Meeting documents

Council
Wednesday, 4th February, 2009 7.00 pm

Date:
Wednesday, 4th February, 2009
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, A S Garner, I B Gartside, J Grimshaw, D L Gunther, M Hankey, J Harris, D M Higgin, T Holt, S Hurst, A Isherwood, S P Mangnall, A K Matthews, D O’Hanlon, S P Penketh, T D Pickstone, P H Redstone, 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:
12 members of the public attended the meeting
Apologies for absence:
-
Buttons
Item Description Decision
Open
C.604 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble for item C.604
 
C.605 MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL
 RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 December 2008 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.
C.606 MAYORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Preamble for item C.606
 
C.607 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.607
 
C.608 LEADER’S STATEMENT AND EXECUTIVE QUESTION TIME
Preamble for item C.608
 
C.609 NOTICE OF MOTION
Preamble for item C.609
 
C.610 RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.610
 
C.611 SCRUTINY REVIEW REPORTS AND SPECIFIC ITEMS “CALLED IN” BY SCRUTINY COMMISSIONS
Preamble for item C.611
 
C.612 JOINT AUTHORITIES - REPORT BY THE COUNCIL’S REPRESENTATIVE AND QUESTIONS
Preamble for item C.612
 
C.613 QUESTIONS ON THE WORK OF OUTSIDE BODIES OR PARTNERSHIPS
Preamble for item C.613
 
C.614 DELEGATED DECISIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES
Preamble for item C.614
 
The meeting started at 7.00 pm and ended at 9.50 pm

Preamble

Preamble
ItemPreamble
C.604(a) Councillor S Wright declared a personal interest in the verbal question from Councillor O’Hanlon relating to the Secondary Strategy for Change, as the parent of a pupil and as a Governor of Prestwich Arts College (Minute C.608(b)(18) below).

(b) Councillor Baum declared a personal interest in the written Question from Councillor Connolly relating to the future use of Humphrey House, Bury as an employee of Pennine Care NHS Trust which was in discussions with the Council to provide a joint use health facility from that property. (Minute C.608(a)(2).
C.606The Worshipful the Mayor informed the Council that Mrs Susan Lane, a resident of Bury and Assistant Principal of Knowsley Community Collage, had received the MBE in recognition of her services to Further Education in Liverpool. Doctor Surinder Singh Jolly, a resident of Whitefield and a General Practitioner in Manchester, had received an MBE in recognition of his services to Healthcare.

The congratulations and good wishes of the Council had been conveyed to Mrs Lane and Mr Jolly.

The Mayor also reported the recent death of Aidan Loyns, an Independent Member of the Council’s Standards Committee of which he had been a Past Chairman. Mr Loyns had made a valuable contribution to the affairs of the Council and was held in high regard.

The Council stood in silence in remembrance and as a mark of respect for Mr Loyns.
C.607No written questions from members of the public had been received by the deadline of four clear working days prior to this meeting.
C.608The 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. Involvement of Executive Members in consultations with Trade Unions
Questioner: Councillor Holt
Answered by (and action): Councillors Walton and Bibby

2. Issue: 1. Future use of Humphrey House, Bury 2. Date of Co-location of services and costs to the Council
Questioner: Councillor Connolly
Answered by (and action): Councillor Redstone

3. Issue: 1. Trial of street lighting column collars 2. Identification of resultant savings
Questioner: Councillor Campbell
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

4. Issue: 1. Implementation if the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 2. Appropriateness of Membership of the Local Strategic Partnership to implement the Act
Questioner: Councillor Boden
Answered by (and action): Councillor Creswell

5. Issue: 1. Council tenant nomination rights to Housing Associations 2. Speed of the nomination process
Questioner: Councillor Boden
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gartside

6. Issue: Survey of Empty Properties in the Borough
Questioner: Councillor Isherwood
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gartside

7. Issue: Regeneration Strategy for Radcliffe
Questioner: Councillor Cummings
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gartside

8. Issue: Regeneration Strategy for Prestwich
Questioner: Councillor O’Hanlon
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gartside

9. Issue: Use by vehicles of the hard shoulder on M60 Motorway
Questioner: Councillor Pickstone
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

10. Issue: Officer support for Local Area Partnerships
Questioner: Councillor Baum
Answered by (and action): Councillor Creswell

11. Issue: Monitoring of air quality in Prestwich
Questioner: Councillor Baum
Answered by (and action): Councillor Gunther

12. Issue: Expenditure on the TIF Bid in Greater Manchester
Questioner: Councillor A J Garner
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

13. Issue: Work of the Youth Workers in Rainsough
Questioner: Councillor V D’Albert
Answered by (and action): Councillor D Ashworth

