Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - Wallasey Town Hall

Contact: Anne Beauchamp  Committee Officer

Items
No. Item

21.

MEMBERS' CODE OF CONDUCT - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members are asked to consider whether they have personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item(s) on this agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they are.

Minutes:

Members were asked to consider whether they had any personal or prejudicial interests in connection with any item on the agenda and, if so, to declare them and state what they were.

 

Councillor S Niblock declared a personal interest in Item 5, Wirral Award 2011 (see minute 25 post) by virtue of him being acquainted with a nominator and a nominee of the Award.

 

Councillor I Lewis declared an interest declared a personal interest in Item 3, Polling Districts and Polling Places Updates, Leasowe and Moreton East Ward (see minute 23 post) by virtue of him being Ward Councillor.

 

Councillor I Lewis declared a personal interest in Item 5, Wirral Award 2011 (see minute 25 post) by virtue of him being known to a nominee of the Award.

 

Councillor P Glasman declared a personal interest in Item 3, Polling Districts  and Polling Places Updates, Liscard Ward (see minute 23 post) by virtue of being a Ward Councillor for New Brighton due to the polling station being currently situated in New Brighton.

 

Councillor S Taylor declared a personal interest in Item 3, Polling Districts  and Polling Places Updates, Liscard Ward (see minute 23 post) by virtue of being a Ward Councillor for New Brighton due to the polling station being currently situated in New Brighton.

 

Councillor S Taylor declared a personal interest in Item 5, Wirral Award 2011 (see minute 25 post) by virtue of being acquainted with a nominee of the Award.

22.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 91 KB

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 10 November 2011.

Minutes:

Resolved -That the minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 10 November 2011 be approved.

23.

POLLING DISTRICTS AND POLLING PLACES UPDATES pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Minutes:

Councillor I Lewis declared an interest declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of him being Ward Councillor.

 

Councillor P Glasman declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Ward Councillor for New Brighton due to the polling station being currently situated in New Brighton.

 

Councillor S Taylor declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Ward Councillor for New Brighton due to the polling station being currently situated in New Brighton.

 

The Head of Legal and Member Services (on behalf of the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management) reported upon the results of the further investigations carried out in relation to alternative Polling Places/Stations for Polling Districts WE and TC further to the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee meeting held on 10 November 2011.

 

Members were requested to consider which premises should be designated as the Polling Places/Station for Polling Districts TC and WE.

 

1. Leasowe and Moreton East Ward

 

Polling District TC

 

The Head of Legal and Member Services reported that the Yew Tree Online Centre had been re-visited and provided details of the changes undergone since the last visit had been made in 2004.

 

It was moved by Councillor Steve Niblock, seconded by Councillor Chris Jones and

 

Resolved (9:0) - That the Yew Tree Online Centre be used as the Polling Station for District TC.

 

2. Liscard Ward

 

Polling District WE

 

The Head of Legal and Members Services reported on further investigations that considered options for possible Polling Places/Station venues in District WE as requested by the Committee at its last meeting.  Options Members were asked to consider were:

(i)  Between2Worlds, Guilford Street

(ii)  Wallasey Masonic Hall, Manor Road

 

Correspondence had been received and distributed to Members from Councillor D Dodd in support of the use of Between2Worlds as the Polling Place/Station for Liscard Ward.

 

Councillor J Keeley addressed the meeting to express support for the use of the Masonic Hall in Liscard Ward as Polling Place/Station for Polling District WE.

 

The Chair requested that in the event of a problem arising with the use of the Masonic Hall as the Polling Place/Station, Between2Worlds be used as the alternative.  He requested that Party Spokespersons be consulted if this were to occur.

 

It was moved by Councillor S Niblock and seconded by Councillor C Jones that -

 

“Between2Worlds, Guilford Street be used as Polling Place/Station for District WE.”

 

It was moved as an amendment by Councillor S Taylor and seconded by Councillor K Wood that -

 

“The Masonic Hall, Manor Road be used as Polling Place/Station for Polling District WE.”

 

The amendment was put and carried (5:4).

 

Resolved (5:4) - That the Masonic Hall, Manor Road, Wallasey be used as Polling Place/Station for District WE.

24.

HACKNEY CARRIAGE VEHICLE SUPPLY AND DEMAND SURVEY - OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION pdf icon PDF 4 MB

Minutes:

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management presented the recommendations of an independent study carried out by Halcrow Group Limited of supply and demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles in Wirral and the outcome of a public consultation exercise on the four options set out within the independent report.

 

Members were requested to consider the conclusions and recommendations of the independent study of supply and demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles carried out by the Halcrow Group Limited having regard to the outcome of the public consultation.

 

Mr D Cummins, Unite Union, made representations to the Committee on behalf of the trade.  He informed Members that the trade had favoured the managed growth option, however on reviewing statistics provided by Licensing relating to the recent history of licences granted and surrendered, he now considered Option 2 of the report (that a limit be introduced at 289 or higher) to be more appropriate in order to see the trade stabilise.

 

The Chair gave thanks to all concerned for their hard work regarding this matter.

 

It was moved by Councillor S Taylor and seconded by Councillor S Niblock that -

 

“(1)  After considering all the evidence before it, the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee agree to implement Option 2 of the Halcrow Report.  Accordingly, a limit of 289 Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences shall be set, consistent with the Halcrow recommendation.

 

(2)  The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management be asked to report to the next meeting of this Committee with options for the allocation of available licenses.

 

(3)  No further licenses shall be issued pending the further consideration of an allocation policy at that meeting.”

 

Resolved (9:0) -

 

(1)  That, after considering all the evidence before it, the Licensing, Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee agrees to implement Option 2 of the Halcrow Report.  Accordingly, a limit of 289 Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences shall be set, consistent with the Halcrow recommendation.

 

(2)  That the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management report to the next meeting of this Committee with options for the allocation of available licenses.

 

(3)  That no further licenses shall be issued pending the further consideration of an allocation policy at that meeting.

25.

WIRRAL AWARD 2011 pdf icon PDF 59 KB

Minutes:

Councillor S Niblock declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of him being acquainted with a nominator and a nominee of the Award.

 

Councillor I Lewis declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of him being known to a nominee of the Award.

 

  Councillor S Taylor declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being acquainted with a nominee of the Award.

 

The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management presented for consideration the recommendations of the Wirral Award Working Party held on 5 December 2011.  The Wirral Award was intended to confer civic recognition upon individuals or organisations resident or located in Wirral for an outstanding achievement within the previous twelve months, or for distinguished service to the Borough over a period of twenty years or more.

 

It was reported that once nominations were agreed, a presentation ceremony and formal dinner would be held.

 

The recommendations of the Wirral Award Working Party were provided in the Appendix to the report (minute 27 refers) which was not for publication by virtue of paragraph 1 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Resolved - That the Wirral Award 2011 be conferred on the following recipients recommended by the Wirral Award Working Party, and the suggested arrangements be agreed:

 

  • Maria DeBever
  • Les Jones
  • Diane Hill
  • Eileen Slattery
  • Reverend Roy Cullen
  • Ken McDermott

26.

EXEMPT INFORMATION - EXCLUSION OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC

The following items contain exempt information.

 

RECOMMENDATION:  That, under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The Public Interest test has been applied and favours exclusion.

 

Minutes:

Resolved -  That, under section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined by the relevant paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act. The Public Interest test had been applied and favours exclusion.

27.

WIRRAL AWARD 2011 - APPENDIX

Minutes:

Members noted the details of the exempt appendix that provided details of the nominees of the Wirral Award 2011.  (Minute 25 refers).