Agenda item

NOTICES OF MOTION

The following Notices of Motion have been received:-

 

1.   Bury’s Core Strategy

 

THIS COUNCIL notes its disappointment at the decision of the Inspector to suspend examination of the Bury Core Strategy.

THIS COUNCIL RESOLVES TO:

1.   Instruct officers that any future Core Strategy submitted for examination must reflect existing Council policy that it is inappropriate to develop on the green belt. 

2.   Instruct officers to delete all reference to Gin Hall being a preferred location for economic development as the site sits within the green belt. Council recognises that if the Gin Hall proposal remains within any future Core Strategy proposal as there is the real risk this will lead to that document being found to be unsound, leading to further delay and the waste of taxpayers’ money.

3.   Instruct officers to delete all reference to capitalising on opportunities to harness wind energy along the western and northeastern boundary and north of the Irwell Valley in relation any sites that sit within the green belt.

4.   Include the Council’s scrutiny process before responding to the Inspector.”

 

In the names of Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, S Nuttall, R Walker, J Walton and Y Wright

 

2.   Local Government Finance

 

“...Since 2011 Bury Council has seen the funding that it receives from central Government cut by nearly 30%.  To make matters worse, the fact that the grant distribution formula favours southern councils means that every man, woman and child in Bury receives just £381 from Government grant compared to an average for the country of £445.

 

As a result the Council has been forced to make budget cuts of £38million over the past four years; over a third of our controllable net budget

 

Bury is widely recognised as a low spending, high performing Council and we have done everything possible to achieve the cuts through further efficiency savings in order to protect, as far as possible, vital local services.

 

However this situation is no longer sustainable and the fact that the Council is facing £15.8m of further cuts in 2015/16 means that we will have no alternative but to make significant changes to our services.

 

The Council agrees to call on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and both local MPs to meet with the Council to explore ways to deliver a Fair Deal for Bury and a level of on-going funding that means we can provide sustainable local services to the people of Bury.”

 

 

In the names of Councillors  P Adams,  D Bailey, M Bailey, N Bayley, J Black, S Briggs, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald L Fitzwalter, J Frith, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones, S Kerrison, J S Lewis, A K Matthews, J Mallon, E O’Brien, N A Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, T Tariq,  S Walmsley and M Whitby.

 

 

Minutes:

Two Notices of Motion have been received and set out in the Summons.

 

1.        Bury’s Core Strategy

 

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

 

Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, S Nuttall, R Walker, J Walton and Y Wright

 

It was moved by Councillor Daly and seconded by Councillor Gartside:

 

“THIS COUNCIL notes its disappointment at the decision of the Inspector to suspend examination of the Bury Core Strategy.

 

THIS COUNCIL RESOLVES TO:

1.  Instruct officers that any future Core Strategy submitted for examination must reflect existing Council policy that it is inappropriate to develop on the green belt. 

2.  Instruct officers to delete all reference to Gin Hall being a preferred location for economic development as the site sits within the green belt. Council recognises that if the Gin Hall proposal remains within any future Core Strategy proposal as there is the real risk this will lead to that document being found to be unsound, leading to further delay and the waste of taxpayers’ money.

3.  Instruct officers to delete all reference to capitalising on opportunities to harness wind energy along the western and northeastern boundary and north of the Irwell Valley in relation any sites that sit within the green belt.

4.  Include the Council’s scrutiny process before responding to the Inspector.”

              It was moved by Councillor Walmsley and seconded by Councillor Isherwood as an amendment:

“THIS COUNCIL notes its disappointment at the decision of the Inspector to suspend the Examination of Bury’s submitted Core Strategy.

 

THIS COUNCIL RESOLVES TO:

 

1.   Continue to lawfully exercise our right as community champions to defend the green belt.

 

Delete 2, 3 and 4 and insert:

 

2.   Give detailed consideration to the Inspector’s concerns and what implications these may have for the Core Strategy before determining an appropriate way forward in seeking to get an up-to-date development plan in place as soon as possible.

 

3.   Send an all-party letter to the Government expressing strong concerns regarding the significant difficulties associated with the current planning system in general, and with progressing development plans to adoption.

 

4.   That the response to the issues raised in the Inspector’s letter be the subject of a report to Cabinet which would give the opportunity for matters to be considered by Scrutiny.”

 

             It was moved and seconded that the vote be now put and this was declared carried.

 

             Prior to the vote on the amendment, in excess of the eight Councillors requested that voting be recorded to show how each Member cast their vote, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5.

