1 Apologies for absence.
2 To approve as a correct record the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 3 September 2008 (page no 213).
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) Olympians and Paralympians Civic Reception:
(b) Laura White – X Factor contestant:
(c) Mayor’s Reception, Friday, 24 October 2008:
(d) Town Twinning – visit to Angers, September 2008:
(e) Visit to Ireland, September 2008:
(f) Mayor’s charity update: The total raised to date during 2008/09 is £12,328.00 with some money outstanding.
(g) Further issues (if any).
Open items:
4 To receive declarations of interest in any item for discussion at the meeting (.pdf, 24Kb): see attached advice from the Service Director, Borough Solicitor.
5 To deal with any business from the last Council meeting:
Notice of motion (minute 42 of Council refers): The Cabinet at minute 90 resolved as follows:-
Resolved: The Cabinet agrees:-
- to defer motion (1), submitted by Councillor P A Tushingham and motions (5) and (7), submitted by Councillor R M Bleakley, to a future meeting pending the receipt of further reports, prior to any decision being taken;
- to defer motion (9), submitted by Councillor G W Fairhurst, to a future meeting pending further investigation of the alternative options available for the use of Tunstall House;
- to defer motion (4), submitted by Councillor R M Bleakley, to a future meeting and requests the Executive Director – Business Support Services to report back after considering the content of the Government White Paper and the further detailed consultation due out in September that relates to the motion; and
- to refer motion (6), submitted by Councillor R M Bleakley, to the Single Commissioning Agency Joint Shadow Board for consideration and report back to a future meeting of the Cabinet.
6 To consider the incorporation of the following issues into the Policy Framework or the Budget Framework as appropriate:-
(a) Corporate Asset Management Plan 2008/09 (.pdf, 266Kb): report enclosed.
(b) Further issues (if any).
7 To consider the following constitutional issues:-
(a) Changes in membership/appointment of Members to Committees/Panels (.pdf, 44Kb): report enclosed.
(b) Appointments to outside bodies (.pdf, 46Kb): report enclosed.
(c) Appointment of LEA Representative Governors (.pdf, 54Kb): report enclosed.
(d) 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 May to 31 August 2008.
(e) Further issues (if any).
8 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.
9 Questions (if any) under Rule 8(1)(a).
10 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.
(1) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R M Bleakley:-
“Council notes the widespread litter associated with takeaway outlets in Wigan Borough which:-
- reinforces negative images of the borough;
- spills over into adjacent streets, blighting the lives of local residents ; and
- encourages the spread of vermin (notably rats) and increases risks to public health.
Council believes that a new initiative is needed to address this problem including:-
(a) Positive steps to reduce the amounts of waste generated by these outlets, including a 'Green' standard for limiting wrapping materials and promoting the installation and use of new on site recycling facilities;
(b) A rolling programme of street action by Environmental Health and Neighbourhood Services to visit fast food outlets and promote green practices, improved bin storage and discouraging dumping of trade waste; and
(c) Education and enforcement targeting young people in schools and colleges discouraging litter, including consideration of targeted late night enforcement action against people dropping litter outside or near fast food outlets.”
(2) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R M Bleakley:-
“This Council notes with deep concern that violence against women causes more deaths and disability worldwide amongst women aged 15 - 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war.
This Council believes that Wigan Council and its partners should consider women's safety as part of their routine risk assessment.
Some policies contain an obvious potential impact such as the physical environment; street lighting, planting along paths, the use and location of CCTV cameras; house building and provision, estate design and the routing of pedestrian walkways; the availability of public transport, particular for women who need to travel after dark.
However, this Council believes that many less obvious policies would also benefit from this inclusion in their risk assessment.
(For the avoidance of doubt, this Council recognises that men can also be the victims of violence. This Council further believes that measures which will help to keep women safe will also keep men safe and so does not believe this as a divisive motion).
This Council reconfirms its commitment to the safety of women and calls upon Wigan Council and its partners to ensure that all that all policy makers consider the impact of their decisions on women's safety.”
(3) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R M Bleakley:-
“Council notes with dismay the spiralling energy costs and the additional burden higher fuel bills places upon all households in the Borough.
Council notes that fuel prices are expected to increase by a further 40% by the end of 2008.
Council notes that this will put many residents at risk this winter as it pushes more people into fuel poverty.
Council recognises the good work that Council officers under take in working to reduce fuel poverty throughout Wigan Borough
Council welcomes the Labour Government’s Winter Fuel Payment Scheme but believes this to be inadequate in the current national financial slow down.
Council agrees to lobby the Government for a review of the level of payments to vulnerable groups in light of the escalating fuel prices.
Furthermore the Council agrees to provide residents with additional information through ‘Borough Life’ magazine and other Council publications on how they can apply for support and tackle the raising costs of living.”
