Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20 July 2017.

Councillor A Vincent proposed and Cllr Bowen seconded a proposal that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 July 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

Councillor Beavers proposed and Cllr B Stephenson seconded an amendment to add words to the fourth bullet-point of the second paragraph of minute 24(d) (Executive Report of the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder), as follows:

“and she suggested that Councillors Greenhough and Moon be removed from the Planning Committee”.

The amendment was lost by 29 votes to 9.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 July 2017, as circulated with the agenda, be confirmed as a correct record (by 24 votes to 9).

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 6 September 2017 if possible.

1.    The Mayor (Councillor Collinson) declared a “significant other interest” in agenda item 9 - Wyre Local Plan – because her daughter and son-in-law owned land within a site allocated in the proposed Plan for residential development.  She said that there might, therefore, be a perception of a conflict of interest which was likely to prejudice her judgement on the issue.  She said that the Deputy Mayor would take the Chair for that item and she would leave the chamber whilst that item was considered.

2.    Councillor Ibison also declared a “significant other interest” in agenda item 9 – Wyre Local Plan – because he too had close family members and friends who owned land within sites allocated for development in the Plan and said that he would leave the chamber whilst the item was considered.

3.    Councillor A Vincent declared a “personal, non-financial interest” in agenda item 11 – Alliance Agreement for the Development of the Fylde and Wyre Multi-Speciality Community Provider Model – because he was Chairman of Spiral Health, a community interest company which was one of the 28 signatory organisations to the proposed agreement.  He said that his interest was not such that he considered that he needed to withdraw from the meeting whilst the item was discussed.

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.

The Mayor made announcements about arrangements for forthcoming Civic and charity events, as follows:

-       A casino cocktail night in the grounds of Gift Hall farm Winmarleigh on Saturday 21 October 2017;

-       The Northern Festival of Remembrance concert, on Wednesday 8 November 2017;

-       A raffle for a luxury 2 night break for two in the lake District in aid of the Mayor’s charities;

-       A luncheon at Wyre Bank, on Friday 15 September 2017.

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 1 September 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 1 September 2017 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

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

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

There were no questions or comments from Councillors.

RESOLVED: that the report be noted.

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent) submitted a report.  Councillor Vincent congratulated the Finance Team for their excellent work in finalising the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2016/17 and the comments made by the External Auditor, as referred to in paragraph 2.2 of his report.

Councillor A Vincent responded to comments and questions from

Councillor B Stephenson and E Stephenson about the future sale of Council assets and, in doing so, reiterated that there were currently no plans to sell any Council owned land on the seaward side of the Fleetwood Promenade.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Councillor Henderson responded to comments and questions from:

-       Councillor Barrowclough about signs on the beach;

-       Councillor Hodgkinson about action taken to resolve a parking problem in Ellerbeck Road.

Councillor Henderson also agreed:

-       to arrange for Councillor E Anderton to be provided with information on the analysis of responses to the consultation on new dog control orders when available;

-       to pass on wishes for a speedy recovery expressed by Cllr Beavers to the recycling operative who had been hit by a vehicle.

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 E Anderton about access to the planning applications portal system via the Council’s web site;

-       Councillor Barrowclough about the proposals for a fish processing plant at Fleetwood;

-       Councillor Fail about comments in the local press relating to the planning application for housing development at Lambs Road, Thornton;

-       Councillor S Turner, about the benefits brought to the borough by Myerscough College.

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:

-       Councillor Lees, about the potential danger to pedestrians from speeding cyclists on the promenade;

-       Councillor A Turner about action taken to improve pedestrian access for residents living in the vicinity of the shops at Marsh Mill;

-       Councillor Beavers about possible action to prevent anti-social behaviour taking place in the evenings at Memorial Park, Fleetwood.

Councillor Berry also said that he would arrange for information to be sent to Cllr Barrowclough about the number of complaints received about damage to nearby properties caused by work on the sea defenses.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Councillor Bowen said, in response to a question, that she would arrange for Councillor Smith to be informed which local schools, in addition to Larkholme Primary School, had been invited to participate in the Grassland Project.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder (Councillor Taylor) submitted a report.  In the absence of Councillor Taylor, the report was introduced by the Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson).

The Resources Portfolio Holder and Deputy Leader of the Council (Councillor A Vincent) stated, in response to a question from Councillor Barrowclough, that all the costs incurred by Wyre Council in clearing up the recent oil spillage on the beach would be reimbursed.  He said he would arrange for Councillor Barrowclough to be informed of the sums involved when they were known.

Councillor A Vincent said that he would arrange for comments made by Councillor E Anderton about the potential dangers to the water supplies of Wyre residents caused by the fracking site at Preston New Road in Fylde, including a request to write to the Prime Minister, to be passed to Councillor V Taylor.

