Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 2 March 2017.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 2 March 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

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 5 April, 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.

1.    The Mayor said that he was pleased to report that the Mayor’s Ball on 24 March had been a great success.  He thanked all those who had attended and all those who had provided help and support in organising the event and on the night.

2.    The Mayor said that the concert held at the Little Theatre on 10 March had also been very successful, with over £1,300 was raised for the Mayor’s charities.  He thanked the Blackpool Mail Voice Choir for performing and NPL Estates for their sponsorship of the event.

The Mayor thanked the Deputy Mayor for her efforts in helping to organise the concert and also for her support throughout the year.

3.    The Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder (Councillor Berry) announced that Wyre Council, Balfour Beatty and the Environment Agency had jointly received a Bronze Award at the recent Considerate Constructors Scheme awards ceremony, for the new sea defences works at Rossall.

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 31 March 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 31 March 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 Council (Councillor Gibson) submitted a report. 

Councillor Gibson responded to comments and questions from Councillors R Duffy, Fail, B Stephenson and Michael Vincent on the format, content and style of the minutes of Council meetings.

RESOLVED: that the report be noted.

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

There were no comments or questions to Councillor A Vincent.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Cllr Henderson commented, when introducing his report, on a number of recent successful prosecutions for fly-tipping and littering.

He also responded to comments and questions from Councillors Lady Atkins, Beavers and Pimbley about various reports of fly tipping and the responses made by the Council.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

There were no comments or questions to Councillor Murphy.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Cllr Berry said, when introducing his report, that a second tranche of funding to support community-led housing projects had been received and officers were currently evaluating how to maximise the benefits to be obtained from that funding.

Councillor Berry responded to questions and comments from:

-       Councillor R Duffy about the gender balance of the Council’s domestic abuse champions;

-       Councillor Lady Atkins about the Council’s communications with the Environment Agency regarding actions to improve the protection of local communities from flooding;

-       Councillor B Stephenson about the provision of a CCTV monitoring service to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Councillor Bowen said that she would speak to the Service Director People and Places and arrange for a written response to be sent to Councillor Barrowclough explaining what contingency arrangements had been put in place for the future maintenance of Fleetwood skate bowl, now that the company which had installed the facility had gone out of business.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

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

Councillor Taylor thanked the officers, elected members, partners and stakeholders who had taken part in the Local Government Association (LGA) ‘Healthier Wyre’ Peer challenge referred to in paragraph 3 of her report.  She said that the initial feedback from the LGA had been very positive.

There were no comments or questions to Councillor Taylor.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Resources Portfolio Holder commented on:

-       questions asked to the Leader of the Council about the reference made in the minutes of the last meeting about the Chief Executive’s statement about a letter he had instructed the Senior Solicitor to send to the Blackpool Gazette;

-       a decision of the High Court in Manchester to allow an appeal against a decision made by the Council’s Licensing Committee;

-       funding for CCTV surveillance.

The Leader responded to a question from the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder on discussions with Lancashire County Council about the future funding of the Fleetwood to Knott-End ferry.

Natalie Reeves formally submitted her resignation as a Councillor on 23 March 2017.  A by-election to fill the consequential vacancy for Bourne Ward will take place on Thursday 4 May 2017.

The requirement for the allocation of places on non-executive Committees to reflect the overall political balance of the Council, specified in Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1989, is unaffected by her resignation.  However, following consultation with the Leader of the Labour Group the vacancy on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee will remain unfilled for the one remaining meeting of the municipal year.  A report on the appointment of members to all Committees, for 2017/18 taking account of the by-election result will be submitted to the Annual Council meeting on 11 May 2017.

The Chief Executive reported that Natalie reeves had formally resigned as a councillor on 23 March 2017.  The by-election to fill the consequential vacancy for Bourne Ward would take place on Thursday 4 May 2017 (the same day as the Lancashire County Council elections).

He said that the requirement for the allocation of places on non-executive committees to reflect the overall political balance of the Council, as specified in section 15 of the Local Government Act 1989, was unaffected by her resignation.  However, following consultation with the Leader of the Labour Group the vacancy on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would remain unfilled for the one remaining meeting in the municipal year.  A report on the appointment of members to all committees for 2017/18, taking account of the by-election result, would be submitted to the annual Council meeting to be held on 11 May 2017.

RESOLVED that the position be noted.

Report of the chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Councillor Michael Vincent).

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Councillor Michael Vincent) submitted a report summarising the work undertaken by the Committee since the previous periodic report had been submitted.  He said, when introducing his report, that Natalie Reeves had been an enthusiastic and diligent member of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  She had been instrumental in setting up the Domestic Violence Task Group and had been a very effective Chairman of it.  He said her contribution to the Committee would be missed.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

Report of the Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent) and the Head of Finance (Section 151 Officer).

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent) and the Head of Contact Centre submitted a report.

RESOLVED (unanimously): that the Treasury Management and Annual Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement for 2017/18, as considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 22 March 2017 and, as set out in the appendices to the report, be approved.

(Report of the Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Chief Executive.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Chief Executive submitted a report on possible options for different delivery models for the future public service delivery in Wyre.

RESOLVED (30 votes to 10):

1.    That the contents of the report be noted.

2.    That the Council’s officers be authorised to start discussions with key partners, including Blackpool Council, Fylde Borough Council, Lancashire County Council, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire, Lancashire Combined Fire Authority and the four local Clinical Commissioning Groups (Fylde and Wyre, Blackpool, Greater Preston and Morecambe Bay) on the proposed Fylde Coast collaborative model of service delivery, as set out in paragraph 5.2.5 of the report.

That the development and the principles of a Multispeciality Community Provider model for Fylde and Wyre be supported.

(Note:  Cllr Henderson left the meeting at the conclusion of this item)

Report of the Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Chief Executive.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Gibson) and the Chief Executive submitted a report on proposed changes to the Constitution relating to the “call-in” of Planning applications to the Planning Committee and arrangements for public speaking at Planning Committee meetings.

Councillor Fail proposed an amendment, seconded by Cllr Shewan, that a decision on the recommendations in the report be deferred until a more comprehensive review of the trial arrangements, including public consultation, had been carried out, but the amendment was lost (27 votes to 10, with 1 abstention).

RESOLVED (27 votes to 10 with 1 abstention):

1.    That the Scheme of Delegation in Part 7.02 of the Council’s Constitution be amended as described in Section 6 of the report.

2.    That the revised Local Code of Good Practice for Councillors and Officers Involved in the Planning Process, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, including the changes to section 9 – ‘Public Speaking at Planning committee Meetings’, be approved and included in Part 5.06 of the Constitution, in place of the existing Code.

3.    That the revised procedures be implemented from the first meeting of the Planning committee in the 2017/18 Council Year, now scheduled for 7 June 2017.

4.    That, prior to implementation, information explaining the new procedures be made widely available, via the Council’s website and directly to new applicants, objectors, agents, Parish and Town Councils and the media.

None received.

None received.