes.

Councillor Paul Walmsley, Executive Member for Public Protection proposed, Councillor June Molyneaux seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the Householder Design Guidance Supplementary Planning Document as detailed in Appendix 1, be adopted and a Member Learning Session be arranged to cascade the changes.

Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Alistair Bradley

Chorley Council recognises the huge difficulties being faced by the NHS.  The shortage of doctors required has been highlighted in a Health Select Committee Report which warned that A&E departments need at least 8,000 doctors – 50% more than currently employed – to keep pace with the rise in emergency admissions in the last five years.  The extent of the staffing shortage was underlined by Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, who stated last week that the prime minister’s insistence that the service was getting more money than it asked for was not true and asked why under current plans real-terms spending on health would actually fall in 2018-19.  In light of this the Council has no faith in the government’s ability to protect our NHS and invest to ensure it provides a first class service in the future.  The Council is also concerned about the future plans for the configuration of the NHS in our locality, currently being developed through the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), which appears to be the government’s answer to reorganising NHS services to meet the huge deficit in funding.  We are concerned that this process may result in the loss of NHS services in our immediate locality with little public engagement or accountability.  The Council has attempted to take an active role in public service reform in order to improve and protect services rather than manage decline.  With the huge crisis in funding and staffing we do not believe the current STP’s can deliver improvements within the health service.  We therefore propose to write to the Secretary of State for Health to ask that the current STP process is remodelled so that it seeks to protect health and social care services, ensure they retain their local identity and strengthen local democratic accountability. 

Councillor Alistair Bradley submitted the following notice of motion under Council Procedure Rule 10:

“Chorley Council recognises the huge difficulties being faced by the NHS.  The shortage of doctors required has been highlighted in a Health Select Committee Report which warned that A&E departments need at least 8,000 doctors – 50% more than currently employed – to keep pace with the rise in emergency admissions in the last five years.  The extent of the staffing shortage was underlined by Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, who stated last week that the prime minister’s insistence that the service was getting more money than it asked for was not true and asked why under current plans real-terms spending on health would actually fall in 2018-19.  In light of this the Council has no faith in the government’s ability to protect our NHS and invest to ensure it provides a first class service in the future.  The Council is also concerned about the future plans for the configuration of the NHS in our locality, currently being developed through the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP), which appears to be the government’s answer to reorganising NHS services to meet the huge deficit in funding.  We are concerned that this process may result in the loss of NHS services in our immediate locality with little public engagement or accountability.  The Council has attempted to take an active role in public service reform in order to improve and protect services rather than manage decline.  With the huge crisis in funding and staffing we do not believe the current STP’s can deliver improvements within the health service.  We therefore propose to write to the Secretary of State for Health to ask that the current STP process is remodelled so that it seeks to protect health and social care services, ensure they retain their local identity and strengthen local democratic accountability.” 

In presenting the motion, Councillor Bradley referred to his concerns about the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) proposed by the Government as the basis for the reorganisation of the NHS. He had sympathy for those delivering NHS services, with major cuts to funding services but he did not feel a further reorganisation was the solution.

Councillor Hasina Khan seconded the motion, referring to the many meetings she attended in her role as lead member for health and wellbeing and the need for current NHS systems to work effectively rather than to move to new systems.

As a member of LCC’s Health Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Alan Cullens reported that he had seen the STP, but as yet, many councillors and the public had not. He asked that the motion be withdrawn and brought back when everyone had had the opportunity to see the STP and to consider the issues it raises.

Councillors Richard Toon, Mark Jarnell, Charlie Bromilow, Margaret France, Adrian Lowe, Zara Khan and Jane Fitzsimons spoke in support of the motion. In summary, they referred to:

·         the need for the Government to increase funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.C.402

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 * of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

By Virtue of Paragraph 1: Information relating to any individual.

Condition:

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).

By Virtue of Paragraph 2: Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual.

Condition:

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).

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).

By Virtue of Paragraph 4: Information relating to any consultations or negotiations, or contemplated consultations or negotiations, in connection with any labour relations matter arising between the authority or a Minister of the Crown and employees of, or office holders under the authority.

Condition:

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).

By Virtue of Paragraph 5: Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Condition:

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  ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.C.403

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader proposed, Councillor Peter Wilson, Deputy Leader, seconded and it was RESOLVED – that the press and public be excluded for the remaining item of business due to the disclosure of exempt information under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act.

To consider the attached report of the Director (Customer and Digital) which will be considered at Executive Cabinet on 19 January 2017.

Councillor Peter Wilson (on behalf of Councillor Graham Dunn, Executive Member for Customer and Advice Services) presented a report seeking approval to significant changes to the waste collection service provided to households in the Borough in order to generate future savings and simplify paper and card recycling. This was necessary since the Council would lose £900,000 in waste cost share funding from LCC from 2018.

The report had been approved at Executive Cabinet on 19 January and Council was asked to agree the waste collection changes, along with the financial implications for both the capital programme and prudential borrowing.

The new service and changes proposed were as follows:

·         continued fortnightly collections of the green bin for general waste

·         the introduction of an optional green waste collection at £30 per year for those residents who wished to take up the service and for which they would receive a grey bin

·         the current brown bin would be used for both paper and card (rather than the current black pod), and would be collected monthly, due to the increase in capacity

·         a charge would be imposed for lost or damaged bins

Councillor Alistair Bradley seconded the proposed changes which he said were necessary because of continued funding cuts.

Councillor Eric Bell felt the proposed changes would be confusing for residents and he proposed an amendment, supported by Councillor Martin Boardman. The amended proposals were to:

·         retain the green waste collection in the brown bin and collect monthly in winter, fortnightly in summer

·         the green bin with general waste to remain unchanged

·         use green box for paper and card to be collected monthly

·         retain blue bin for recycling which without the pod would increase capacity and could be collected monthly

The Conservative Group referred to the introduction of a £30 charge for garden waste as a garden tax which impacted in particular on those in rural areas and would be confusing for residents. Residents would also need to accommodate 4 rather than 3 wheeled bins.

Members of the Labour Group challenged the Conservative Group to provide the savings achieved by their amendment, as no financial impact was circulated and they felt the proposals would not meet the £900,000 shortfall.

The Conservative amendment, proposed by Councillor Eric Bell and seconded by Martin Boardman, was put to the vote and LOST.

The substantive motion, as outlined in the report, proposed by Councillor Peter Wilson, Executive Member for Resources and seconded by Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader was put to the vote and CARRIED and it was therefore RESOLVED -  that the following proposals be adopted:

1.    A charge for all new and replacement wheeled bins is introduced from April 2017 (excluding new garden waste bins).

2.    A subscription based garden waste collection service is introduced with a proposed effective date of May 2017.

3.    That co-mingled paper and card collections are introduced in July 2017 and the brown bins currently in circulation are used for this purpose. Collection frequency will change to four weekly for this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.C.404

Councillor Boardman asked that the Leader of the Council write to congratulate  David Ryding of Bretherton on his success at the World Cup, Slalom Championship in Austria earlier in the month.