Meeting documents

Council
Wednesday, 28th March, 2007 7.00 pm

Date:
Wednesday, 28th March, 2007
Time:
7.00pm
Place:
The Council Chamber, Town Hall, Bury
 

Attendance Details

Present:
The Worshipful the Mayor (Councillor J F Walton) in the Chair; Councillors D M Ashworth, P Ashworth, K Audin, L E Baucutt, C A Berry, R A Bibby, D B Bigg, D Boden, E B Briggs, K S Briggs, R C A Brown, J Byrne, G Campbell, W A Campbell, D M Cassidy, T P Chamberlain, F A Chaudhry, S Cohen, M Connolly, S Costello, Y Creswell, A J Cummings, V D D’Albert, W J Davison, A J Garner, A S Garner, I B Gartside, M A Gibb, E K Grime, D L Gunther, M Hankey, D M Higgin, T Holt, A Isherwood, S P Magnall, A K Matthews, D O’Hanlon, T D Pickstone, P H Redstone, K Rothwell, J Smith, S J Southworth, B J Sullivan, J W H Taylor, B Theckston, B Vincent, R E Walker, M J Wiseman and Y S Wright
Co-opted:
13 members of the public attended the meeting
Apologies for absence:
Councillor G Sharkey
Buttons
Item Description Decision
Open
C.1220 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble for item C.1220
 
C.1221 PETITION
Preamble for item C.1221
 
C.1222 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL
 RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 28 February 2007 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.
C.1223 MAYORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Preamble for item C.1223
 
C.1224 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.1224
 
C.1225 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.1225
RESOLVED:

1. That the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1178 concerning the Risk Management Annual Report 2006/2007 be approved and adopted.

2. That the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1181 concerning the Bury Plan, be approved and adopted.

3. That the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1182 concerning the Children and Young People’s Plan, be approved and adopted.

4. That the recommendations of the Executive contained in Minute EX.1183 concerning the Area Initiative Review as amended at (ii) above, be approved and adopted.

5. That the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1186 concerning the Timetable of Meetings for 2007/2008 be approved and adopted.

6. That the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1185 concerning the Draft Bury Value Prospectus be approved and adopted.
C.1226 LEADER’S STATEMENT AND EXECUTIVE QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.1226
 
C.1227 SCRUTINY REVIEW REPORTS AND SPECIFIC ITEMS “CALLED IN” BY SCRUTINY COMMISSIONS
Preamble for item C.1227
 
C.1228 NOTICE OF MOTION
Preamble for item C.1228
RESOLVED:

That the Motion incorporating the amendment at (ii) above, be approved and adopted.
C.1229 JOINT AUTHORITIES - REPORT BY THE COUNCIL’S REPRESENTATIVE AND QUESTIONS
Preamble for item C.1229
 
C.1230 QUESTIONS ON THE WORK OF OUTSIDE BODIES OR PARTNERSHIPS
Preamble for item C.1230
 
C.1231 DELEGATED DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.1231
 
The meeting started at 7.00 pm and ended at 9.25 pm

Preamble

Preamble
ItemPreamble
C.1220(a) Councillor Boden declared a personal interest in Minute AB.1108 of the meeting of Whitefield and Unsworth Area Board held on 12 March 2007 as a Governor of Whitefield Community Primary School (Grants approved to Victoria Tenants’ and Residents’ Association).

(b) Councillor Higgin declared a personal interest in Minute AB.1087 of the meeting of Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor Area Board held on 12 March 2007 (Ramsbottom Conservation Areas - Appraisal and Management Plan).

(c) Councillor Chamberlain declared a personal interest in Minute AB.1146 of the meeting of the Radcliffe Area Board held on 15 March 2007 (Grant approval to Radcliffe Athletics Club). This declaration was made at the Area Board but not recorded in the Minutes of that meeting.
C.1221The Worshipful the Mayor received a petition containing 450 signatures from Councillor D’Albert. The petitioners were requesting that pedestrian crossing facilities be provided at the junction of Bury New Road/Scholes Lane/Hilton Lane, Prestwich.

