Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will receive on behalf of the Council, the Pledge to Children in Care Charter, which was considered and endorsed by Executive Board on 3 October 2013.

          The Mayor welcomed Annalise Gray, a young person in care within Halton, to the meeting.

          A copy of the Children in Care Pledge was presented to the Mayor, who received it on behalf of the full Council, as Corporate Parents. The Pledge had been developed by children in care and care leavers, and identified the twelve key things that they felt would improve outcomes for them.

          The Mayor then invited Annalise to address the Members before being thanked for attending the meeting.

a)    17 July 2103

b)    19 September 2013

The minutes of the meetings held on 17 July 2013 and 19 September 2013, Having been printed and circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meetings be confirmed and adopted.

          The Mayor made the following announcements:

·       Having recently attended the Vintage Rally event at Victoria Park, Widnes, she wished to thank all of those involved in the organisation of the event which welcomed over 60,000 visitors over the two days;

·       Tickets were still available for the next charity event to raise money for the Mayor’s charities – the theme was Halloween and the event was scheduled for Friday 25 October 2013.

          The Leader reported on the progress of the Mersey Gateway Project, working towards financial close. The next stage was to consider and agree a discount scheme for local users.

Councillor Chris Loftus sought the Leader’s assurance that he would make sure that Officers would not be involved in political issues. In response, the Leader gave him that assurance and offered the opportunity to discuss the matter at another convenient time.

a)    15 August 2013

b)      5 September 2013

c)     19 September 2013

d)      3 October 2013

The Council considered the minutes of the Executive Board meetings from 15 August 2013, 5 September 2013, 19 September 2013 and 3 October 2013.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

a)    19 September 2013

The Council considered the minutes of the meeting of the Mersey Gateway Executive Board on 19 September 2013.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

a)    17 July 2013

b)    18 September 2013

The Council received the minutes of the meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board on 17 July 2013 and 18 September 2013.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

It was noted that no questions had been submitted under Standing Order No. 8.

Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities, which provided Members with an update on the re-development of the Widnes Recreation Site, Liverpool Road, Widnes.

RECOMMENDED: That

1)    the proposals for the redevelopment of the former Widnes Recreation Site, Liverpool Road, Widnes, be approved;

2)    Council be recommended to approve inclusion of the former Widnes Recreation Site development within the Council’s Capital Programme;

3)    the Strategic Director, Communities, the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Community and Sport, be authorised to implement the project, provided planning permission is obtained and the indicative prices outlined in the report are not exceeded;

4)    Officers be authorised to begin public consultation with Sport England on the sports facility proposed within the Business Plan, attached at Appendix A; and

5)    Officers be authorised to proceed with planning applications and place the proposed housing land on the open market and to obtain tendered prices for the build cost.

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities on the redevelopment of the former Widnes Recreation Site, Liverpool Road, Widnes.

RESOLVED: That Council approve the inclusion of the former Widnes Recreation Site development within the Council’s Capital Programme.

Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Enterprise, which updated them on the proposed site upgrade works at Lowerhouse Lane Depot.

RECOMMENDED: That

1)    the proposals with regards to the proposed site upgrade works at Lowerhouse Lane Depot be approved; and

2)      Council be recommended to include in the Capital Programme the capital works with a total estimated cost of £735,000 to be funded, as set out in section 5 of the report.

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Children and Enterprise, on the upgrade works at Lowerhouse Lane Depot and the undertaking of further health and safety related capital works.

RESOLVED: That Council approve the inclusion of the capital works within the Council’s Capital Programme, with a total estimated cost of £735,000, to be funded as set out in section 5 of the report.

Executive Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which summarised the overall revenue and capital spending position as at 30^th June 2013.

RECOMMENDED: That the revisions to the Council’s 2013/14 capital programme set out in paragraph 3.2 below, be approved.

          Executive Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, which sought approval to a number of revisions to the Council’s 2013/14 Capital programme.

RESOLVED: That Council approve the revisions to the Council’s 2013/14 Capital Programme as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

Standards Committee had considered the Annual Report of the Operational Director/ Monitoring Officer, which summarised the work of the Committee in the last Municipal Year.

