Agenda and draft minutes

Members of the Council are requested to declare any interests which they have in any items or issues before the Council for determination.

Councillors Birchmore, Booth, Walsh and Y Wright declared personal interest in considering the Conservative Notice of Motion as Members of Bury Folk Keep it Green.

Councillor Joan Grimshaw declared a personal interest in all matters under consideration as her daughter is employed by the GMCA.

To receive communications from the Mayor and any announcements by the Leader of the Council or the Chief Executive on matters of interest to the Council.

The Mayor commended those residents of Bury that had received honours in the King’s New Years Honours list.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December are attached.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7^th December were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To answer questions from members of the public, notice of which has been given, on any matter relevant to the Council or its services to the community. Up to 30 minutes will be set aside for this purpose. If time permits, further questions will be invited from members of the public present.

Notice had been received of 9 questions. The Leader gave an undertaking that copies of those questions and responses will be circulated to all Councillors. The Leader also gave an undertaking to make these available on the Council Web Site.

Meeting of Cabinet, 11^th January 2023 – Appointment of Deputy Mayor

It was moved by Councillor O’Brien and seconded by Councillor Bernstein and it was agreed that:

Councillor Hussain be appointed as the Deputy Mayor for the Metropolitan Borough of Bury for the municipal year 2023.24

Report attached.

It was moved by Councillor Gold and seconded by Councillor O’Brien and it was agreed that the recommendations within the Council Tax Support Scheme be approved.

Report attached.

It was moved be Councillor Rafiq and seconded by Councillor O’Brien and it was agreed that:

Lynne Ridsdale, Bury Council’s Deputy Chief Executive be appointed as

Deputy Electoral Registration Officer until 1 March 2023.

The Bury Council’s Monitoring Officer, Jacqui Dennis and the Joint

Chief Information Officer, Kate Waterhouse being appointed as Deputy Electoral Registration Officers.

Report attached.

It was moved by Councillor Alan Quinn and seconded by Councillor O’Brien and with 40 members voting for, 8 members voting against and Councillor Brown and the Mayor abstaining:

Council agrees to:

1. The establishment of a GM Clean Air Joint Scrutiny Committee;

2. The Terms of Reference of the Committee as set out in Appendix A; and

3. Appoint a member and substitute to the Committee.

Report attached.

It was moved by Councillor O’Brien and it was seconded by Councillor Tariq and it was agreed that the Council:

1. Note the recommendations of the report of the GM Independent

Remuneration Panel. (Appendix 1).

2. Note that the levelling up bill is still proceeding through parliament and

therefore the GMCA does not yet have legislative power to pay allowances

directly to the GMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee members.

3. That Bury Council (along with GM Districts) pay allowances to their

appointees to the GMCA Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the interim.

4. Ensure that appropriate arrangements are put in place with the GM treasurer to enable reimbursement from the GMCA to Bury Council.

5. Payments of SRAs for Members and Chair of the GMCA Overview and

Scrutiny Committee are set as recommended in the report (Appendix 1) and

are backdated to 24th June 2022 when the new scrutiny arrangements were

put in place.

6. The Council’s Member Allowance Scheme is adjusted to take account of the interim arrangements.

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council on the work of the Cabinet and to answer written questions from Members of the Council to the Leader, Cabinet Members and Chair of a Committee on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Borough, provided the necessary written notice has been given. (30 minutes)

A member may ask a verbal question of the Leader, any Member of the Cabinet or Chair of a Committee about any matter on the Council agenda and which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Borough.  Only one verbal question per Councillor. (15 minutes)

(a)         Written question (Notice given)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor E O’Brien, made a statement on the work undertaken by him since the date of the last Council meeting.

The Leader and the relevant Cabinet Members answered questions raised by Councillors on the following issues:                                

Due to the lack of time to answer questions 13 to 19 inclusive, the Leader gave an undertaking that copies of those questions and responses will be circulated to all Councillors. The Leader also gave an undertaking to make these available on the Council Web Site. 

              b)      Verbal Questions

(A)         A combined authority update report is attached, for information

(B)         Questions (if any) on the work of the Combined Authority to be asked by Members of the Council for which the necessary notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.

(a)         The Council received a report on the work of the Combined Authorities.

(b)     The following questions had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rules:

(i)  Scrap Voter I.D. Requirement for Local Elections 2023

A motion had been received and set in the Summons in the names of:

Councillors: A. Arif, N Bayley, C Boles, N Boroda, C Cummins, U Farooq, E FitzGerald, N Frith, R Gold, D Green, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, M Hayes, G McGill, C Morris, E Moss, E O’Brien, K Peel, T Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, T Rafiq, I Rizvi, L Smith, T Tariq, S Thorpe, S Walmsley, and M Whitby.

