Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 6 April 2017 and 11 May 2017.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 6 April 2017 be confirmed as a correct record (by 25 votes to 10) and that the minutes of the Annual Council meeting held 11 May 2017 be confirmed as a correct record (unanimously).

To receive any declarations of interest from any Member or Officer on any item on this agenda.

All Members are asked to submit any declarations in writing by 9.30am on Wednesday 14 June, 2017 if possible.

None.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, Members of the Cabinet, a Chairman of a Committee or the Chief Executive.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public under Procedure Rule 9.1.

Any questions or statements received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 9 June 2017 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

To receive any questions from Members of the Council to the Mayor, a member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee under Council Procedure Rule 12.1

Any questions received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 9 June 2017 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

To receive reports from the Leader and Cabinet Members. (In accordance with Procedure Rule 11.3 Councillors will be able to ask questions or make comments).

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) submitted a report. 

Councillor Gibson responded to comments and questions from:

-       Councillor Beavers about the implications of the outcome of the Lancashire County Council elections in May for the future operation of the Fleetwood to Knott End ferry service;

-       Councillor B Stephenson about the result in the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency at the general election on 8 June.

RESOLVED: that the report be noted.

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent) submitted a report.

Councillor A Vincent responded to comments and questions from Councillors Fail and Beavers about the implications of the outcome of the General Election in June for the Councils financial position and future provision of services. 

(The Chief Executive advised Cllr Fail that some of his comments did not comply with the requirement in paragraph 11.3 of the Council Procedure Rules that questions or comments must relate to the contents of the Portfolio Holder’s report or to an issue which fell within his area of responsibility)

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder (Councillor Henderson) submitted a report.

Cllr Henderson responded to comments and questions from Councillors Bridge, E Anderton, and B Stephenson.  He made the following commitments:

-        to thank Street Scene staff for the excellent work they had done cleaning up after the Poulton Gala;

-       to ask officers to ensure that ward councillors were informed of any future dog-chipping events which were arranged to take place in their area;

-       to ask officers if it would be possible to include in the proposed Public Space Protection Order relating to dog control measures a simple table illustrating the controls to be imposed at each specified location, similar to the summary included as Appendix A of the recently published Portfolio Holder decision report on this subject.

Councillor Henderson also confirmed that he had no knowledge of any plans for the long term development of the area between the pitch and putt course and Fleetwood Golf Club in Warren Ward.  (Cllr A Vincent said that he too was unaware of any such plans).

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder (Councillor Murphy) submitted a report.

Cllr Murphy responded to comments and questions from:

-       Councillor S Turner about the size of possible investment proposals at the Hillhouse Enterprize Zone site and the potential levels of employment that might be generated;

-       Councillor Wilson asked two questions; one about the number of new houses likely to be built in Forton and secondly; the Portfolio Holders views on pressure gas pipelines which cross in Forton and their possible constraint on development within Forton and neighbouring parishes.

-       Councillor E Anderton about the latest position with regard to Coastal Community Team funding for improvements to shop fronts in Fleetwood.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder (Councillor Berry) submitted a report.

Cllr Berry responded to comments and questions from Cllr E Anderton about an increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour and actions being taken by the police and the Council to tackle the problem.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Leisure and Culture Portfolio Holder (Councillor Bowen) submitted a report.

Councillor Bowen responded to a question from Councillor E Anderton about burial costs and undertook to arrange for a written response to be sent to her on the particular issue which a local resident had raised.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder (Councillor V Taylor) submitted a report.

Councillor V Taylor responded to questions and comments from:

-       Councillor Barrowclough about activities provided under the  Healthier Fleetwood  funding project;

-       Councillor E Anderton about problems with seagulls;

-       Councillor Beavers about possible health and wellbeing implications for Wyre residents of decisions to be made about the future operation of the Fleetwood to Knott End Ferry;

-       Councilor S Turner about the Lancaster Canal tow path project.

Cllr V Taylor agreed to discuss with officers whether it would be possible, within current guidelines, to make the advice about not feeding seagulls published on the Council’s website stronger and also to consider the possibility of writing to residents known to feed seagulls in their gardens advising them of the negative impact of doing so.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder responded to a question from the Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder about the future funding of the Fleetwood to Knott-End ferry.

Report of the chairman of the Planning Committee (Councillor Greenhough), attached

The Chairman of the Planning Committee (Councillor Greenhough) submitted a report summarising the work undertaken by the Committee since the previous periodic report had been submitted.

Councillor Greenhough responded to comments and questions from:

-       Councillor Orme about training for members of the Planning Committee;

-       Councillor E Anderton about staffing levels in the Planning Team, staff morale and the effectiveness of the new planning applications system.

Cllr Greenhough said that he would ask the Head of Planning and Regeneration to circulate, if possible, any available presentation slides or summary information from the recent “Making Defensible Planning Decisions” training session to those members of the Planning Committee who had been unable to attend.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report of the Resources Portfolio Holder (Cllr A Vincent) and the Head of Finance, attached

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent) and the Head of Finance submitted a report on the overall position and activities in respect of treasury management for the financial year 2016/17

RESOLVED (unanimously): that the annual report on treasury management activity for the 2016/17 financial year be approved.

The following Notice of Motion has been submitted under Procedure Rule 14 by Councillors B Stephenson, Beavers, E Anderton and Barrowclough:

“This Council considers it is vitally important that the Planning Committee remains free from Party Whips.”

The following notice of motion had been submitted under Procedure Rule 14 by Councillors B Stephenson, Beavers, E Anderton and Barrowclough:

“This Council considers it is vitally important that the Planning Committee remains free from Party Whips.”

The motion was proposed by Councillor B Stephenson and seconded by Councillor Beavers.

Councillors Bridge, Greenhough, Murphy, Moon, Gibson, A Turner, E Anderton, S Turner, Michael Vincent and Henderson also spoke during the debate.

The motion was carried (unanimously) and, it was RESOLVED, that:

This Council considers it is vitally important that the Planning Committee remains free from Party Whips.