Council - Wednesday 15 July 2009

A meeting of the Council will be held in the Counil Chamber at the Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan on Wednesday 15 July 2009 for the following purpose:-

1 Apologies for absence.

2 To approve as correct records the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Council held on 29 April 2009 and of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 20 May 2009

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) Award of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) to Joyce Redfearn, Chief Executive: May I congratulate the Chief Executive, Joyce Redfearn, on being awarded the CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her services to local government.

(b) Royal Visit on 21 May 2009: May I congratulate the Officers who had arranged the Royal Visit to Leigh Sports Village on 21 May 2009. The Executive Leader has received a letter from the Queen’s assistant private secretary, Doug King expressing appreciation on behalf of the Queen for the visit.

Mr Trevor Barton on being awarded on being awarded an MBE for his support to charity and voluntary work.
Commander Alan Dorricott from Wigan on being awarded the OBE for his support to providing vital engineering support to war ships.
Mr Maurice Hilton from Wigan on being awarded an MBE for his support to local youth clubs.
Mr Peter Allen from Wigan on being awarded an MBE for his support for gay and lesbian workers in the prison service.

(d) Society for General Microbiology’s Communicating Microbiology Award: May I report that Joanna Heaton from Wigan has become the first winner of this prestigious award, recognising her outstanding work with primary and secondary school children across the region.

(e) Mayor’s charity update: The total raised to date during 2008/09 is £38,000 and for 2009/10 it was £298.67.

(f) 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 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) Further issues (if any).

7 To consider the following constitutional issues:-

(a) Changes in membership/appointment of Members to Committees/Panels:

(i) To report that the following change to a Committee place from the Labour Group:-

Pay and Reward Panel

Delete Councillor P Prescott
Insert Councillor K Cunliffe

(ii) To report that the following changes to Committee places have been received from the Democratic Alliance Group:-

Adult Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee

Delete Councillor R J Derricutt
Insert Councillor K W McManus

Building Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee

No changes

Children, Young People and Families Scrutiny Committee

Delete Councillor KW McManus
Insert Councillor R J Derricutt

Economy, Environment, Culture and Housing Scrutiny Committee

Delete Councillor Mrs J Beswick
Insert Councillor R M Bleakley

Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee

Delete Councillor J Miller
Insert Councillor B J Fagan

Audit Governance and Improvement Review Committee

Delete Councillor B J Fagan
Insert Councillor J Miller

(b) Appointment of Local Authority representative governors (.pdf, 47Kb): report enclosed.

The Council is recommended to:-

appoint the Governors as nominated and authorise the Executive 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) 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 2009.

(d) Review of Seat Allocations on Committees/Panel (.pdf, 46kb).

(e) Further issues (if any).

8 Montrose School (.pdf, 290Kb): report enclosed.

9 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.

10 Questions (if any) under Rule 8(1)(a).

11 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).

(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) Revised 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, 38kb)

(1) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor R M Bleakley:-

That this Council: -

(a) is deeply concerned by the recent Members of Parliament expenses scandal and believes that the revelations have quite rightly provoked a public outcry which has led to confidence in all politicians dropping to an all time low;

(b) calls on Members of Parliament from all political parties to recognise that what has happened is wrong and that this country needs a clean, open and transparent system going into the future;

(c) furthermore believes that there needs to be a root and branch reform of the entire political system, including electoral reform, the creation of a written constitution and the decentralisation of power back to local communities;

(d) believes that it is more important than ever for this Council to demonstrate that we are as open and transparent as possible when it comes to the use of public money;

(e) therefore resolves that the Council move to a system in which Members’ allowances and expenses are published on a monthly basis instead of an annual basis;

(f) furthermore resolves that the Council will also publish declarations of interest and any other relevant information alongside these details;

(g) believes that this will allow for greater scrutiny and an even more transparent system and directs that the changes are made as soon as is practicably possible: and

(h) directs that a copy of this motion is sent to all local Members of Parliament.

(2) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor G Wilkes:-

This Council views with grave concern the amount of people in the Borough that voted BNP in the European Parliamentary elections that took place on Thursday June 4th 2009.

We, as a Council, must pledge to the people of this Borough that we will work harder in order to try and eradicate fascist beliefs in Wigan and Leigh.

If this is to work successfully all party leaders that hate fascism, must pledge to put their differences to one side and fight the wolf in sheep’s clothing that is known as the British National Party.

(3) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor C Ready:-

This Council congratulates Welcome Credit Union on successfully gaining funding from Coalfields Regeneration Trust to help and advise residents of the Borough on debt advice which is particularly important in the economic downturn

(4) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor W J Wilkes;-

That Wigan Council supports the process in the Sustainable Communities Act designed to allow local authorities and their communities to drive the action and assistance that central government gives in promoting thriving sustainable communities.

The Act gives local authorities the power to make proposals to Government on the action and assistance government must take to promote sustainable communities, and that those proposals can be for the transfer of public monies and function from central or regional control to local control.

The Council notes the Act defines sustainable communities as having four aspects, namely:-

• The improvement of the local economy

• Protection of the environment

• Promotion of social inclusion

• Participation in civic and political activity.

• Resolves that central government invited Councils in October 2008 to use the Act by submitting proposals for action and assistance by 31st July 2009

• Further resolves to inform the local media of this decision, write to local MPs of this decision.

(5) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor D T Molyeux

This council wishes to place on record our congratulations to HJ HEINZ who have recently celebrated their 50th year anniversary of the opening of their Kitt Green factory, which was honoured by a visit from Her Majesty the Queen. In view of this celebration this Council requests that the Chief Executive and the Mayor write to the board of directors at HJ HEINZ requesting that they put the words MADE IN WIGAN on all items made at their Kitt Green factory in recognition of the support given by the people and work force past and present from our borough.

(6) To consider the following motion of which notice has been given by Councillor J N Grundy

This Council believes that the current proposals for Lowton and Golborne under the Building Schools for the Future scheme are flawed, and undertakes to consider reasonable amendments to the scheme to improve it.'