Agenda and minutes

Xxxx from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service will address Members on the use of Fire Sprinklers

Council received a presentation from Lee Shears and Keith Brooks of Cheshire Fire Service on the use of sprinklers in domestic and commercial buildings in the Borough.

They then answered Members’ questions before being thanked for their informative presentation.

          The minutes of the meeting of Annual Council held on 16 May 2013, having been printed and circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

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

          The Mayor made the following announcements:

·       The Mayoral delegation had been presented with a photograph of the old market in Leiria and a silver pendant to mark the occasion of their recent visit to the twin town of Leiria in May 2013;

·       The Mayor had been presented with a copy of Gideons New Testament and Psalms by Gideons International;

·       The Mayor had been presented with a Euro Bocce Challenge (2013) Bronze pendant  by Mr Andy Shard; and

·       The Mayor described her attendance at a number of events since her installation in May 2013.

The Leader advised that he had recently circulated his briefing note to all Councillors and had nothing further to report.

          The Council considered the minutes of the Executive Board meetings from 14 May 2013, 23 May 2013, 13 June 2013 and 27 June 2013.

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

          The Council considered the minutes of the Mersey Gateway Executive Board meeting from 13 June 2013.

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

The Council considered the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting from 22 May 2013.

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

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

Executive Board considered the attached report:-

The attachments can be viewed via the following links:

Report on Consultation Modifications

http://moderngov.halton.gov.uk/documents/s29822/Appendix%201%20-%20Report%20on%20Consultation%20on%20Mods.pdf

Inspector’s Final Report

http://moderngov.halton.gov.uk/documents/s29823/Appendix%202%20-%20Inspectors%20Final%20Report.pdf

Waste Local Plan

http://moderngov.halton.gov.uk/documents/s29990/Revised%20Appendix%203%20-%20Waste%20Local%20Plan.pdf

RECOMMENDED: That Council

1)    note the results of public consultation on the proposed modifications to the Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Local Plan that was undertaken between November 2012 and January 2013 (Appendix 1);

2)    welcome the report from the Planning Inspector which concluded that, subject to the proposed modifications, the Plan “meets the criteria for soundness in the National Planning Policy Framework” and “provides an appropriate basis for waste planning for Merseyside and Halton over the next 15 years” (Appendix 2);

3)    agree that the Waste Local Plan (Appendix 3) be adopted as part of the statutory development plan by each of the districts on a single date which shall be one working day after the final (sixth) Full Council resolution has been received;

4)    note that several of the adopted Unitary Development Plan saved policies (listed in paragraph 4.11, Table 2 of the report) will be replaced by Waste Local Plan policies including the site allocations; and

5)    grant delegated authority to the Operational Director, Policy, Planning and Transportation, in consultation with the Physical Environment Portfolio Holder to make minor typographical changes to the Waste Local Plan, prior to its final publication.

Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the adoption of the Joint Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Local Plan.

          RESOLVED: That Council

1)    note the results of public consultation on the proposed modifications to the Merseyside and Halton Joint Waste Local Plan that was undertaken between November 2012 and January 2013 (Appendix 1);

2)    welcome the report from the Planning Inspector which concluded that, subject to the proposed modifications, the Plan “meets the criteria for soundness in the National Planning Policy Framework” and “provides an appropriate basis for waste planning for Merseyside and Halton over the next 15 years” (Appendix 2);

3)    agree that the Waste Local Plan (Appendix 3) be adopted as part of the statutory development plan by each of the districts on a single date which shall be one working day after the final (sixth) Full Council resolution has been received;

4)    note that several of the adopted Unitary Development Plan saved policies (listed in paragraph 4.11, Table 2 of the Report) will be replaced by Waste Local Plan policies including the site allocations; and

5)    grant delegated authority to the Operational Director, Policy, Planning and Transportation in consultation with the Physical Environment Portfolio Holder to make minor typographical changes to the Waste Local Plan prior to its final publication. 

To consider the attached report.

RECOMMENDED: That the 2012/13 Annual Reports, submitted from the Policy and Performance Boards, be received.

The Council considered the report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator, outlining the Annual Reports for each of the Policy and Performance Boards (PPBs) for 2012/13, which had been submitted and which outlined their work, made recommendations for future work programmes and amended working methods if appropriate.

It was reported that the Annual Reports had been submitted to the appropriate PPBs for consideration and had all been agreed.

          RESOLVED: That the 2012/ 2013 Annual Reports, submitted from the Policy and Performance Boards, be received.

Executive Board considered the attached report:-

RECOMMENDED: That

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which advised Members of the award of grant funding through the Department for Transport’ s Local Pinch Point Programme.

          RESOLVED: That Council

1)    note the award of £1.675M grant funding for the Daresbury Enterprise Zone / East Runcorn Housing Access Improvement Scheme under the DfT’s Local Pinch Point Programme;

2)    approve the inclusion of the LPPP scheme into the Council’s Capital Programme at a total estimated cost of £2.394M to be phased over 2013/14 and 2014/15; and

3)    note that, in accordance with Procurement Standing Order (PSO) 1.8.4, PSO 4.1 (Competition Requirements) be waived and design and scheme preparation services be procured from Mott MacDonald Ltd. for reasons of urgency, as set out in the report.

Executive Board considered the attached report:-

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities which presented a finalised version of Halton’s Housing Strategy 2013/18.

          RESOLVED: That the revised Housing Strategy, attached at Appendix A and supporting evidence document attached at Appendix B, be approved.

Executive Board considered the attached report:-

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities, on the Library Strategy 2013/16.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the Library Strategy 2013/16 be approved; and

2)    any further editorial changes/corrections required following the close of consultation be delegated to the Strategic Director, Communities, in conjunction with the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood, Leisure and Sport.

(N.B. Councillor Roberts declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Minute HEA 6 of the Health Policy and Performance Board, as he was employed by  Wirral University Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust)

          The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 16 May 2013:

·       Children, Young People and Families;

·       Employment, Learning , Skills and Community;

·       Health;

·       Safer;

·       Environment and Urban Renewal;

·       Corporate; and

·       Business Efficiency.

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

Councillor Gilligan highlighted the achievements of a number of Services (Minute CS8 referred) and wished to place on record his congratulations to staff in Revenues and Benefits, Legal Services and the Stadium’s Catering Service for their respective team achievements.

          The Council considered the reports on the work of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 16 May 2013:-

·       Development Control; and

·       Regulatory.

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

Councillor G Stockton wished to place on record his thanks for the cross party support on the Development Control Committee item referred to in minute number DEV 4.

        In this case the Board has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Council considered:

(1)      whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of Council during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraphs 3 and 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

(2)      whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

          RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Executive Board considered the attached Part II report:-

RECOMMENDED: That Council note the changes made under the powers of delegation as detailed in the report.

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Chief Executive on the development of the former Crossville Depot, Runcorn and land at Earle Road, Widnes Waterfront.

          The report advised on the progress that had been made to bring about the development of both sites, and noted the commercial changes to the terms of the respective development agreements.

          RESOLVED: That the changes made under the powers of delegation, as detailed in the report, be noted.