Agenda and minutes

Venue: Floral Pavilion, Marine Promenade, New Brighton

Media

Items
No. Item

20.

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

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Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and those watching the webcast.

21.

APOLOGIES

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Minutes:

The Chair confirmed the apologies of Councillors Jo Bird, Mike Collins and David Burgess-Joyce, also Councillor Emily Gleaves, with Councillor Chris Cooke deputising for her.

22.

MEMBERS' CODE OF CONDUCT - DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of the Committee are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests, in connection with any item on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

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Minutes:

Members of the Committee were asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in connection with any item on the agenda and state the nature of the interest.

 

No such declarations were made.

23.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2022.

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Minutes:

On a motion by Councillor C O’Hagan and seconded by Councillor J Williams, it was -

 

Resolved – That the accuracy of the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2022 be approved.

24.

MINUTES OF THE REGULATORY PANEL pdf icon PDF 88 KB

To approve the accuracy of the minutes of the meetings of the Regulatory Panel held on 15 December 2021, 22 December 2021, 14 January 2022, 21 January 2022, 9 February 2022, 11 February 2022, 23 February 2022 and 4 March 2022.

 

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Minutes:

On a motion by Councillor C Jones and seconded by Councillor S Williams, it was - 

 

Resolved – That the accuracy of the minutes of the meetings of the Regulatory Panel held on 15 December 2021, 22 December 2021, 14 January 2022, 21 January 2022, 9 February 2022, 11 February 2022, 23 February 2022 and 4 March 2022 be approved.

25.

CONFERMENT OF THE TITLE OF HONORARY ALDERMAN pdf icon PDF 84 KB

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Minutes:

The Director of Law and Governance submitted a report requesting that Members of the Committee give consideration as to whether to recommend to Council that the title of Honorary Alderman be conferred on former Councillor Pat Hackett.

 

The Head of Legal Services reported that former Councillor Pat Hackett had been a Member of the Council from 10 May 1994 and had represented New Brighton Ward as a Labour Party Member until 25 September 2020 (with a short gap in service from May 2008 until May 2011).  Pat Hackett had served as Leader of the Council between 14 May 2019 until retiring from the Council in September 2020 and he also served as Mayor of Wirral for the Municipal Year 2016/17.  The Council had previously determined that former Members who had served twenty years on the Council or a predecessor Council were eligible for nomination to this award and therefore former Councillor Pat Hackett is eligible to have the title of Honorary Alderman conferred upon him.

 

Members were informed that Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 provides that the title of Honorary Alderman or Honorary Alderwoman may be conferred by the Council on persons who are persons of distinction and/or who have, in its opinion, rendered eminent service to the place or area.  The title is to be conferred by a resolution passed by not less than two thirds of the Members voting on it at a meeting of the Council specially convened for the purpose.

 

It was reported that successful nominees for the office of Honorary Aldermen and Alderwomen of this Council had previously been awarded a suitable badge at a special ceremony.  Currently, former Councillor Pat Hackett was the only former Councillor eligible to be appointed as an Honorary Alderman based on the Council’s criteria.

 

Members were further informed that the intention would be to present former Councillor Pat Hackett with a badge of office, the total cost of which would be approximately £682.75 and there would also be the small cost of inscribing his name on the Roll of Honour Board which could be met from existing budgets.

 

Councillor A Hodson announced that he became a Councillor in 1994 at the same time as Pat Hackett and therefore was very pleased for this matter to be considered and for the title of Honorary Alderman to be bestowed on someone worthwhile for the honour.

 

Councillor C Jones reflected these comments and recommended that the Constitution and Standards Committee consider exploring the possibility of a protocol in order that anyone with 20 years’ service could be automatically considered for the title of Honorary Alderman or Alderwoman to be conferred upon them rather than having to be nominated.

 

On a motion by Councillor C Jones and seconded by Councillor A Hodson, it was –

 

Resolved –

 

(1)  That the conferment of the title of Honorary Alderman on former Councillor Pat Hackett be recommended to Council in accordance with Section 249(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

(2)  That a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

26.

BOROUGH ELECTION FEES AND CHARGES pdf icon PDF 85 KB

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Minutes:

The Director of Law and Governance submitted a report detailing the proposed fees to be paid to the Returning Officer and his staff employed to undertake duties at the local elections held within the Borough.

 

The Electoral Services Manager reported that the next scheduled Borough elections will take place on Thursday 5 May 2022 and the Borough election fees for 2022 were set in in Appendix 1 to the report.  The fees and charges had been considered and endorsed by the Returning Officer.

 

Members were advised that consideration had been given to the fees paid to the Returning Officer and his staff and he had been informed by both national guidance and information gathered from other Merseyside Local Authorities.  Annual fees were uprated using the retail price index percentage increase.  It was reported that in accordance with the Representation of the People’s Act 1983, the cost of a local government election would be met from the local authority budget.

 

On a motion by Councillor C Jones and seconded by Councillor A Hodson, it was –

 

Resolved – That the fees to be paid to the Returning Officer and his staff employed to undertake duties at the local elections held within the Borough as set out within Appendix 1 to the report be noted.