Minutes for Council meeting, Mar 25 2010, 6.30PM official page

Members and Officers are requested to give notice of any personal or prejudicial interest and the nature of that interest, relating to any item on the agenda in accordance with the relevant Code of Conduct.

Minutes of the meeting held on 4 March 2010

To deal with matters raised by members of the public within the Borough, in accordance with the procedures relating to Petitions, Public Questions.and Motions set out in Rule 11 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.

(Details of any further Petitions notified or Questions submitted to the Legal Director by members of the public in accordance with Rule 11 will be circulated at the meeting).

To receive and consider questions to Cabinet Members, Chairs of Committees or Spokespersons for any of the Joint Authorities upon any matter within their portfolio/area of responsibility, of which notice has been given in accordance with Rule 12 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules.

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive.

Report of the Legal Director

Report of the Legal Director

To consider any changes to the Membership of any committees etc.

Report of the Legal Director.

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor M. Dowd:

“This Council:

1.       acknowledges the success and popularity of the Merseyside Concessionary Travel scheme as administered by Merseytravel. The scheme is a lifeline to many in Merseyside and has done much to enable the social inclusion of older and disabled people within our communities;

2.       also acknowledges the success of the English National Concessionary Travel scheme that provides free travel on buses, and calls on the Government to continue funding this by direct grant to Integrated Transport Authorities such as Merseytravel;

3.               calls upon local Conservative Councillors to commit to the continued operation of the current scheme and its funding, especially in the light of the proposed swingeing cuts proposed by the Conservative Party nationally to public expenditure;

4.       asks the Government to trial a scheme that would provide free Concessionary travel for Young People 18 years and under.  This scheme would provide for free travel during term time and during school hours.  The Council supports Merseytravel’s intention to request the Government to permit it to undertake a pilot of the scheme.”

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor P. Dowd:

“That the Council agrees to review its consultation processes in relation to a number of issues of public concern.  This Council recognises that the imposition of charges for services, particular those affecting the most vulnerable in our community, should be undertaken as widely as possible. In addition, the Council should produce its own consultation protocol in relation to such matters.  This Council also agrees that issues that have a significant bearing on the wider community should also be the subject of more comprehensive consultation. The recent discussions in a Council meeting concerning the lifting of the moratorium in relation to the placing of mobile phone masts, is a case in question.

Finally, in relation to the development of a protocol for consultation, Area Committees should be asked for their views with respect to this matter.”