1 Apologies for absence.
2 To approve as correct records the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Council held on 23 April 2008 and of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 14 May 2008 (page nos. 1 and 8 respectively).
3 To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Executive Leader, Members of the Executive or the Head of Paid Service that they may desire to lay before the Council. In particular:-
(a) Death of former Mayoress, Mrs Bessie Simmons.
(b) China earthquake.
(c) Appointment of Mrs Joy Smith as a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Greater Manchester.
(d) Queen’s Birthday Honours 2008.
(e) Wigan Athletic remaining in the premiership.
(f) Retirement of acting Democratic Services Manager – Mr H J Webster.
(g) Mayor’s charity update: The total raised to date during 2007/08 is £64,926 and for 2008/09 £303.
(h) Further issues (if any).
Open items:
4 To receive declarations of interest in any item for discussion at the meeting: see attached advice from the Service Director, Borough Solicitor (.pdf, 24Kb).
5 Outstanding business from last Council meeting: There is none.
6 To consider the incorporation of the following issues into the Policy Framework or the Budget Framework as appropriate:-
(a) Food Service Plan 2008/09 (.pdf, 113Kb): report enclosed.
(b) Admission arrangements for specialist provision: This report has now been withdrawn.
(c) Further issues (if any).
7 To consider the following constitutional issues:-
(a) Changes in membership/appointment of Members to Committees/Panels (if any): To report that nominations have been received for the following Councillors to fill the three vacant Labour places on the Honorary Aldermen Nominations Committee:-
Councillors C Ready, C Sweeney and R Winkworth.
(b) Appointment of Local Authority representative governors (.pdf, 58Kb): report enclosed.
The Council is recommended to:-
appoint the Governors as nominated and authorise the Director of Children and Young People’s Services to advise the Local Authority appointed Governors of their terms of office as set out in the report.
(c) Appointments to outside bodies (.pdf, 52Kb): report enclosed.
(d) Appointment of Co-opted Members (.pdf, 36Kb): report enclosed.
(e) Quarterly monitoring of urgent items: To report that there were no urgent items taken to meetings under rule 16 of the access to information rules of the constitution during the period 1 January to 30 April 2008.
(f) Overview and Scrutiny Committee - annual report – 2007/2008 (.pdf, 53Kb): report enclosed
8 The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities – new governance arrangements (.pdf, 621Kb): report enclosed.
9 The Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) statement 2007/08 and 2008/09 (.pdf, 49Kb): report enclosed.
10 Questions and comments (if any) under rule 8(1)(b) in relation to the deliberations of the Cabinet, Committees and Panels set out in the separate minute book and circulated for information only.
11 Questions (if any) under Rule 8(1)(a).
12 Notice of Motions (a) Motions must be about matters for which the Council has a responsibility or which affect the area, Rule of Procedure 9.3
(b) Request for permission to alter a motion under Rule of Procedure 11.7(a).
(c) Request for permission to withdraw a motion under Rule of Procedure 11.8.
(d) Previous decisions and motions, Rule of Procedure 13.
(e) Requests for the suspension of Rules of Procedure under Rule 20.1 (if any).
(f) Copy of the report of the Chief Executive and Service Director, Borough Solicitor on the competence and lawfulness of the motions is also enclosed (.pdf, 39Kb).
(1) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor E N Houlton:-
“This Council calls upon Greater Manchester Police to carry out more visible Police patrols in Lowton and Golborne.”
(2) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor M W Winstanley:-
“In light of the Government's decision to press ahead with the Congestion Charge for Manchester, this Council fully supports a local referendum in Wigan, organised by the Electoral Reform Society or another Independent Body, to let people have their say on this controversial scheme.”
(3) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor G Wilkes:-
“At the commencement of each ordinary meeting of the Council there is an opportunity for people who live, work or study in the Borough of Wigan and Leigh to attend and put questions to the Leader of the Council and Executive Members.
Public Question Time will begin at 6:00pm in the Council Chamber and will last for 30 minutes.
Questions are restricted to matters relating to Wigan Council and/or the services provided by the Council.
A person may only submit one question for consideration at any Public Question Time, but one supplementary question will be allowed in each case.
Questions will not be accepted which relate to:-
- Judicial or quasi-judicial matters;
- Matters under investigation;
- Individual planning, license or grant applications or appeals;
- Named officer or member of the Council;
- Confidential or exempt information as described in the Access to information Procedure Rules or requires its disclosure;
- Party political matters;
- Defamatory material; and
- Substantially the same issue as a question put within the past 6 months. Questions will not be accepted from Member and Employees of the Council.
Questions must be submitted in writing and received no later than 3 working days prior to any Full Council meeting. Questions will be dealt with in the order in which they are received. If time does not allow all of the submitted questions to be dealt with, a written answer will be provided within seven days.”
4) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor G Wilkes:-
“This Council considers fly tipping one of the most disrespectful acts in today’s society, and its effects are demoralising to our communities.
It can cost the Wigan tax payer as much as £300,000 per year to remove this unwanted material from our streets and open spaces.
With resent pilot scheme taking place in Marsh Green, Worsley Hall, Pemberton, Kitt Green, Worsley Mesnes and some parts of Leigh leading the way for the ten pounds charge for domestic collections being scrapped, I call upon the Cabinet to treat all other Wards in the Borough with the same favouritism, and scrap the charge immediately, so all the Borough can benefit.”
(5) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor G Wilkes:-
“This Council will initiate a criteria or protocol for selecting a new Mayor. At present we have no set rules or procedures for the selection of the First Citizen of the Borough.
This Council will not just consider selecting a Mayor from the ruling group but also consider a Mayor from any of the Opposition parties or Independents.
This Council will form a select committee consisting off an equal number of Councillors from all parties and Independent groups to search for a resolution.
The new criteria for the selection of the Mayor will be in place before the start of the next Municipal year 2009.”
(6) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor M W Winstanley:-
“This Council places on record it's opposition to the proposed closure of Whelley Hospital by the local NHS Trust and furthermore pledges to ensure that this view is conveyed to the Trust management during the public consultation.”
