The Mayor stated that this notice of motion would be debated in conjunction with the two objections received to minute 210 (Cabinet – 8/12/11) (see minutes 77 and 78 post).

Proposed by Councillor Jeff Green

Seconded by Councillor Lesley Rennie

(1) Council notes the ongoing activity to improve the Council’s Corporate Governance processes.

(2) Council believes that as the activity to improve its processes continues it becomes even more important to restate our purpose.

(3) Council therefore commits itself to the following principles:

• A commitment to making Wirral a bigger and stronger society.

• Creating the environment and developing the skills needed to make Wirral a place where local employers succeed and businesses choose to invest – an economy with high levels of private sector employment, which retains and attracts our young people and provides the job opportunities for all to realise their full potential.

• Placing the views of Wirral, residents, employers, Community and Voluntary groups at the heart of all we do, providing opportunities for people to improve their neighbourhoods, lives and those of their families, ensuring that no part of Wirral is ignored.

• Actively supporting the Coalition Government’s commitment to ending child poverty by 2020, providing support services to children, young people and their families that help to alleviate the effects of poverty and, in the long term, break inter-generational cycles of deprivation.

• Providing services that meet the needs and aspirations of all Wirral people, fostering a real pride in the borough, ensuring high standards of cleanliness, environmental protection and public safety, creating a clean, safe and sustainable environment.

• Working everyday to keep children and vulnerable people safe and tackle the gross inequalities in health and education outcomes experienced by our residents. Services provided for our most vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded citizens, wherever they may live, should be founded on fairness, raise aspirations, promote choice and improve quality of life.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Steve Foulkes

Seconded by Councillor Phil Davies

Add the following:

Council notes the principles set out in this motion and recognises that they have already been incorporated in the re-fresh of the Corporate Plan agreed by Cabinet on the 8th December.

Council is concerned that a number of the principles included in the list in this motion, eg. ending child poverty and creating a sustainable environment, have been made more difficult to achieve as a direct result of the announcements in the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement and the coalition government’s draconian cuts to local government budgets.

In accordance with Standing Order 9(q), the following motion was put:

Proposed by Councillor Tom Harney

Seconded by Councillor Dave Mitchell

That the motion be deferred to the next Full Council meeting and that, in the meantime, the motion is referred to all the Council’s OSCs for consideration, alongside the draft Corporate Plan. That the views of the OSCs on the motion be included in the report to the next Council on the Corporate Plan.

In connection with the Liberal Democrat objection to minute 210 (Cabinet – 8/12/11) an amendment was then moved, in accordance with Standing Order 9(p), by Councillor Steve Foulkes and seconded by Councillor Phil Davies (see minute 77 post).

The Mayor then adjourned the meeting at 7.50pm to enable consideration of Councillor Foulkes’ amendment.

The meeting reconvened at 8.00pm.

Following a debate, Councillor Green having replied in respect of the notice of motion and Councillor Foulkes having replied in respect of the objections to minute 210 (Cabinet - 8/12/11), the amendment proposed by Councillor Foulkes to the motion was put and lost (29:35) (One abstention).

The motion of Councillor Harney was put and carried (35:29) (One abstention).

The substantive motion was put and carried (35:29) (One abstention).

Resolved (35:29) (One abstention) –

(1)   Council notes the ongoing activity to improve the Council’s Corporate Governance processes.

(2)   Council believes that as the activity to improve its processes continues it becomes even more important to restate our purpose.

(3)   Council therefore commits itself to the following principles:

• A commitment to making Wirral a bigger and stronger society.

• Creating the environment and developing the skills needed to make Wirral a place where local employers succeed and businesses choose to invest – an economy with high levels of private sector employment, which retains and attracts our young people and provides the job opportunities for all to realise their full potential.

• Placing the views of Wirral, residents, employers, Community and Voluntary groups at the heart of all we do, providing opportunities for people to improve their neighbourhoods, lives and those of their families, ensuring that no part of Wirral is ignored.

• Actively supporting the Coalition Government’s commitment to ending child poverty by 2020, providing support services to children, young people and their families that help to alleviate the effects of poverty and, in the long term, break inter-generational cycles of deprivation.

• Providing services that meet the needs and aspirations of all Wirral people, fostering a real pride in the borough, ensuring high standards of cleanliness, environmental protection and public safety, creating a clean, safe and sustainable environment.

• Working everyday to keep children and vulnerable people safe and tackle the gross inequalities in health and education outcomes experienced by our residents. Services provided for our most vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded citizens, wherever they may live, should be founded on fairness, raise aspirations, promote choice and improve quality of life.

That the motion be deferred to the next Full Council meeting and that, in the meantime, the motion is referred to all the Council’s OSCs for consideration, alongside the draft Corporate Plan. That the views of the OSCs on the motion be included in the report to the next Council on the Corporate Plan.