Minutes for Council meeting, Sep 1 2011, 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 7 July 2011

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.

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 attached.

Report of the Director of Corporate Commissioning

Report of the Director of Corporate Commissioning

Report of the Director of Built Environment

Report of the Director of Built Environment

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

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Robertson:

 

“This Council:

 

(1)      congratulates the Government on abandoning the artificial targets for housing imposed in the Regional Spatial Strategy by the previous administration;

 

(2)      recognises the fact that Sefton MBC can currently identify sites that will meet identified housing demand for the next ten years without encroachment on green belt land;

 

(3)      notes the present Council policy against green belt development;

 

(4)      acknowledges that Sefton MBC is required to present a broad indication of housing supply for the years beyond 2021 and, in connection with this, instructs the officers to quantify:

 

a-     the increase in the number of households which would be obtained by reducing the number of empty properties in Sefton to the national average

b-     the potential increase in accommodation achievable through progressing ‘homes above shops’ and contraction in retail space with re-designation of property to housing

c-     the potential impact of further windfall ‘brownfield’ or derelict sites and possible impact of variations in household and dwelling mix per hectare. “

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Cuthbertson:

 

“This Council calls upon the Coalition Government to issue a small Maltese cross, to be pinned to the Africa Star, for personnel involved with the defence of Malta, in recognition of their valiant efforts.”

To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor Brodie-Browne:

 

“This Council calls on the Government to release the information regarding the Hillsborough Disaster in line with the Information Commissioner’s Decision.”

To consider the following Motion submitted by Councillor Robertson:

 

“(1)     This Council notes with disappointment the decision made by the controlling Labour Group on the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority to end immediately, without further reports, or the results of any business case study, the opportunity to take local control of the Merseyrail Electrics network from Network Rail.

(2)      Council notes that this process has been ongoing for many years, and that in 2005/06 a business case for Full Local Decision Making (FLDM) was prepared and submitted showing clear benefits for Merseyside.  This was endorsed by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and was a Key Policy in Local Transport Plan Two (LTP2).

(3)      Council further notes that FLDM was re-launched as Localism for Merseyrail (LFM) in 2010 and that the imperative for greater local control over the network infrastructure remains and the commitment to developing the case for this was reiterated in Local Transport Plan Three (LTP3).

(4)      Council also notes that LFM has the support of the Department for Transport, Network Rail, Office of the Rail Regulator and the Rail Freight Industry.

(5)      Council believes that a fully integrated Merseyrail network would be in the best interests of Merseyside’s commuters and would enable local people and rail customers to have greater say in the decisions taken affecting the rail network in Merseyside.

(6)      Council notes that £1.5m was spent promoting this scheme.

Council therefore requests:

(1)      That the Chief Executive write to the Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, Neil Scales, and to the Chairman of the Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority (MITA), expressing our Council’s disappointment at the decision made at the Authority’s meeting on 27^th June, 2011; and

(2)      That MITA reverse the decision made at its meeting of the 27^th June and ask that Merseytravel Passenger Transport Executive commission a Business Case Study to determine benefits and risks of LFM.  The results of that study are considered by a future MITA Authority meeting before a final decision is made on whether to move this matter forward to the next stage.”

Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Tweed:

 

“Firstly this Council is concerned with the overall negative effect that the National Planning Framework, currently under consultation, will have on the Planning decision making processes.

 

Secondly the “presumption” of planning permission set out in the proposals are likely to lead to development on greenbelt green space at an increased rate, to the extent that would be unacceptable to the people of Sefton.

 

Thirdly in addition the Government’s attempt to “streamline” the planning processes will simply open the door to developments without appropriate or due consideration.

 

The Council calls on the Government to radically reconsider its proposals.”

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

 

“This Council is appalled at the decision of the Government to close the Crosby Coastguard Station. The Station is a vital safety service and at a time of Port expansion the decision is both short-sighted and dangerous. The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider its decision and in addition it asks Sefton’s Members of Parliament to lobby the Government accordingly.”