Meeting documents

Council
Wednesday, 10th September, 2008 7.00 pm

Date:
Wednesday, 10th September, 2008
Time:
7.00pm
Place:
Council Chamber, Town Hall, Bury
 

Attendance Details

Present:
The Worshipful the Mayor (Councillor P Ashworth) in the Chair;
Councillors I Ahmed, D M Ashworth, K Audin, R L Baum, C A Berry, R A Bibby, D B Bigg, D Boden, K S Briggs, R C A Brown, J Byrne, W A Campbell, D M Cassidy, F A Chaudhry, S Cohen, M Connolly, S Costello, Y Creswell, A J Cummings, M D’Albert, V D D’Albert, W J Davison, A J Garner, I B Gartside, J Grimshaw, D L Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, D M Higgin, T Holt, S Hurst, A Isherwood, D O’Hanlon, S P Penketh, K Rothwell, J Smith, B J Sullivan, J W H Taylor, B Theckston, B Vincent, R E Walker, J F Walton, M J Wiseman, S D Wright and Y S Wright
Co-opted:
Councillors A S Garner, S P Magnall, A K Matthews, T D Pickstone and P H Redstone
Apologies for absence:
90 members of the public attended the meeting
Buttons
Item Description Decision
Open
C.298 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble for item C.298
 
C.299 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL
 RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 25 June 2008 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.
C.300 MAYORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Preamble for item C.300
 
C.301 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.301
 
C.302 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.302
RESOLVED:

That the recommendations be approved and adopted.
C.303 LEADER’S STATEMENT AND EXECUTIVE QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.303
 
C.304 DECISION TAKEN BY VIRTUE OF SPECIAL URGENCY
Preamble for item C.304
 
C.305 SCRUTINY REVIEW REPORTS AND SPECIFIC ITEMS “CALLED IN” BY SCRUTINY COMMISSIONS
Preamble for item C.305
 
C.306 JOINT AUTHORITIES - REPORT BY THE COUNCIL’S REPRESENTATIVE AND QUESTIONS
Preamble for item C.306
 
C.307 QUESTIONS ON THE WORK OF OUTSIDE BODIES OR PARTNERSHIPS
Preamble for item C.307
 
C.308 DELEGATED DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.308
 
The meeting started at 7.00 pm and ended at 9.06 pm

Preamble

Preamble
ItemPreamble
C.298(a) Councillor Baum declared a personal interest in Minute C.304 below in respect of the decision taken in circumstances of Special Urgency to acquire the long leasehold of Humphrey House, Angouleme Way, Bury, by virtue of his employment by Pennine Care NHS Trust.

(b) Councillors Audin, Bigg, Connolly, Cummings, M D’Albert, Harris, Magnall, O’Hanlon, Taylor, Vincent and Y Wright all declared interests in the question raised in Public Question Time (Minute C.301 below) relating to the possible future development of Goshen Playing Fields, as Members of the Planning Control Committee. Those declaring interests, with the exception of Councillor Vincent who answered the question, left the Chamber whilst the question was answered.

(c) Councillor Penketh declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Minute C.306 below in respect of the matters raised in Councillor Y Wright’s report on the work of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, as an employee of Consultants involved in a bid for a contract offered by that Authority. Immediately the matter was raised at the meeting, Councillor Penketh left the Chamber for the duration of the report.
C.300The Worshipful the Mayor offered the Council’s good wishes to the Jewish and Muslim communities for the forthcoming festivals of the Jewish New Year and celebration of the end of Ramadan.
C.301Written Notice of two questions from Mr M Harling had been received:-

i) Planning application 50176 - Possible future development of the leisure facilities at Goshen Playing Fields, Bury.

The question was answered by Councillor Vincent, Chair of the Planning Control Committee.

ii) Response to a separate question from Mr Harlings sent recently to all Councillors by email.

The question was answered by Councillor Creswell.
C.302(a) Minute EX.259 of the meeting of the Executive held on 3 September 2008 - Treasury Management Annual Report 2007/2008

It was moved by Councillor Bibby and seconded by Councillor Creswell that the recommendations be approved.

On being put, with no Member voting against.

(b) Minute EX.260 of the meeting of the Executive held on 3 September 2008 - Revision of the Financial Regulations

It was moved by Councillor Bibby and seconded by Councillor Creswell that the recommendations be approved.