This Council notes:

·         With the passage of the Elections Act last April, voters will now have to present identification when they go to vote in person.

·         If an eligible voter does not have or cannot present identification, they will be turned away.

·         According to government-issued research, 2% of eligible voters have no form of photo ID, and 4% of eligible voters have no form of recognisable ID. For Bury, this means thousands of eligible voters would be at risk of not being able to vote.

·         The 344-page legal guidelines setting out how the system will operate were only put before parliament in November 2022 and have only just come into effect, giving election officials minimal time to respond.

·         The Association of Electoral Administrators has said it is already concerned about the tightness of timescales and recruiting enough temporary staff for polling stations.

·         The Electoral Commission, the official watchdog that will oversee the rollout of voter ID, has said the timetable could affect some eligible voters’ ability to vote in the May 2023 local elections, saying there was a risk of confusion and of valid voters being turned away, which could damage wider confidence in elections.

·         The Local Government Association (LGA) has also shared concerns that there is insufficient time ahead of the May 2023 elections to introduce the requirement to show photo ID and are calling for a delay of the process.

This Council resolves to:

·         Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expressing our opposition to the new requirements and calling for a delay to the introduction of voter I.D. requirements for the local elections in May 2023.

·         Write to the Members of Parliament for Bury South and Bury North requesting that they also write to the Secretary of State expressing opposition to the new requirements and call for a delay to the introduction of voter I.D. requirements for the local elections in May 2023.

·         In the situation where our resolutions are ignored or rejected,  to call on the Returning Officer to  run a comprehensive voter registration campaign and voter I.D. awareness campaign in the run up to the local elections in May 2023. This would include, but not be limited to:

1.    Correspondence to all households about the new requirements

2.    Targeted communication to those most likely not to have accepted identification

3.    Engagement with schools and colleges encouraging younger people to register to vote

(ii)        Withdrawal of Bury Council from the Places for Everyone Plan

A motion has been received and  ...  view the full agenda text for item C. 14

(i)         Scrap Voter I.D. Requirement for Local Elections 2023

This Council notes:

·         With the passage of the Elections Act last April, voters will now have to present identification when they go to vote in person.

·         If an eligible voter does not have or cannot present identification, they will be turned away.

·         According to government-issued research, 2% of eligible voters have no form of photo ID, and 4% of eligible voters have no form of recognisable ID. For Bury, this means thousands of eligible voters would be at risk of not being able to vote.

·         The 344-page legal guidelines setting out how the system will operate were only put before parliament in November 2022 and have only just come into effect, giving election officials minimal time to respond.

·         The Association of Electoral Administrators has said it is already concerned about the tightness of timescales and recruiting enough temporary staff for polling stations.

·         The Electoral Commission, the official watchdog that will oversee the rollout of voter ID, has said the timetable could affect some eligible voters’ ability to vote in the May 2023 local elections, saying there was a risk of confusion and of valid voters being turned away, which could damage wider confidence in elections.

·         The Local Government Association (LGA) has also shared concerns that there is insufficient time ahead of the May 2023 elections to introduce the requirement to show photo ID and are calling for a delay of the process.

This Council resolves to:

·         Write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expressing our opposition to the new requirements and calling for a delay to the introduction of voter I.D. requirements for the local elections in May 2023.

·         Write to the Members of Parliament for Bury South and Bury North requesting that they also write to the Secretary of State expressing opposition to the new requirements and call for a delay to the introduction of voter I.D. requirements for the local elections in May 2023.

·         In the situation where our resolutions are ignored or rejected,  to call on the Returning Officer to  run a comprehensive voter registration campaign and voter I.D. awareness campaign in the run up to the local elections in May 2023. This would include, but not be limited to:

1.    Correspondence to all households about the new requirements

2.    Targeted communication to those most likely not to have accepted identification

3.    Engagement with schools and colleges encouraging younger people to register to vote

On being put with 29 Members voting for and 13 members voting against and the Mayor, Councillors C Birchmore, M Smith, Duncalfe, Mason, Walsh and Marsden abstaining

The Mayor declared the motion was carried.

(ii)        Withdrawal of Bury Council from the Places for Everyone Plan

A motion has been received and set in the summons in the names of councillors Arif, Bernstein, Brown, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Hussain, Jones, Lancaster, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon.

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities recently made a statement in the house  ...  view the full minutes text for item C. 14

A report setting out progress in respect of Motions passed at the last meeting of Council is attached for information.

For information.

There were no scrutiny reports or specific items called in.

Questions on the work of Outside Bodies or partnerships on which the Council is represented to be asked by Members of the Council (if any).

There were no questions on the work of the outside partnerships