The Mayor undertook to forward the petition to the appropriate Officers for consideration.
C.1223As this was the final meeting of the Council for the current Municipal Year, the Worshipful the Mayor thanked those Members who had served as Executive Members, Lead Members and Chairs of various Committees, Panels, Boards and other bodies during the past twelve months for their valuable services and their time devoted to carrying out their duties.

The Mayor extended particular thanks to Councillors Barry Briggs and Gordon Sharkey who were not seeking re-election in the May 2007 Municipal Elections. Councillor Sharkey was retiring after thirty years continuous service as a Councillor for Unsworth Ward.

Councillor Rothwell had been recognised by the ‘Disability Now’ magazine as ‘Role Model for Disabled People to Enter Public Life’ and the Mayor offered his congratulations on behalf of the Council.

The Mayor also offered his appreciation to the Council’s employees for their contributions to the affairs of the Borough during the past year.

A number of employees were retiring from employment with the Council on 31 March 2007 to whom the gratitude of the Council was extended together with best wishes for long, happy and healthy retirements.

Two of those employees who have had significant contact with Councillors throughout their careers, namely, Peter Heath retiring from the post of Facilities Manager in the Elizabethan Suite and Jim Butterworth retiring from the post of Head of Audit and Risk Management, were thanked particularly by the Mayor.
C.1224Mrs J Grimshaw asked a question relating to the Council’s investment in services for the care of elderly residents in the Borough. Councillor Chamberlain as Executive Member for Health and Well-Being responded to the question.
C.1225(a) Minute EX.1178 of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - The Risk Management Annual Report 2006/2007.

It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly.

(b) Minute EX.1181 of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - The Bury Plan.

It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly.


(c) Minute EX.1182 of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - The Children and Young People’s Plan.

It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly.

(d) Minute EX.1183 of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - The Area Initiative Review.

A further report by the Executive Member for Community Engagement and User Focus had been circulated to all Members.

(i) It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly that the recommendations contained in Minute EX.1183 be approved and adopted.

(ii) An amendment was moved by Councillor Pickstone and seconded by Councillor D’Albert by way of substitution of the following:

“That the current Area Initiative arrangements be updated and consist of the following features as detailed in 28 March 2007 Area Initiative Review Report to Council of the Executive Member for Community Engagement and User Focus:

1. Local Area Partnerships will be three way partnerships between the Council, the Community and locally appropriate service providers, with the responsibility for procedural issues vested in the Council.

2. Local Area Partnerships will be based on the existing Area Board boundaries, with clear guidance and criteria for the selection of local people.

3. Have an Elected Member Chair.

4. Retention of public question time.

5. All members of the Local Area Partnership would have a role in reaching decisions.

That appropriate amendments to the Constitution be brought to the next meeting of this Council which detail the procedural issues outlined in section 2.6 of the Report.

That the new structures undergo review and evaluation over the coming year with a report to Members before the end of the 2007-2008 municipal year.”

On being put, 26 voted for, 21 against with the Mayor abstaining, the amendment was declared carried.

(e) Minute EX.1186 of the meting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - The Timetable of Meetings 2007/2008

It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly.

(f) Minute EX.1185 of the meeting of the Executive held on 21 March 2007 - Community Cohesion - Draft Bury Value Prospectus

It was moved by Councillor W A Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly.
C.1226The Leader of the Council, Councillor W A Campbell, made a statement on the work of the Executive.