Councillor A Vincent also responded to questions and comments from Councillor B Stephenson and Councillor Bridge about nuisance caused by seagulls.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

None.

Report of the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder (Cllr Murphy) and the Chief Executive, attached

(Appendices printed and numbered separately)

The Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder (Councillor Murphy) and the Chief Executive submitted a report seeking approval for the publication of the Local Plan for public consultation and subsequent submission to the Secretary of State for examination.

Councillor Murphy proposed the recommendations in the report, which were seconded by Councillor Henderson.

Councillor Fail proposed and Councillor Barrowclough seconded an amendment to delete recommendations 3.1 to 3.5 and insert the following recommendations instead:

Defer the consultation in order that the new housing allocations for Thornton Cleveleys and Fleetwood in Para 4.1.18 of Appendix A are removed as a consequence of:-

1.  the lack of a strategy within or outside of the Local Plan that has been signed up to showing how the Public Open Space under provision is to be resolved.

2.  the lack of a strategy within or outside of the Local Plan to specifically reduce road congestion in Thornton Cleveleys and Fleetwood (Accepting that the current A585 bypass is at least 5 years away from fruition and reduced congestion in Thornton Cleveleys is not a specific outcome of the scheme in any case).

3.  the lack of a strategy within or outside of the Local Plan that has been signed up to showing how the rail line from Poulton to Fleetwood will be re-instated.

A recorded vote was requested by 4 Councillors under Procedure Rule 19.4.

Councillors E Anderton, M Anderton, Barrowclough, Beavers, Fail, Lees, Smith, B Stephenson and E Stephenson voted for the amendment.

Councillors I Amos, R Amos, Ballard, Berry, B Birch, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Catterall, Ellison, Gibson, Greenhough, Henderson, Hodgkinson, Ingham, Jones, Kay McKay, Moon, Murphy, Orme, Ormrod, Robinson, A Turner, S Turner, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, Walmsley and Wilson voted against the amendment. 

The amendment was therefore lost by 9 votes to 30.

Councillor Fail then proposed and Councillor Barrowclough seconded another amendment, as follows:

That recommendation 3.1 be amended to read “That the ‘Publication’ draft Wyre Local Plan, labelled as Appendix 1 to this report, be approved for public consultation and that a report of the consultation results together with a revised Local Plan are brought back to Full Council for approval prior to submission to the Secretary of State for examination.”

That recommendation 3.3 be amended to read “That the approach to consultation as outlined in paragraphs 5.39 – 5.41 of this report be approved subject to amendment of the paragraphs to reflect that a consultation report and revised Local Plan will be brought back to Full Council for approval prior to submission to the Secretary of State for examination.”

That recommendations 3.4 & 3.5 be removed.

A recorded vote was again requested by four Councillors under Procedure Rule 19.4. 

Councillors E Anderton, M Anderton, Barrowclough, Beavers, Fail, Lees, Smith, B Stephenson and E Stephenson voted for the amendment.

Councillors I Amos, R Amos, Ballard, Berry, B Birch, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Catterall, Ellison, Gibson, Greenhough, Henderson, Hodgkinson, Ingham, Jones, Kay McKay, Moon, Murphy, Orme, Ormrod, Robinson, A  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU32

Report of the Chairman of the Audit Committee (Cllr McKay), attached

The Chairman of the Audit Committee (Councillor McKay) submitted a report setting out the current position on issues being dealt with by the Committee.

Cllr McKay, when introducing her report, echoed comments made earlier in the meeting by the Resources Portfolio Holder praising the Finance Team for submitting the Council’s final accounts for 2016/17 so promptly and for obtaining an unqualified report from the external auditor.  Those comments were endorsed by Cllr E Anderton.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report of the Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder (Cllr Taylor) and Service Director Health and Wellbeing, attached

The Health and Community Engagement Portfolio Holder (Cllr Taylor) and the Service Director Health and Wellbeing submitted a report on a proposed agreement for the development of a new model for the provision of health and social care services in Fylde and Wyre.  In the absence of Cllr Taylor, the report was introduced by Cllr A Vincent.

Councillor Beavers proposed and Councillor Fail seconded an amendment proposing that a decision on the recommendation be deferred until a paper copy of the Alliance Agreement, listed as Appendix 1 to the report and published on the Council’s web site, had been submitted to and considered by the full Council.  The amendment was lost by 9 votes to 32.

RESOLVED (by 30 votes to 9) that Wyre Council would be a signatory to the Alliance Agreement for the Development of the Fylde and Wyre Multi-Speciality Community Provider Model.

None.

None.