ANNOUNCEMENTS BY THE MAYOR ANDOR THE ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE
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TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULE 10.2
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MINUTES OF COMMITTEES - To receive the minutes of the following meetings to confirm if appropriate such of the minutes as require confirmation and to pass such resolutions as the Council may deem necesary
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC - It is recommended that members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item(s) of business in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and as in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption under Schedule 12A outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The nature of the exempt information and the relevant exemption paragraphs are shown in brackets after the report title. P A R T 2 (Not open to the Public)
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Report - MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE - POST OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE - To consider the report of the Leader of the Council. (Any Individual - Para 1 FinancialBusiness Affairs - Para 3 & Labour Relations - Para 4)
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Report - SENIOR MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE - To consider the report of the Acting Chief Executive. (Any Individual - Para 1 FinancialBusiness Affairs - Para 3 & Labour Relations - Para 4)
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Report - STRATEGIC ASSETS PURCHASE FUND - To consider the report of the Interim Director Housing and Regeneration. (FinancialBusiness Affairs - Para 3)
SUSPENSION OF COUNCIL PROCEDURE 13.4 - To enable the Portfolio Holder Shadow Portfolio Holder to present their budget statement it will be necessary to suspend Council Procedure Rule 13.4 for Agenda Items 16 and 19. This Rule limits the length of a speech to 5 minutes.
MOTIONS - To consider the following Motions included on the agenda by the Members indicated
(a)
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) - Motion included on the Agenda by Councillor Dereli on behalf of the Labour Group - That this Council joins with 26 other Local Authorities in the UK in declaring ourselves to be a TTIP-free zone and in doing so declare our fundamental opposition to this trade deal being negotiated by the EU with no mandate from the people of the UK or of other countries across Europe. This Council notes that Lancashire County Council in declaring its opposition to TTIP invited us to join them and that the response they have received from the Local Government Assosciation (LGA) indicated that they will be lobbying against it. That this Council writes to the LGA expressing support for their campaign against TTIP and to local MPs asking them to join in lobbying against this trade deal which poses a threat both to the very existence of any public services and to democratic accountability.
(b)
Cleaning of Highway Gullies Culverts and Trash Barriers - Motion included on the Agenda by Councillor Greenall on behalf of the Conservative Group - That this Council condemns the decision taken by Lancashire County Council (LCC) in February 2015 to stop regular cleaning of highway gullies culverts and trash barriers and only to clean them when there is a need i.e. once they are reported as blocked. In view of the serious flooding in various parts of West Lancashire over the Christmas period this Council calls upon LCC to reinstate the regular and proactive routine cleaning of highway gullies culverts and trash barriers to ensure that the risk of flooding in the future is reduced. Accordingly the Acting Chief Executive is to write to the Chief Executive of LCC to convey this request.
(c)
Planning and LIcensing Applications E-mail Notification - Motion included on the Agenda by Councillor Owens - That the current neighbour notification for planning applications while meeting legal requirements excludes notification of many residents living close to proposed developments and that there is no system of notification of interested residents when applications are received for Premises Licences or changes under the Licensing Act 2003. That while recognising the financial constraints on the council budgets it is noted that notification by email of validated planning applications is sent to councillors on a weekly basis and similar email notification of applications under the Licensing Act 2003 as they are made and so resolves that a system be established within 3 months to allow residents to register via the council website to be added to the email circulation list to receive these notification emails in the same manner as councillors currently do.
(d)
Community Use of Council Premises - Motion included on the Agenda by Councillor D Westley on behalf of the Conservative Group - That given the article on the front page of the Champion Newspaper dated 10th February 2016 that carried the headline Residents Group fury over two-faced councillors and disclosed alleged details of an exchange of offensive emails between five named Labour councillors and a Labour candidate and given that these same labour councillors were allegedly giving consideration to means of trying to subvert the Ormskirk Residents Group including the banning of the Group's use of the Council's premises for it's meeting this Council resolves the following; (a) That this Council highly values the work of all the Voluntary Community Groups and Associations in West Lancashire welcomes opportunities to interact and exchange views and undertakes to do so without interference. (b) That the Acting Chief Executive be instructed to bring a Report back to a future meeting of the Full Council on the Community use of Council Premises that details existing such usage existing policies or protocols and makes suitable recommendations to provide safeguards against possible political interference by members.
(e)
Fracking in Lancashire - Motion included on the Agenda by Councillor J Hodson on behalf of the Labour Group - That Lancashire County Council has spent significant time and resources ensuring that the process of determining planning applications on Fracking in Lancashire has been open transparent and well informed. The Development Control Committee received evidence and opinion from organisations both in favour of and opposed to Fracking as well as from local resident groups local businesses and public health professionals. That whilst national government is rightly entitled to take a view and determine national policy regarding energy this Council believes that the determination of individual planning applications should remain with the County Council as it is best able to consider local planning issues. The Secretary of State is a member of a cabinet with a clear policy in favour of Fracking and he has made statements in favour of Fracking. That this Council strongly supports Lancashire County Council as the legitimate democratic decision making body for Planning Applications on Fracking in Lancashire.
