Agenda and minutes

          The minutes of the meetings of Council held on 5 February 2014 and 5 March 2014, 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 thanked Officers and fellow Members in helping to make her Mayoral Year successful and enjoyable. She advised that it had been a great honour to represent Halton and that her Charities had enjoyed the various fund raising events held during the year. She also thanked the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress for their support and wished the Mayor-elect, Councillor Shaun Osborne – every success for 2014/15.

            The Mayor also took the opportunity to wish fellow Members who were standing for re-election in the forthcoming Local Elections on 22 May 2014 every success.

            The Leader made the following announcements:-

·         Mersey Gateway – financial close was reached with the Merseylink consortium on 27 March 2014, with a reported £250 million of procurement savings.  A number of initial contracts worth a total of £10 million were ready to be announced by Merseylink with the majority going to North West businesses. He thanked Officers, public and private supporters of the scheme, and in particular Councillor McDermott for his leadership in the early days of the project;

·         Liverpool City Region Combined Authority held its inaugural meeting on 1 April 2014 and appointed Councillor Phil Davies, Leader of Wirral Borough Council, as its Chairman; and

·         He thanked the Mayor for her year of service and congratulated her on a successful year.

The Council considered the minutes of the Executive Board meetings from 6 February 2014, 27 February 2014, 13 March 2014 and 27 March 2014.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

The Council considered the minutes of the Mersey Gateway Executive Board meeting on 13 March 2014.

RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

The Council considered the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 15 January 2014.

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 on the establishment of Joint Health Scrutiny arrangements across Cheshire.

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the Joint Health Scrutiny Protocol.

Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Communities, on the establishment of a Joint Health Scrutiny Protocol.

RESOLVED: That Council approve the Joint Heath Scrutiny Protocol.

Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the Calendar of meetings for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the Calendar of Meetings for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the Calendar of meetings for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED: That Council approve the Calendar of meetings for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which sought approval to a number of changes to the Council’s Constitution.

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the revised Constitution, including the amendments, set out in Appendix 1.

Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which sought approval to a number of changes to the Council’s Constitution.

It was noted that the Scrutiny Chair’s Group had been consulted upon the proposed change to the Remit of PPB’s and were happy to support that recommendation.

            RESOLVED: That the changes to the Council’s Constitution, as set out in Appendix 1 attached to the report, be approved.

Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the results of the formal Polling District, Places and Stations Review.

RECOMMENDED: That Council adopt the amendments to the scheme, as detailed in the Appendix, for the period 2014/19.

Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, on the results of the formal Polling District, Places and Station Review.

RESOLVED: That Council adopt the amendments to the scheme, as detailed in the Appendix to the report, for the period 2014/19.

The Mayoral Committee considered a Part II item making recommendations for the appointment of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2014/15 Municipal Year.

Council is requested to note these recommendations as follows. Formal confirmation will be sought at the annual meeting of Council.

1)          Councillor Shaun Osborne be appointed as the Mayor; and

2)          Councillor Ellen Cargill be appointed as the Deputy Mayor.

The Mayoral Committee had considered a Part II item which made recommendations for the appointment of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2014/15 Municipal Year. Formal confirmation would be sought at the Annual meeting of Council.

RESOLVED: That Council note that

1)    Councillor Shaun Osborne be appointed Mayor; and

2)    Councillor Ellen Cargill be appointed Deputy Mayor.

(N.B. Councillor J Lowe declared a Disclosable Other Interest in item HEA65 on the Health Policy and Performance Board as a Member of the YMCA Board in Halton; Councillor N Plumpton Walsh declared a Disclosable Other Interest in item CS47, Corporate Policy and Performance Board as a gym member of D L Leisure).

The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 5 February 2014:-

·         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 observations were made:

·         CYP 48 – Adoption Scorecard 2010/13 – Councillor Dennett advised Members that Halton had achieved both Indicators on the Adoption Scorecard – one of only two North West Councils to do so;

·         SAF 42  - Proposed Anti-Social Behaviour Reforms – Councillor Osborne highlighted the pilot Perpetrator Scheme for male perpetrators of domestic violence, and of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, Clare’s Law;

·         CS44 – Living Wage Topic Group – Councillor Gilligan advised Members that the proposal to introduce a ‘supplement’ to any pay grade which currently sat below the Living Wage Rate would be considered by the Budget Working Group;

·         CS45 – Energy Efficiency – Councillor Gilligan reported that the Council had achieved savings of around £70,000 for 2015/16 through its Carbon Reduction Commitment; and

·         Councillor A Lowe, Chair of the Business Efficiency Board, wished to place on record his thanks to Councillor Martha Lloyd Jones, as Vice Chair, for chairing meetings of the Board when he was unable to do so due to ill health.

The Council considered the reports of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 5 February 2014:-

·         Development Control;

·         Regulatory;

·         Appeals; and

·         Mayoral.