On being put, with no Member voting against.
C.303The Leader of the Council, Councillor R A Bibby, made a statement on the work of the Executive since the date of the last Council meeting. The Leader and the relevant Executive Members answered questions raised by Councillors on the following issues:-

(a) Written Questions (four clear working days’ notice given)

1. Issue: 1. Pay and Grading Review 2. Staff morale as a result of the Review
Questioner: Councillor Holt
Answered by (and action): Councillor Walton

2. Issue: 1. Pay and Grading Review 2. Appeals process within the Review
Questioner: Councillor Davison
Answered by (and action): Councillor Walton

3. Issue: Provision of public toilets in partnership with the local business sector
Questioner: Councillor Holt
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

4. Issue: The number and cost of agency staff engaged by the Council
Questioner: Councillor Campbell
Answered by (and action): Councillor Walton

5. Issue: Quality of recent repairs to the road junction of Bury Old Road/Scholes Lane/ Sheepfoot Lane, Prestwich
Questioner: Councillor A J Garner
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

6. Issue: Introduction of free car parking for the first 15 minutes
Questioner: Councillor Audin
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

7. Issue: Replacement of a missing road sign
Questioner: Councillor Baum
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

8. Issue: Consultations on the future of Prestwich Town Centre
Questioner: Councillor Pickstone
(Question withdrawn)
Answered by (and action):-

9. Issue: 1. Council strategy of alley-gating 2. identification partners for the Strategy
Questioner: Councillor V D’Albert
Answered by (and action): Councillor Cohen

10. Issue: Council policy on Community Mobile Wardens
Questioner: Councillor A S Garner
Answered by (and action): Councillor Sullivan

11. Issue: Wording of circular letters sent out by the Council
Questioner: Councillor S J Wright
Answered by (and action): Councillor Creswell

12. Issue: 1. Funding outstanding to the Council under Section 106 Agreements 2. Process of determining schemes in consultation with local Councillors
Questioner: Councillor O’Hanlon
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

13. Issue: Strategic priority of the Cleaner, Greener, Safer Initiative
Questioner: Councillor Cummings
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

14. Issue: Engagement of consultants by the Council
Questioner: Councillor Boden
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

15. Issue: Radcliffe Riverside School Building
Questioner: Councillor Campbell
Answered by (and action): Councillor D M Ashworth

(b) Oral Questions on the work of the Executive since the last Council meeting (Without Notice)

16. Issue: Pay and Grading Review - possibility of personal appeals from employees
Questioner: Councillor Baum
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

17. Issue: Pay and Grading Review - moderation process
Questioner: Councillor O’Hanlon
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

18. Issue: Pay and Grading Review - Councillors’ need for more information on the process
Questioner: Councillor D’Albert
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby
(Briefing for Members to be offered)

19. Issue: Absence of Labour Group Members at the remainder of this meeting
Questioner: Councillor Brown
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

20. Issue: Land assembly for Radcliffe Riverside School
Questioner: Councillor S D Wright
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

At the conclusion of the answer to question 2 above, the Mayor at 7.53 pm called for a short adjournment for the Public present at the meeting to leave the Chamber. The Council reconvened at 8.09 pm. Councillors Audin, Boden, Briggs, Byrne, Campbell, Cassidy, Chaudhry, Connolly, Cummings, Grimshaw, Holt, Isherwood, Rothwell and Smith did not return to the Chamber after the adjournment.

The answers to the written questions would be circulated to all Councillors.
C.304In accordance with paragraph 16 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules in the Council Constitution, the Chief Executive reported the details of the following Executive decision taken in circumstances of special urgency:-

Decision:

To acquire by auction the long leasehold in Humphrey House, Angouleme Way, Bury for the purpose of consolidating the Mental Health Teams operating currently from a number of dispersed sites across the Borough.

Decision-maker:

The Chief Executive after consultation with the Director of Finance and E-Government and the Leader of the Council.

The background papers for this decision were not within the public domain.
C.305There were no Scrutiny Review Reports or specific items ‘called in’ by Scrutiny Commissions to be considered at this Council meeting.
C.306(a) Councillor Y S Wright, the Council’s representative on the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, gave a verbal report on the work of that Joint Authority to Members of the Council present at the meeting.

(b) The nominated Spokespersons, as indicated below, answered the following written questions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2:-

1. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Police Authority
Councillor Baum
Issue: 1. The time taken to respond to telephone calls received through the non-emergency Police switchboard. 2. Possibility of GMPA providing a second non-emergency telephone number for use by the public.
Answered by (and action): Councillor Walker

2. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority
Councillor Baum
Issue: 1. Improvement of the local transport system without the application of a Congestion Charge 2. Lobbying by local MPs for the objective in (1) above.
Answered by (and action): Councillor Creswell
C.307There were no written questions on the work of outside bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented, submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2.
C.308There were no questions asked on the delegated decisions of the Executive, Committees or Scrutiny Commissions contained in the Digests of Decision 3 and 4 (2008/2009).