Meeting documents

Council
Wednesday, 29th June, 2005 7.00 pm

Date:
Wednesday, 29th June, 2005
Time:
7.00pm
Place:
The Council Chamber ,Town Hall Bury
 

Attendance Details

Present:
The Worshipful the Mayor (Councillor S J Treadgold) in the Chair;
Councillors K Audin, R A Bibby, D B Bigg, D Boden, E B Briggs, R C A Brown, J Byrne, G Campbell, L E Campbell, W A Campbell, D M Cassidy, S Cohen, M Connolly, J P Costello, 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, J Grimshaw, D L Gunther, D M Higgin, T Holt, K Hussain, A Isherwood, S P Magnall, A K Matthews, R H J Nuttall, S R Perkins, T D Pickstone, P H Redstone, K Rothwell, G Sharkey, J Smith, S J Southworth, J W H Taylor, B Theckston, B Vincent, R E Walker, J F Walton and M J Wiseman
Co-opted:
12 members of the public attended the meeting
Apologies for absence:
Councillors K S Briggs, T P Chamberlain, W Flood and Y S Wright
Buttons
Item Description Decision
Open
C.187 Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday, 18th May, 2005 2.00pm
 RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting of the Annual Council held on 18 May 2005 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.
C.188 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble for item C.188
 
C.189 MAYORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Preamble for item C.189
 
C.190 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.190
 
C.191 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
 (A) Minute EX.29 of the meeting of the Executive held on 25 May 2005 - Delegation of Powers for Anti-Social Behaviour Dispersal Orders and Closure of Premises Used in Connection with Class ‘A’ Drugs

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

RESOLVED:

That the recommendation contained in Minute EX.29 of the meeting of the Executive held on 25 May 2005, be approved and adopted.

(B) Minute S.82 of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on 2 June 2005 - Protocol for Member and Officer Relations

It was moved by Councillor Audin and seconded by Councillor Walton and -

RESOLVED:

That the Protocol for Member and Officer Relations be approved incorporating the recommendations of the Standards’ Committee and including a specific reference in Paragraph 13.1 of the Protocol (Information to Members on issues affecting their Ward) of applications for either a variation to an existing or a new Premises Licence or Club Premises Certificate.

(C) Minute EX.158 of the meeting of the Executive held on 22 June 2005 - Bury Youth Justic Plan 2005/2006

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

RESOLVED:

That the recommendations set out in Minute EX.158 of the meeting of the Executive held on 22 June 2005 concerning the Bury Youth Justice Plan 2005/2006 be approved and adopted.
C.192 LEADER’S STATEMENT AND EXECUTIVE QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.192
 
C.193 SCRUTINY REVIEW REPORTS AND SPECIFIC ITEMS “CALLED IN” BY SCRUTINY PANELS/COMMISSIONS
Preamble for item C.193
 
C.194 NOTICE OF MOTION
Preamble for item C.194
 
C.195 QUESTIONS ON THE FUNCTIONS OF JOINT AUTHORITIES
Preamble for item C.195
 
C.196 QUESTIONS ON THE WORK OF OUTSIDE BODIES OR PARTNERSHIPS
Preamble for item C.196
 
C.197 DELEGATED DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.197
 
C.198 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING OF THE COUNCIL
Preamble for item C.198
RESOLVED:

That the Leader complete further consultations with Councillors and inform the Mayor of the outcome.
Note: The meeting started at 7.00 pm and ended at 8.45 pm

Preamble

Preamble
ItemPreamble
C.188(a) Councillors Bigg, J P Costello, S Costello and Rothwell declared personal interests in the provision of care services which may be raised in the Notice of Motion referred to in Minute C.194 below.

(b) Councillor Pickstone declared a personal interest in Minute C.192 below relating to the question raised in relation to voluntary organisations.

(c) Councillor A J Garner declared a personal interest in Minute C.192 below relating to a planning application.

(d) Councillor A S Garner declared a personal interest in any matter which may be raised at the meeting in respect of the Racial Equality Council and Council for Voluntary Service.

(e) Councillors Audin, W A Campbell, Matthews and Walton declared personal interests in the question relating to the Greater Manchester Pension Fund in Minute C.195 below.
C.189The Worshipful the Mayor reported the recent death of former Holyrood Ward Councillor Don Wright who had served as a Member of the Council from 1986 to 1991.

Members and Officers stood in silence for one minute in remembrance and as a mark of respect.
C.190No questions were raised by the members of the public present at the meeting.
C.192Councillors W A Campbell, Leader of the Council, made a Statement of the Work of the Executive.

