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 any interest received.

Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask a question(s) on an item on the agenda will be asked to put their question(s) to the Committee. Each member of the public will be allowed to ask one supplementary question within his/her allocated 3 minutes.

There were no public questions for consideration.

Developing the Council’s Green Agenda Task and Finish Group

To receive and consider the final report.

Councillor Steve Holgate, Chair of the Task Group, presented the final report of the Task Group on Developing the Council’s Green Agenda.

The Committee were advised that since its commencement in September 2019, the Task Group has met numerous times and has undertaken several sub-group meetings to consult with as many stakeholders as possible to help build an evidence base. Site visits to Lancaster City Council and GA Pet Food Partners Manufacturing Site in Bretherton also took place as well as students from Parklands High School meeting with Members in the Town Hall to discuss their concerns with regards to climate change.

Funding has been secured as part of the budget process to further the council’s commitment to become a carbon-neutral borough by 2030. The funding will help to appoint a climate change officer as well as setting aside reserves to help develop local climate change initiatives such as tree planting schemes.

The recommendations put forward were based on the evidence collated by the Task Group and if approved by Executive Cabinet in March would be progressed through the recommended governance arrangements including a Member steering group.

Members discussed the report, in particular, public transport and bus routes through Chorley, how supermarkets can reduce their usage of plastics, green accreditations for local businesses, solar panels and the inclusion of the green agenda in the Local Plan. This would all be considered in further detail by the proposed Steering Group.

Councillor Steve Holgate thanked Councillors and officers, as well as external partners, for their contributions to the inquiry. The Committee commended the report.

Decision: That the update be noted.

Report of the Director (Early Intervention and Support) enclosed.

Members received a report of the Director of Early Intervention and Support to help the Committee make recommendations for new neighbourhood areas following the ward boundary review to be submitted to Executive Cabinet for approval.

Bernie Heggarty, Neighbourhood Priorities Officer, reported that a review of Neighbourhood Working was due to be undertaken and whilst the review is undertaken, it is important that delivery of the programme is still maintained throughout 2020/21. In order to achieve this, the first task of the review is to create new Neighbourhood Areas as a result of the ward boundary changes which will come into effect in May 2020. The proposed recommendation will then be presented to the Executive Cabinet for approval.

To aide discussions, the Committee were provided with four options outlining potential different models. It was also important that the allocated Neighbourhood Priority Budget be considered.

Councillor Roy Lees left the meeting at 7pm.

When considering the options, Members were keen that the meetings in June and July 2020 go ahead as the meetings in January and February had been cancelled. 

Initially, Members considered option 4 as the preferred option but expressed concerns about proposing new groupings without considering the full review of neighbourhood working. It was suggested that the detailed review needed to consider issues such as funding (including CIL monies), representation at meetings including consideration of parished and non-parished areas, definition of neighbourhood working and defining the criteria for projects.

Following further discussion, Councillor Matt Lynch proposed that the June/July meetings go ahead on a ward basis, including the relevant Parish and County Councillors, for a temporary 12-month period until a full review of neighbourhood working had taken place. The funding would be split equally between the 14 new wards. Councillor Terry Brown seconded the proposal.

It was also suggested that a working group be set up in the new municipal year to undertake the full review and make recommendations back to the Executive Cabinet in due course.  

Councillor Julia Berry left the meeting at 7.20pm

Following debate, it was proposed by Councillor Steve Holgate and seconded by Councillor Gillian Sharples that option 4 be recommended for a temporary 12-month period until the full review of neighbourhood working had taken place.

A vote was taken on the proposal and the vote was lost; For: 3, Against: 5, Abstentions: 3.

Subsequently, it was proposed by Councillor Matt Lynch and seconded by Councillor Terry Brown that the meetings take place on a ward basis, with the funding being split equally between the 14 wards, for a temporary 12-month period until the full review of neighbourhood working had taken place.

A vote was taken on the proposal and the vote was carried; For: 8, Against: 2, Abstentions: 1.

It was subsequently RESOLVED that:

1.    The Committee recommend to Executive Cabinet that the forthcoming Neighbourhood Area Meetings take place on a ward basis, with the funding being split equally between the 14 wards, for a temporary 12-month period until the full review of neighbourhood  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.OS.74