Agenda and minutes

            The minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2006, having been printed and circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

            The Board considered a report of the Council Solicitor presenting a draft statement of gambling policy, which the Council was required to adopt under the Gambling Act 2005.

            The Government had recently announced that statements of gambling policy must be in force by the end of January 2007 and so the draft had been produced in order that a formal consultation period could begin on, or around, 8^th September 2006, ending by week commencing 23^rd October 2006.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)               the draft statement of gambling policy attached to the report be the Council’s consultation draft;

(2)               the Council Solicitor determine all matters relating to the consultation process; and

(3)               the matter be reported back to the Executive Board following the consultation process.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy providing details of budget savings.

It was noted that the Council set its 2006/07 revenue budget on 1^st March 2006 and, in doing so, approved the inclusion of a savings reduction of £250,000 for each Directorate. Details of how the savings were to be implemented by each Directorate were presented in the Appendix to the report.

            RESOLVED: That the savings proposals presented in Appendix 1 to the report be approved.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Environment outlining progress on the development of a potential waste management partnership working with the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA).

            It was noted that, following the meeting of the Board on 22^nd June 2006, the Council’s intentions to formally request that Halton Borough Council be accepted as a partner by the MWDA to work towards securing appropriate waste treatment and disposal services and facilities had been declared in a letter to the MWDA; at its Annual Meeting held on 28^th June 2006, MWDA Members resolved that:

(1)               the Authority agrees in principle to the acceptance of Halton Borough Council as a partner; and

(2)               officers be instructed to consider the implications of this proposal and produce a risk/benefit analysis for consideration by Members at a future meeting of the Authority.

Warrington Borough Council had been formally advised of Halton’s intentions to work with Merseyside and, as a result, it was jointly agreed that the Joint Halton and Warrington Waste Management Board should be disbanded.

The consequences of a Halton/MWDA partnership were outlined in the report for the Board’s consideration. It was noted that the next key dates for Halton were to reach an “In Principle” agreement to work in partnership by 13^th September 2006 and for a firm and binding decision to be reached by all parties by early October 2006.

RESOLVED: That

(1)               the Council agree, in principle, to work in partnership with the MWDA to secure appropriate waste treatment and disposal services and facilities;

(2)               a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) containing partnership principles between Halton Borough Council and MWDA be drawn up and signed by both parties, and approval be given for officers to work through the detail of a formal Inter Authority Agreement (IAA) with the MWDA;

(3)               Halton’s Municipal Waste Management Strategy be updated and aligned with the strategic approaches contained within the Merseyside Waste Management Strategy;

(4)               the Strategic Director – Environment, in consultation with the Executive Board Member for Environment, be authorised to commission work, as needed, from the external consultants appointed by the MWDA; and

(5)               a further report be presented to the Executive Board on 21^st September 2006.

(NB Councillor Mike Wharton declared a personal interest in the following item of business due to being a resident of, and a representative of (as Ward Councillor), Hale Village. Councillor Wharton left the meeting for the duration of this item.)

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Environment responding to the invitation from Peel Airports Ltd for the Council to comment on the Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) Draft Masterplan that had now been published for public consultation.

            It was noted that the Department for Transport had asked airports to prepare Masterplans to 2030 showing how proposals for airport expansion could be achieved. The implications of this Masterplan for Halton were outlined in the report for consideration. In addition, Mr Peter Nears and Mr Robin Tudor, representatives of LJLA, attended the meeting to discuss the implications and answer Board Members’ queries.

            Issues discussed included the following:

• the significant growth in services to Europe and America;
• the significant growth in the catchment area of people using the airport;
• implications in terms of access, the plan for an Eastern access transport corridor and the impact of this in terms of the second Mersey crossing;
• the expansion of the coastal park;
• actions taken in respect of carbon off-setting;
• increased noise and pollution;
• possible expansion of the Sound Insulation Grant Scheme;
• confirmation that risk assessment work had been undertaken by an external body;
• the increase in the volume of approaching aircraft, which had led to a perception that flight paths had changed, and the fact that this could not be re-aligned; and
• workforce numbers and the anticipated impact on the economic infrastructure of the area; for example by the introduction of new hotels and car parking facilities.

Mr Nears confirmed that the second Mersey Crossing could be made a more prominent part of the access strategy. In addition, it was stated that developments taking place in the Wirral would not result in the re-routing of flight paths over Halton.

Mr Nears and Mr Tudor were thanked for attending the meeting, and a slightly amended recommended Council response was tabled for consideration:

RESOLVED: That the following Recommended Response to the Draft Masterplan consultation be agreed and conveyed to Peel Airports Ltd:

1.                  The Council welcomes the increased job opportunities and business development opportunities that will be brought to Halton and the wider sub region as a result of the proposed expansion of the Airport.

2.                  If highway capacity studies show a need for the construction of an Eastern Access Transport Corridor, and this is essential to the expansion of the airport, then such a solution is supported in principle.  However, although the shortest (and cheapest) Option SA2 is supported, Option SA3 would be preferred as it has advantages for creating a direct link between the proposed Mersey Multi Modal Gateway (rail freight park at Ditton) and the strategic road networks.  Option SA4, although also creating such a link to the strategic road network, is opposed on the basis that the route would severely restrict development of the rail freight park by cutting across land allocated for it in the Halton Unitary Development Plan.

3.                  The Council is concerned about the predicted increase in noise levels shown by the ‘low community annoyance’ noise  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

            The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director – Corporate and Policy regarding Halton’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) submission. It was noted that the LEGI Programme was a competitive bidding process aimed at providing additional financial support to promote enterprise in deprived areas; this was only open to the 81 Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

            Following feedback received from Halton’s unsuccessful round 1 application, it was considered that the next bid needed to be bolder and more ambitious. Consequently, Halton’s round 2 bid referenced Halton’s economic opportunities as providing the catalyst for transformational change.

            The bid was likely to be £15 million over 3 years and comprised 3 work streams:

(1)   creating and embedding an enterprise culture;

(2)   supporting and growing strong businesses; and

(3)   attracting and retaining inward investment relevant to the needs of business.

It was noted that Halton’s strategic partners were currently preparing some 30 project proposals to feed into these workstreams.

The application concentrated primarily on the Windmill Hill, Castlefields, Halton Lea, Riverside and Kingsway Wards, although the programme would have benefits for the whole of the Borough, and Members noted that the deadline for receipt of applications was 14^th September 2006.

RESOLVED: That the signing off of the final submission be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the relevant portfolio holder.

MINUTES ISSUED: 12^th September 2006

CALL IN: 19^th September 2006

Any matter decided by the Executive Board may be called in no later that 19^th September 2006.