(4) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R J Derricutt:-
“Local Authority Resolution Sustainable Communities Act
That Wigan MBC
(i) expresses its concern at the decline of local services and facilities, local economies and local communities;
(ii) notes that this combination of factors increases people’s feelings of exclusion and lack of involvement; and
(iii) further notes that local authorities and their communities know best on the solutions to local problems and so should determine how to promote thriving communities; and so
(iv) supports the bottom up process in the Sustainable Communities Act designed to allow local authorities and their communities to drive the help that central government gives in reversing community decline and promoting thriving, sustainable communities;
(v) notes that the Act became law in October 2007 with full cross party support and that this was a result of 5 year campaign run by a coalition of over 90 national citizens organisations called Local Works;
(vi) notes that the Act gives local authorities the power to
- make proposals to government on the action government must take to reverse community decline and promote sustainable communities, and
- argue for a transfer of public money and function from central to local control;
(vii) notes that the Act defines the sustainability of local communities broadly, that definition having the 4 aspects of
- the improvement of the local economy,
- protection of the environment,
- promotion of social inclusion, and
- participation in civic and political activity;
(viii) notes that the Local Works campaign give a number of reasons for why a local authority should choose to use the Act, those reasons being
1. Assistance from government - Community decline is happening everywhere and local authorities are not able to prevent it on their own. They need government help. This Act gives government a legal duty 'to assist local authorities in promoting the sustainability of local communities'. So by ‘opting in’ local authorities are, in fact, signing up to receive that 'assistance'.
2. Power to determine that assistance - The Act also gives local authorities (and their representative body, the Local Government Association) real power to determine the nature of the assistance that they receive from government, as explained more fully in our campaign broadsheet on implementing the Act.
3. Strength in numbers - By opting in, local authorities can act in unison to put in proposals to government supported by their colleagues elsewhere. Joint suggestions by many authorities will make it even harder for the government to refuse to act on suggestions made by local authorities.
4. Transferring functions and monies from central to local control - The Act also enables local authorities - and thus local authorities acting together - to request the transfer of functions from government or government agencies to themselves. Because decisions on these requests must be made by the LGA and the Secretary of State trying to reach agreement (i.e. in co-operation), this can be used to regain from central government control of many powers and spending that affect local areas.
5. Access to Central Spending Accounts Information - The requirement in the Act for the government to ‘open the books’ will mean that local authorities will know just how much extra money they can access if they push for a transfer of functions.
6. Democratic citizen involvement - All politicians (and many local authority officers) talk a lot about lack of public involvement in democracy. The recent Power report showed that the more people think that their involvement matters, the more they are likely to get involved. The very 'hassle' required by this Act (reaching agreement with – not consulting – citizens’ panels) empowers citizens. Local authorities may well consider that this is a way of increasing citizen involvement; and
(ix) resolves, when invited to by central government in October 2008, to use the Act by preparing and submitting proposals on how central government can help; and
(x) further resolves to
- to inform the local media of this decision;
- to write to local MPs, informing them of this decision; and
- to write to Local Works (at Local Works, c/o Unlock Democracy, 6 Cynthia St, London N1 9JF) informing them of their resolution to use the Act.”
(5) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor M Klieve:
“We urge the council to write to Arriva Buses and GMPTE to express our concern that Arriva are removing vital bus services that in many cases are a life line of the community we serve.
In Golborne like other communities we have had the removal of a vital bus service, the 365 bus route; this ran through one of our biggest estates picking up elderly and infirm residents.
With virtually no consultation with the community they gave just eight weeks notice and removed this service.
This council urges Arriva to reconsider the removal of such services and the impact on the local community in particular the most vulnerable people in our society.”
(6) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor Mrs S Loudon:-
“This council welcomes the investment that the Government is putting in to the learning provision for 11 – 19 year olds. If we are successful in gaining access to this scheme early, this Council will have cross party support for Wigan Schools for the Future - a scheme that signifies the biggest change to learning and training for decades.”
(7) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R J Derricutt:-
“That Wigan MBC recognises that the Home Care Service is too valuable to the residents of the borough, to be cheapened in this way (by being externalised) and bring the service back to the direct control of the Council.”
(8) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R M Bleakley:-
“Council welcomes the announcement of additional funding of £140m recently announced by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State Culture, Media and Sport, which includes free access to swimming pools for over 60s from next year and for everybody by 2012 as part of the Olympic Legacy and believes that this is a most appropriate way to mark the games and leave the nation a better place for all than before the games.
Council notes the importance of activities like swimming in improving health and in particular the implications for reducing health inequalities of removing cost as a barrier to lifestyle change for those residents from low income groups within Wigan Borough.
Council therefore calls on the relevant Cabinet Champion to consider how the scheme for free swimming will be successfully introduced in the borough’s pools and, in particular, due to the predicted resulting increased demand for swimming, calls on the Cabinet Champion to reflect on the implications for the practicality of increased opening hours of Council pools to increase capacity.”
(9) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor G M Bretherton:-
“I welcome the Councils decision to sign up to the governments Skills Pledge aimed at raising the skill levels of all employees of the authority. Not only does this show a clear commitment by the Council to support its employees but it will also have the knock on effect of raising the awareness of learning opportunities to the borough of Wigan as a whole. This in turn will ensure that we remain a competitive economic area but equally as important we can raise the aspirations of local people.
As elected members of this authority we should take a prominent role in this area and lead by example. Therefore, I urge all members to commit to the professional development opportunities now available to us and work towards attaining the North West charter for elected member development.”