RECOMMENDED: That the report be noted and referred to Council for information.

          Standards Committee had considered a report of the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services/Monitoring Officer, which summarised the work of the Committee in the last Municipal Year.

RESOLVED: That Council note the Standards Committee Annual Report.

Development Control Committee considered an item which requested a temporary amendment to Standing Order 96 of the Council’s Constitution. The amendment was in relation to the scheme of delegation in relation to permitted development orders on householder applications.

RECOMMENDED: That

1.     Council amend the Constitution by adding the following wording after exception (f): “Provided that exceptions (b), (c) and (d) shall not apply to an application submitted under Class A1 (e) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended); and that had the above provisions applied that those applications shall be determined in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee; and

2.     Pending the implementation of the above, exceptions (b), (c) and (d) to delegated power 96 be dis-applied, shall in respect of any application submitted under Class A1 (e) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended) and that had the above provisions applied that those applications shall be determined in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee.

          Development Control Committee had considered an item which requested a temporary amendment to Standing Order 96 of the Council’s Constitution. The amendment was in relation to the scheme of delegation in relation to permitted development orders on householder applications.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the Constitution be amended by adding the following wording after exception (f): “Provided that exceptions (b), (c) and (d) shall not apply to an application submitted under Class A1 (e) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended); and that had the above provisions applied that those applications shall be determined in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee; and

2)    pending the implementation of the above, exceptions (b), (c) and (d) to delegated power 96 be dis-applied, shall in respect of any application submitted under Class A1 (e) of Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (as amended) and that had the above provisions applied that those applications shall be determined in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee.

Council are asked to note the following changes to the membership of the Outside Bodies listed below:

Knights House Charity – Councillor F Fraser has replaced Mr D Reynolds

Halton Community Transport – Councillor M Fry has replaced Councillor J Gerrard

The Council noted the following changes to the membership of the following Outside Bodies:

·       Knights House Charity – Councillor Fraser replaced Mr D Reynolds.

·       Halton Community Transport – Councillor Fry replaced Councillor Gerrard.

The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 17 July 2013:

·       Children, Young People and Families;

·       Employment, Learning and Skills;

·       Health;

·       Safer;

·       Environment and Urban Renewal;

·       Corporate; and

·       Business Efficiency.

In considering the minutes, the following comments/observations were made:-

·       Councillor Dennett advised that there would be a seminar early in 2014 on Corporate Parenting (CYP 16 refers);

·       Councillor Dennett advised on the launch in November of the new single Ofsted Inspection Framework, which would have a multi-agency approach (CYP 15 refers);

·       Councillor Osborne thanked Councillor Norman Plumpton Walsh for his work in chairing the Topic Group on the Night Time Economy (SAF 19 refers);

·       Councillor Chris Loftus made an observation on the financial support that had been made available from Government which supported the needs of people with dementia within care homes for the elderly in the Borough (HEA 22 refers).

(N.B. Councillor Cole declared a Disclosable Other Interest in Minute DEV 16 as he was a Board Member of Halton Housing Trust)

The Council considered the reports of the work of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 17 July 2013:

·       Development Control

·       Standards

·       Regulatory

          The following motion has been submitted in accordance with Standing Order No.6:

Proposer: Councillor Tom McInerney

Seconder: Councillor Harry Howard

BLACKLISTING

This Council:

Condemns and opposes the illegal practice of ‘Blacklisting’ employees or job applicants from either employment or workplace opportunities and pledges that Blacklisting will not form any part of the Council’s own workplace activities, nor would we expect any contractor associated with us to participate in Blacklisting when delivering any contracts on behalf of the Council.

The following Motion was moved and seconded by Councillors Tom McInerney and Howard respectively:

Blacklisting

‘This Council:

Condemns and opposes the illegal practice of ‘Blacklisting’ employees or job applicants from either employment or workplace opportunities and pledges that Blacklisting will not form any part of the Council’s own workplace activities, nor would we expect any contractor associated with us to participate in Blacklisting when delivering any contracts on behalf of the Council’.

RESOLVED: That the motion be agreed.