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

a) Written Questions (Notice given)

1. Issue: Wireless network access for Councillors’ laptops
Questioner: Councillor A J Garner
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly

2. Issue: Ball-zone facilities on school premises
Questioner: Councillor A S Garner
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Gibb

3. Issue: Allocation of Section 106 Payments by Developers
Questioner: Councillor D’Albert
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly

4. Issue: Respite Support for Carers
Questioner: Councillor Pickstone
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Campbell

5. Issue: Grants to Voluntary Organisations
Questioner: Councillor Davison
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly

6. Issue: Recycling Targets
Questioner: Councillor Boden
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Byrne

7. Issue: Adult Education Funding for young people
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Perkins

8. Issue: Nuclear Power
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Byrne

9. Issue: Blue Badge Scheme for Disabled Drivers
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Byrne

10. Issue: Shop Premises on The Rock occupied previously by the ‘Young Persons’ Shop’
Questioner: Councillor Gunther
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly

b) Oral Questions (without notice)

11. Issue: Review of spending - Social Services Budget
Questioner: Councillor Bibby
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Campbell

12. Issue: Relocation of King David Nursery School - consultations with local residents relating to flows of traffic
Questioner: Councillor G Campbell
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Byrne

13. Issue: Review of Policy on street trees
Questioner: Councillor Davison
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly (Councillor Davison to be notified of progress)

14. Issue: i) Location of the Post Office in Bury, ii)Fixed Penalty Notices for litter, iii) Bury Care
Directory and iv)Social Services spending including Care Packages *
Questioner: Councillor Bigg
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Campbell (*Referred to the Social Services Project Board)

15. Issue: Children’s Agency Budget
(References to a confidential report were withdrawn)
Questioner: Councillor Redstone
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Campbell/Chief Executive
(Referred to the Social Services Project Board)

16. Issue: The Re:d Centre - Consultations with service-users
Questioner: Councillor Smith
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Gibb

17. Issue: Services offered by Sub-Post Offices - Publicity by the Post Office (Statement of Opinion)
Questioner: Councillor Brown
Answered by (and Action): -

18. Issue: Adult Education Classes - Fees payable in advance
Questioner: Councillor Magnall
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Perkins

19. Issue: Vandalism in the Jewish Cemetery, Prestwich
Questioner: Councillor Grime
Answered by (and Action): Councillor Connolly

20. Issue: Savings to the Social Services Budget by previous action to reduce the level of the residential accommodation for the Elderly provided by the Council
Questioner: Councillor Byrne
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Campbell

21. Issue: Budget reductions 2005/2006
Questioner: Councillor Gartside
Answered by (and Action): Councillor W A Cambbell (Report to the Executive pending)
C.193There were no scrutiny review reports or specific items ‘called-in’ by Scrutiny Panels/Commissions to be considered at this Council meeting.
C.194The following Notice of Motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12:-

‘This Council notes with concern:

(i) Continuing overspends in children’s and adult Social Services, including overspends not previously reported to Members.

(ii) Continued problems and cuts faced by a number of voluntary organisations in receipt of significant contractual income from the Authority in children’s and adult Social Services.

This Council resolves:

(i) To establish an urgent scrutiny review and investigation of the above to report to a future meeting of this Council.

(ii) That such a review be undertaken by a politically balanced Joint Scrutiny Panel specially established for the review and investigation as a joint panel of the Resource and Performance; Children’s Services and Healthier Communities Scrutiny Commission.

(iii) That any further decisions to reduce expenditure and contracts with current voluntary sector providers are deferred until the report of the review and investigation.’

In the names of Councillor’s V D’Albert, W J Davison, A S Garner, A J Garner and T D Pickstone.

At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Davison made a Statement and, with the permission of Councillors D’Albert, A S Garner, A J Garner and Pickstone, withdrew the Motion in the light of the assurances in respect of arrangements to monitor expenditure on children’s and adult Social Services given by the Leader of the Council in his report on the work of the Executive referred to in Minute C.06 above.
C.195The nominated Spokespersons, as indicated below, answered questions relating to the following functions of Joint Authorities:-

1. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority
(Councillor Boden)
Issue: Funding for refurbishment and expansion of the Metrolink
Answered by: Councillor Byrne

2. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority
(Councillor A S Garner)
Issue: Consultations on changes to local bus services
Answered by: Councillor Byrne

3. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Police Authority
(Councillor Davison)
Issue: Welcome to the newly-appointed Divisional Commander, Janette McCormick
Answered by: Councillor Cohen

5. Joint Authority and Questioner: Greater Manchester Pension Fund
(Councillor Pickstone)
Issue: Investment of Pension Funds in companies involved in arms manufacture
Answered by: Councillor Connolly
C.196There 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.197There were no questions asked on the delegated decisions of the Executive or Council Committees contained in the Digests of Decisions numbered 13 (2004/2005) and 1 (2005/2006).
C.198At the request of the Worshipful the Mayor, consideration was given to the need to find an alternative date for the next meeting of the Council due to take place on Wednesday, 14 September 2005, in the event that the Council’s Delegation to Datong, China is delayed on its return.

The Leader of the Council undertook to undertake further consultations on the need to find an alternative date.