C.328
NOTICES OF MOTION
Three Notices of Motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12:- (A) LEGACY OF MR WILLIAM OPENSHAW STREET A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of: Councillors A Audin, K Audin, M Bailey, N Bayley, D Boden, P Bury, J Byrne, G Campbell, D Cassidy, J Columbine, M Connolly, A Cummings, J Frith, J Grimshaw, T Holt, A Isherwood, M James, J Lewis, A Matthews, N Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, J Smith, T Tariq and S Walmsley. It was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor Walmsley as an amendment that:- The Council notes: Mr William Openshaw Street was a well known and respected local Bury businessman and philanthropist who started up and ran the Bury Felt Company for many years. When Mr Street died he left in trust millions of pounds to support defined charitable activities in the United Kingdom and the Channel Island of Jersey. Mr Streets wishes also included a stated preference be given to persons resident in or otherwise connected with the County of Lancaster (as at the 1973 definition) which included Bury. A public campaign has now been launched with the aim of securing support to ensure that Mr Streets intent that preference be given, insofar as is practicable to persons connected with the County of Lancaster (as at the 1973 definition that includes Bury) be successfully achieved. This Council resolves to: 1.Support the public campaign with the objective that preference is given to persons resident in or otherwise connected with the County of Lancaster (as at the 1973), and in particular Bury; 2.To actively promote how Bury residents can make applications to the William Openshaw Street Trust to maximise opportunities for this Borough; and 3.To communicate this resolution to all Lancashire and Greater Manchester Councils and MPs to seek their support for this public campaign. The amendment on being put, was unanimously accepted and was declared carried. (B)SMOKING BANS IN OUTDOOR PLAY AREAS A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of: Councillors Mary DAlbert, Vic DAlbert, Garner, OHanlon and Pickstone In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 147(a), an alteration to the motion was accepted and it was moved by Councillor Vic DAlbert and seconded by Councillor Pickstone that:- This Council: 1.Notes that other Local Authority within the UK, such as Inverclyde and Pendle, have or are in the process of implementing smoking bans in childrens play areas and that many other areas are considering it. 2.Notes campaigns by Smoke Free North West for a voluntary ban in smoking in childrens play areas across the North West. 3.Notes that research suggests public support for smoke-free play areas is high: A YouGov survey undertaken by ASH in March 2010 found that 73% of the general population backed a smoking ban in childrens areas. 4.Believes that, in the long term, smoke-free play areas will assist in decreasing the number of young people who start smoking and will also help to reduce levels of unsightly cigarette litter such as cigarette butts, matches, empty packets and wrappers in childrens play areas. Therefore, Council: 1.States support for the principle of a voluntary smoking ban in childrens play areas within Bury. 2.Welcomes preparatory work undertaken to date to gauge local support for smoking bans in play areas and urges consultation with playground users to assess support for this initiative. 3.Requests that the Leader brings forward plans for a voluntary smoke-free code for play areas in Bury, with a view to introduction from early 2012 (subject to the outcome of consultations). Plans to include a smoke-free policy statement, public awareness raising and a timetable for evaluation of the effectiveness of the smoke-free code. 4.Requests that the Leader brings a report to a future meeting of the Executive as to how powers contained in the Localism Bill may facilitate the introduction of legally enforceable bans. The Motion on being put, 45 members voted for, none against and with three abstentions, was declared carried. (C)COUNCIL TAX The following Motion had been received and set out in the Summons:- It was moved by Councillor Brown and seconded by Councillor Gartside that:- This Council notes: The continuing tough economic climate that was created by the previous Labour Governments irresponsible borrowing has caused the debt crisis that the Coalition Government is now having to deal with. This Council therefore, welcomes the recent announcement by George Osborne that the Government will give this Council the option to freeze Council Tax for the people of Bury for the second year running, without hampering the planned clearance of Labours structural deficit by 2014/15. At a time when the cost of living is rising and wages remain flat, throughout both the private and public sector, not increasing the level of Council Tax will put more money in peoples pockets and help with the recovery from the current debt crisis. However, this Council resolves to lobby Government in regards to the scheme being funded on an on-going basis. Prior to the vote on the motion, in excess of the required eight Councillors requested that voting be recorded to show how each Member cast their vote. The result of the vote was as follows:- Councillors I Ahmed, I Bevan, R Bibby, R Brown, R Caserta, S Cohen, M DAlbert, V DAlbert, I Gartside, D Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, K Hussain, D OHanlon, T Pickstone, J Taylor, B Theckston, B Vincent, R Walker, J Walton, M Wiseman and Y Wright (22) Against the Motion: Councillors A Audin, K Audin, M Bailey, N Bayley, D Boden, P Bury, J Byrne, G Campbell, D Cassidy, J Columbine, M Connolly, A Cummings, J Frith, J Grimshaw, T Holt, A Isherwood, M James, J Lewis, A Matthews, N Parnell, K Rothwell, R Shori, J Smith, T Tariq and S Walmsley (25) Abstaining from the Vote: The Worshipful the Mayor The Mayor declared the Motion lost.