Agenda and minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain for the evening, Father Michael, led Members and officers in prayer.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Cotterill, I Davis, Kay, McKay, McKenna, Ms Melling, Pryce-Roberts and Yates.

If a member requires advice on Declarations of Interest, he/she is advised to contact the Borough Solicitor in advance of the meeting.  (For the assistance of members a checklist for use in considering their position on any particular item is included at the end of this agenda sheet.)

The following declarations were received:

1.       Councillors Aldridge, Barron, Hennessy, O’Toole and Pope declared a non pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 8 ‘Council Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21’, item 10 'Item referred from Cabinet – Flooding in the Borough' and item 12(b) 'Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs) Advisory Boards – Motion',  as Members of Lancashire County Council (LCC), as did Councillor Gagen as an employee of LCC, and indicated that she would not participate in any detailed discussions which affected LCC.

2.       Councillors Ashcroft, Barron, Mrs Blake, Blane, Gordon, Mrs Marshall, Mee, Pope and Whittington declared a non pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 8 ‘Council Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21’’ as Members of a Parish Council and indicated they would not participate in any detailed discussions which affected the finances of those bodies specifically.

3.       Councillor Hennessy declared a non pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 8 ‘Council Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21’in view of her appointment to West Lancashire Community Leisure Trust Board and indicated that she would not participate in any detailed discussions that related to this body.

To receive as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 28 February 2018.

RESOLVED:   That the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 28 February 2018, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The Mayor announced that this would be the last meeting for some members of the Council as they would not be standing in the forthcoming local elections in May and thanked Councillors Barron, J Davis and D McKay for their service to the Council.

There were no items under this heading.

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 necessary:

Consideration was given to the minutes of the undermentioned meetings of the Committees shown.

RESOLVED  That the minutes of the undermentioned meetings and any recommendations contained in them, be approved:

A.    Planning Committee held on Thursday 15 February and 22 March 2018.

B.    Licensing and Appeals Committee held on Tuesday 20 February and 10 April 2018.

C.    Standards Committee held on Tuesday 20 March 2018.

D.    Audit and Governance Committee held on Tuesday 27 March 2018.

To consider the report of the Chief Executive.

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Executive, as contained on pages 991 to 1020 of the Book of Reports, which sought approval for the “Council Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21”.

RESOLVED:       That the “Council Plan 2018/19 – 2020/21” attached at Appendix A to the report (dated 23 March 2018) be adopted.

To consider the report of the Borough Solicitor.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Solicitor, as contained on pages 1021 to 1022 of the Book of Reports, which sought to appoint the Chairman of Licensing and Appeals Committee and the Vice-Chairman of Licensing and Gambling Committee.

RESOLVED:     A.   That Councillor Gaynar Owen, who is a Member of the Licensing and Appeals Committee, be appointed Chairman of the Licensing and Appeals Committee for the remainder of the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

B.   That Councillor Gaynar Owen, who is a Member of the Licensing and Gambling Committee, be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Licensing and Gambling Committee for the remainder of the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

To consider the report of the Borough Solicitor.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Solicitor, as contained on pages 1023 to 1024 and 1033 to 1036 of the Book of Reports, which advised on the decision of Cabinet at its meeting on 13 March 2018, in relation to an item referred from the Corporate and Environmental Overview and Scrutiny Committee, at its meeting on 4 January 2018, following a presentation from United Utilities ‘Flooding in the Borough’.

RESOLVED:     That the Director of Development and Regeneration be asked to write to DEFRA (The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) requesting that the Government give greater priority nationally to the funding of statutory services, in particular funding that would facilitate required improvements to existing surface water and waste water drainage infrastructure.

To consider the report of the Borough Solicitor.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Solicitor, as contained on pages 1025 to 1028 of the Book of Reports, which sought approval of the revised timetable of meetings for the Municipal Year 2018/19.

RESOLVED:     That the revised timetable for the meetings for the 2018/19 Municipal Year, attached as an appendix to the report, be approved.

To consider the following Motions included on the agenda at the request of the Members indicated:

The following two Motions were considered at the request of the Members indicated:

West Lancashire Borough Council fully condemns hate crime in all its forms and strongly believes that any acts motivated by prejudice or hate against a person because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity to be unacceptable;

·       believes that West Lancashire is a welcoming Borough and that the decency and tolerance of the overwhelming majority of people in West Lancashire will ensure that this continues to be the case;

·       recognises the excellent work of the Lancashire Constabulary, True Vision and Stop Hate UK to bring together key public bodies to tackle all forms of  hate crime in West Lancashire;

·       is committed to defending the rights of everyone in West Lancashire to live their lives free from fear and discrimination;

·       and resolves to continue to work with our statutory and voluntary sector partners to eradicate hate crime across West Lancashire.

The following Motion was moved and seconded:

"West Lancashire Borough Council fully condemns hate crime in all its forms and strongly believes that any acts motivated by prejudice or hate against a person because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity to be unacceptable;

·       believes that West Lancashire is a welcoming Borough and that the decency and tolerance of the overwhelming majority of people in West Lancashire will ensure that this continues to be the case;

·       recognises the excellent work of the Lancashire Constabulary, True Vision and Stop Hate UK to bring together key public bodies to tackle all forms of  hate crime in West Lancashire;

·       is committed to defending the rights of everyone in West Lancashire to live their lives free from fear and discrimination;

·       and resolves to continue to work with our statutory and voluntary sector partners to eradicate hate crime across West Lancashire."

An Amendment to the Motion was moved and seconded.

A vote was taken, the Amendment was LOST.

A vote was taken on the Motion, which was CARRIED.

RESOLVED:   West Lancashire Borough Council fully condemns hate crime in all its forms and strongly believes that any acts motivated by prejudice or hate against a person because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity to be unacceptable;

·       believes that West Lancashire is a welcoming Borough and that the decency and tolerance of the overwhelming majority of people in West Lancashire will ensure that this continues to be the case;

·       recognises the excellent work of the Lancashire Constabulary, True Vision and Stop Hate UK to bring together key public bodies to tackle all forms of  hate crime in West Lancashire;

·       is committed to defending the rights of everyone in West Lancashire to live their lives free from fear and discrimination;

·       and resolves to continue to work with our statutory and voluntary sector partners to eradicate hate crime across West Lancashire.

This Council believes that in the interests of protecting homes, businesses, farms and infrastructure from the increasing risks of flooding, that Government must now move forward on Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010.

This would see the establishment of SUDs Advisory Boards created and set up in England. 

Accordingly, this Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to seek prompt action in respect of SUDs Advisory Boards and to clarify the Government's current position and intended timeline for implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010.

The following Altered Motion was moved and seconded, with the agreement of the meeting:

"This Council believes that in the interests of protecting homes, businesses, farms and infrastructure from the increasing risks of flooding, that Government must now move forward on Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010.

This would see the establishment of SuDS Approval Boards (SAB) created and set up in England. 

Accordingly, this Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to seek prompt action in respect of the SuDS Approval Boards (SAB) and to clarify the Government's current position and intended timeline for implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010."

RESOLVED:     This Council believes that in the interests of protecting homes, businesses, farms and infrastructure from the increasing risks of flooding, that Government must now move forward on Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010.

This would see the establishment of SuDS Approval Boards (SAB) created and set up in England. 

Accordingly, this Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to seek prompt action in respect of the SuDS Approval Boards (SAB) and to clarify the Government's current position and intended timeline for implementation of Schedule 3 of the Flood Water Management Act 2010.