The Leader and the relevant Executive Members answered questions raised by Members on the following issues:-

(a) Written Questions (Notice Given)

1. Issue: Highway repairs
Questioner: Councillor Wiseman
Answered by (and action): Councillor Byrne

2. Issue: 1. Children’s Centres - Governance Arrangements; 2. Governance from inception of Children’s Centres
Questioner: Councillor A J Garner
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gibb

3. Issue: Excellence of the Technical Curriculum Support Centre
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gibb

4. Issue: 1. Reduction of levels of crime in the Borough, 2. Setting of crime reduction targets in the Public Service Agreement
Questioner: Councillor Pickstone
Answered by (and action): Councillor Isherwood

5. Issue: Greater Manchester Community Foundation - Dispersal of Grants to Voluntary Organisations
Questioner: Councillor Walker
Answered by (and action): Councillor G Campbell

Oral questions submitted at the meeting without notice

6. Issue: 1. Number and costs of public arts projects under Section 106 Agreements, 2. The sum of money held by the Authority currently for these purposes
Questioner: Councillor Davison
Answered by (and action): Councillor W A Campbell (Leader to provide written reply)

7. Issue: Development of sites in Radcliffe
Questioner: Councillor Vincent
Answered by
(and action): Councillor W A Campbell

8. Issue: 1. Annual Audit and Inspection Letter from the Audit Commission, 2. Effective financial management and value for money of the Council referred to in the Letter.
Questioner: Councillor Holt
Answered by (and action): Councillor Connolly

9. Issue: Payment of debtors’ invoices by the Council
Questioner: Councillor Redstone
Answered by (and action): Councillor Connolly

10. Issue: Development of sites in areas of the Borough other than Radcliffe (Referenced to question 7 above)
Questioner: Councillor Vincent
Answered by (and action): Councillor W A Campbell

11. Issue: Completion of the refurbishment of Ramsbottom Library
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and action): Councillor W A Campbell
C.1227There were no Scrutiny Review Reports or specific items ‘called in’ by Scrutiny Commissions to be considered at this Council Meeting.
C.1228(i) It was moved by Councillor Bibby and seconded by Councillor Creswell that the following Notice of Motion which had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12, be approved:-

“That the Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

1. Supports the Sustainable Communities Bill which will devolve more power from Whitehall to councils and communities by

- giving councils more power over money spent by national agencies on local matters in their areas; and
- giving councils and their communities the power to drive government policy to assist them in promoting sustainable communities and thereby help councils to protect the wellbeing of their communities and citizens;

2. Notes that the Bill is promoted in Parliament by a cross-party group of MP’s led by Nick Hurd MP, David Drew MP, and Julia Goldsworthy MP and is supported by 363 MPs, well over half the House of Commons; and

3. Therefore resolves to write urgently to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, urging her to support the Bill and to inform the leading MPs of this decision.

In the names of Councillors R A Bibby and Y Cresswell

(ii) An amendment was moved by Councillor Boden and seconded by Councillor D’Albert to provide for the deletion of the following words from paragraph 1.

“Supports the Sustainable Communities Bill” and the insertion of the following words “Recalling that we resolved to support the Sustainable Communities Bill at the Council meeting held on 8 February 2006, reiterate our support for the Bill”.

On being put with none dissenting and the Mayor abstaining, the amendment was declared carried and it was:-

C.1229(a) Councillor Cummings, the Council’s representative on the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority, gave an oral report on the work of that particular Joint Authority.

(b) There were no written questions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.2 relating to the functions of the Joint Authorities.
C.1230There were no written questions on the work of outside bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented submitted in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 11.2
C.1231Questions on the following Minutes contained in Digests 12 and 13 were submitted at the meeting:-

Decision and Minute No: Number of Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences issued by the Council (Minute EET.1112 Economy, Environment and Transport Scrutiny Commission - 13 March 2007)
Questioner: Councillor Brown
Answered by (and action): Councillor Holt

Decision and Minute No: Review of Care Agencies: Continuation of the Review into 2007/2008 (Minute HSC.1066 of the Healthier Communities Scrutiny Commission - 13 March 2007)
Questioner: Councillor Walker
Answered by (and action): Councillor Smith

Prior to the closure of the meeting, the Leader, Councillor W A Campbell thanked the Mayor for the excellent way in which he had carried out his duties in Chairing the Council meetings during 2006/2007.