Decision: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 November 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.

There were no declarations of interests received.

The Mayor highlighted that tickets are on sale for the Annual Mayor’s Charity Ball taking place on Friday, 15 February. 

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 a general report of the meetings of the Executive Cabinet held on 15 November, 13 December 2018.  The report for 17 January 2019 will follow. 

Members considered a general report of the meeting of Executive Cabinet held on 15 November, 13 December and 17 January 2019.

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

To consider and receive the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

The Executive Member (Resources), Councillor Peter Wilson, presented the Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring 2018/19 which had been considered by the Executive Cabinet on 15 November. The report requires full Council approval for a number of recommendations.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Martin Boardman, highlighted the schedule of the investment budgets carried forward from 2017/18 and the new (nonrecurrent) investment budgets introduced in the 2018/19 budget in Appendix 2.  He queried if all the committed funds can be spent in by the end of the Municipal Year.  Councillor Peter Wilson gave assurances that there is commitment to deliver the projects within the Corporate Strategy. 

The Executive Member (Resources), Councillor Peter Wilson, proposed and the Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley, seconded the Decision – to

1.    Note the capital programme to be delivered in 2018/19 to 2020/21.

2.    Approve the budget changes to the capital programme outlined in paragraph 44.

To receive and consider the general report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11 October and 29 November 2018, the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel held on 20 September and 29 November and Task Group update.

Members considered a general report of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 11 October and 29 November, the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Panel held on 20 September and 29 November and Task Group update.

The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor John Walker, proposed and the Vice Chair, Councillor Alistair Morwood, seconded, the Decision – that the report be noted.

To receive and consider the general report of the Governance Committee held on 21 November 2018. 

Members considered a general report of the meeting of the Governance Committee held on 21 November.

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

To receive and consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

The Chair of the Governance Committee, Councillor Paul Leadbetter, presented the Treasury Management Activity Mid-Year review 2018/19 which had been considered by the Governance Committee on 21 November. The report requires full Council approval.

The Chair of the Governance Committee, Councillor Paul Leadbetter, proposed, and the Vice-Chair, Councillor Anthony Gee, seconded the DECISION – to add Low Volatility Net Asset Value (LVNAV) Money Market Funds to the list of approved Investment Counterparties with a limit of £3m per fund.

To receive and consider the general report of the General Purposes Committee held on 13 December 2018.

Members considered a general report of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 13 December.

The Chair of the General Purposes Committee, Councillor Gordon France, proposed, and the Vice-Chair, Councillor Anthony Gee, seconded the DECISION – that the report be noted.

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

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley presented the Chorley Council response to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBCE) draft recommendations on new borough warding arrangements for Chorley.

The Electoral Review of Chorley Council Committee have met twice to discuss the draft recommendations and formulate the response set out in the report.  The Committee support the majority of the recommendations. 

However, the Committee considered a number of alternative proposals.  At the meeting, members of the Committee voted for option 2: to move Heskin (730 electors) from the Croston and Mawdesley ward to Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward; and to move part of Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward (178 electors) into Croston and Mawdesley ward (north of the River Yarrow to the Euxton Parish boundary)as their preferred option, subject to satisfactory variance to the mean tolerance levels. 

However, as the figures for both wards have resulted in the tolerance levels to fall outside the +/- 10% variance requirement, it is felt that this proposal is less attractive, and members should consider option 1 as their preferred option: to move Heskin (730 electors) from the Croston and Mawdesley ward to the Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward; and to move part of Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South ward (284 electors) into Croston and Mawdesley ward (north of the River Yarrow to the new Euxton boundary and east of the (Croston and Mawdesley) boundary to the M6.

Members debated the proposal and noted that the Parish Council boundaries are not changing, that the LGBCE has a +/- 10% variance requirement and this make it difficult to balance the numbers and not split some communities. 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens, expressed his opinion that it is not sensible to make a response which falls outside the +/- 10% variance requirement and requested a recorded vote.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded and on being put to the vote the Decision:

a) To support the LGBCE’s draft recommendations on the new boundary arrangements for the following borough wards -.

Adlington & Anderton                    Buckshaw & Whittle

Chorley East                                  Chorley East, Brindle & Hoghton

Chorley North                                Chorley North East

Chorley North West                       Chorley South East

Chorley South West                       Clayton West & Cuerden

Coppull                                         Euxton

b) the boundary changes proposed to the LGBCE’s draft recommendations as detailed in Option 1 (paragraph 18) for the following wards –

Croston & Mawdesley                      Eccleston, Charnock Richard and Euxton South

3. To approve the proposed new borough ward names as follows:

LGBCE ward names                        Preferred ward names

Adlington & Anderton                       No change

Buckshaw & Whittle                         No change

Chorley East                                   No change

Chorley North                                 Chorley North & Astley

Chorley North East                          Chorley Rural North East

Chorley North West                         No change

Chorley South East                         Chorley South & Heath Charnock

Chorley South West                         No change

Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton       No change

Clayton West & Cuerden                  No change

Coppull                                         No change

Croston & Mawdesley                      No change

Eccleston, Charnock Richard and

Euxton South                                  Chorley Rural West  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.C.11

The enclosed Notice of Motion has been submitted by Councillor Steve Holgate. 

Councillor Steve Holgate presented the following Motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.  Councillor Holgate circulated an updated version of the Motion and explained that there had been a number of typographical errors in the published document. 

Permitted Development

Permitted development is the part of planning law that allows people to carry out improvements on their home or property such as loft conversions, putting up a fence, adding a small conservatory or putting up a garden shed without having to apply to the Council for planning permission.

The government is now proposing that exploratory drilling for shale gas (Fracking) should also be considered as permitted development.

Building what can be up to a 1.5 Hectare fracking well pad without the consent of local people and by-passing the local planning process is an assault on our local democracy.

This Council instructs our chief executive to write on behalf of the Council to The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, Minister for Housing, Communities & Local Government as well as The Rt Hon Claire Perry MP, Minister of State for Energy & Clean Growth informing them that we are totally opposed to the government using permitted development legislation as a means of fast tracking shale gas exploration.

Councillor Kim Snape seconded the motion. 

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