            

             The result of the vote was as follows:-

 

             For the amendment:

 

             Councillors P Adams, D Bailey, M Bailey, N Bayley, S Briggs, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald, L Fitzwalter, J Grimshaw, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones, S Kerrison, J S Lewis, J Mallon, A K Matthews, E O’Brien, N A Parnell, T Pickstone, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, S Walmsley and M Whitby.

 

             Against the amendment:

 

             None.

 

             Abstaining from the amendment:

 

   The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, S Nuttall, R Walker and J Walton.

 

The Mayor declared the amendment carried. 

 

The substantive motion was put to the vote.

 

With 36 voting for, none against and eleven abstaining, the Substantive Motion was declared carried.

 

2.   Local Government Finance

 

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

 

             Councillors P Adams, D Bailey, M Bailey, N Bayley, J Black, S Briggs, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald, L Fitzwalter, J Frith, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones, S Kerrison, J S Lewis, J Mallon, A K Matthews, E O’Brien, N A Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, T Tariq, S Walmsley and M Whitby.

 

It was moved by Councillor Connolly and seconded by Councillor Shori:-

 

“…Since 2011 Bury Council has seen the funding that it receives from central Government cut by nearly 30%.  To make matters worse, the fact that the grant distribution formula favours southern councils means that every man, woman and child in Bury receives just £381 from Government grant compared to an average for the country of £445.

 

As a result the Council has been forced to make budget cuts of £38million over the past four years; over a third of our controllable net budget

 

Bury is widely recognised as a low spending, high performing Council and we have done everything possible to achieve the cuts through further efficiency savings in order to protect, as far as possible, vital local services.

 

However this situation is no longer sustainable and the fact that the Council is facing £15.8m of further cuts in 2015/16 means that we will have no alternative but to make significant changes to our services.

 

The Council agrees to call on the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and both local MPs to meet with the Council to explore ways to deliver a Fair Deal for Bury and a level of on-going funding that means we can provide sustainable local services to the people of Bury.”

     

It was moved by Councillor Gartside and seconded by Councillor Daly as an amendment:-

 

Delete all wording except for “Since 2011 Bury Council has seen the funding that it receives from central Government cut by nearly 30%.”

 

Add “This Council, therefore, welcomes the invitation by Brandon Lewis, MP and minister for Local Government, to examine all aspects of Bury’s funding formula in order to ensure that no technical issues have been detrimental to our funding settlement and that any “Transformation” grant monies have not been overlooked by DCLG.

 

This Council resolves to send a delegation comprising of senior finance officers and Councillors in key positions of responsibility, to join the two Members of Parliament for Bury at a meeting with Mr Lewis in early September 2014.

 

At the meeting, this Council requests that those present explore ways in which we can absorb any future reductions in funding without affecting the level of the Council Tax on front-line services.”

 

Prior to the vote on the amendment, in excess of the required eight Councillors requested that voting be recorded to show how each Member cast their vote, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5.

 

The result of the vote was as follows:

 

             For the amendment:

 

             Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, S Nuttall, T D Pickstone, R Walker and J Walton.

 

             Against the amendment:

 

             Councillors P Adams, D Bailey, M Bailey, N Bayley, S Briggs, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald, L Fitzwalter, J Grimshaw, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones, S Kerrison, J S Lewis, J Mallon, A K Matthews, E O’Brien, N A Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, S Walmsley and M Whitby.

 

             Abstaining from the vote:

 

             The Worshipful the Mayor.

 

             The substantive motion was put to the vote.  Prior to the vote on the substantive motion, in excess of the required eight Councillors requested that voting be recorded to show how each member cast their vote, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5.

 

             The result of the vote was as follows:

 

             For the substantive motion:-

 

             Councillors P Adams, D Bailey, M Bailey, N Bayley, S Briggs, P Bury, G Campbell, S Carter, D M Cassidy, M Connolly, A J Cummings, E FitzGerald, L Fitzwalter, J Grimshaw, P Heneghan, T Holt, A Isherwood, M A James, D Jones, S Kerrison, J S Lewis, J Mallon, A K Matthews, E O’Brien, N A Parnell, A Quinn, K Rothwell, R Shori, A Simpson, S Smith, J Smith, S Southworth, S Walmsley and M Whitby.

 

             Against the substantive motion:-

 

             None.

 

             Abstaining from the vote:-

 

             The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillors I Bevan, R Caserta, J Daly, I Gartside, D Gunther, R Hodkinson, K Hussain, S Nuttall, T D Pickstone, R Walker and J Walton.

            

The Mayor declared the substantive motion carried.