14. Issue: Council’s Age of Opportunities Initiative
Questioner: Councillor V D’Albert
Answered by (and action): Councillor Sullivan

15. Issue: Funding of Care Link
Questioner: Councillor Costello
Answered by (and action): Councillor Sullivan

16. Issue: Consultations with disabled people in policy development
Questioner: Councillor Rothwell
Answered by (and action): Councillor Sullivan

17. Issue: Financial Implications of postponing implementation of Pay & Grading Review
Questioner: Councillor Connolly
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby

18. Issue: Secondary Strategy for Change - Provision of Dining Room at Prestwich Arts College
Questioner: Councillor O’Hanlon
Answered by (and action): Councillor D Ashworth (update to be provided to Councillor O’Hanlon)

19. Issue: Status of Digest of Decisions No 9 for this meeting
Questioner: Councillor Boden and Connolly
Answered by (and action): Councillor Bibby/Director of Legal and Democratic Services (Councillors to be notified)

20. Issue: Congratulations to Staff involved in Revenues collection
Questioner: Councillor Holt
Answered by (and action): Councillor Redstone

21. Issue: Consultation meeting at Jinnah Day Centre - Secondary Strategy for Change - Views of Local Community and failure to invite Councillor Holt
Questioner: Councillor Smith & Byrne
Answered by (and action): Councillor D Ashworth

22. Issue: Deployment of Local Area Partnership Managers
Questioner: Councillor Pickstone
Answered by (and action): Councillor Creswell

23. Issue: Strategy in Place if funding is not secured from the Building Schools for the Future Programme
Questioner: Councillor S Wright
Answered by (and action): Councillor D Ashworth

The Mayor ruled out of order a question from Councillor Ahmed (Pimhole Regeneration Scheme) as this topic had not been considered by the Executive since the last Council meeting.
C.609The following Notice of Motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12:-

Pay and Grading Review

“As a result of the Council’s mishandling of the pay and grading review and the failure to consult properly, resulting in the withdrawal of letters of dismissal, we believe the failure of the Leader of the Council to exercise understanding and awareness of the requirements and implications of his leadership, has exacerbated the feeling of frustration and worthlessness being felt by many of our loyal staff and has put severe financial penalties on the Council.

The Council, therefore, has no confidence in the Leader of the Council and calls on him to resign forthwith”.

In the names of Councillors W Campbell, M Connolly, T Holt, K Audin, D Boden, J Byrne, D Cassidy, F Chaudhry, S Costello, T Cummings, J Grimshaw, S Briggs, T Isherwood, A Matthews, J Smith,K Rothwell.

It was moved by Councillor Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly that the Motion be approved.

Following a detailed debate, Councillor Taylor moved and Councillor Redstone seconded that the question be now put which was passed by the Council with 26 members voting for and 25 against with no abstentions.

Councillor Campbell requested that the vote be taken by way of a ballot in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.4.

Councillor Walton together with at least 8 other Members requested that the voting be recorded to show how each Member cast their vote which, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5, overrides a demand for a ballot.

The Mayor sought the views of the Council and with 26 members voting for and 25 against, ruled that a recorded vote be undertaken.

The voting on the Motion on being put, was as follows:-
For the Motion:

Councillors Audin, Baum, Boden, Briggs, Byrne, Campbell, Cassidy, Chaudhry, Connolly, Costello, Cummings, M D’Albert, V D’Albert, Davison, A J Garner, A S Garner, Grimshaw, Holt, Isherwood, Matthews, O’Hanlon, Pickstone, Rothwell, Smith and S Wright (25).

Against the Motion:

Councillors Ahmed, D Ashworth, P Ashworth, Berry, Bibby, Bigg, Brown, Cohen, Creswell, Gartside, Gunther, Hankey, Harris, Higgin, Hurst, Magnall, Penketh, Redstone, Sullivan, Taylor, Theckston, Vincent, Walker, Walton, Wiseman and Y Wright (26).

The Mayor declared the Motion lost.
C.610There were no recommendations for consideration at this meeting.
C.611There were no Scrutiny Review Reports or specific items
‘called in’ by Scrutiny Commissions to be considered at this Council meeting.
C.612(a) Councillor Walker, the Council’s representative on the Greater Manchester Police Authority gave a verbal report on the work of that Joint Authority to Members of the Council present at the meeting.

(b) No written questions had been received on the work of the Joint Authorities.
C.613There 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.614There were no written questions asked on the delegated decisions of the Committees or Scrutiny Commissions contained in the Digest of Decisions 8 (2008/2009).