The Cabinet considered the outcome of discussions at the Marple and Werneth area committees in relation to proposals to change the area committees’ names and agreed the following:-
· the comments of the Marple and Werneth area committees be noted;
· the Deputy Chief Executive be requested to make arrangements to consult the public within the Marple and Werneth area committee areas on the possible change to the names to ‘Marple and High Lane Area Committee’ and the ‘Bredbury, Romiley and Woodley Area Committee’ respectively.
The Executive considered a referral from the Corporate, Resource Management & Governance Scrutiny Committee inviting them to reconsider its previous decision (ED1899) in relation to its recommendation to the Council Meeting that the name of the Marple Area Committee be changed to the ‘Marple and High Lane Area Committee’ and the Werneth Area Committee be changed to the ‘Bredbury, Romiley and Woodley Area Committee’.
The Executive then agreed, notwithstanding that the view of the Executive was that the original decision was correct, that the affected Area Committees be consulted on the proposed changes to their names prior to any change being considered by the Council Meeting.
The Executive considered proposals for changes to the Constitution relating to the area committees and agreed that the following be approved or recommended to the Council Meeting for approval as appropriate:-
· abolish the Town Centre Committee and adopt the planning decision making procedures set out in paragraph 3.1.3 of the report;
· alter the definition of strategic planning applications to include Environmental Impact Assessment applications, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report;
· delegate the Ward Flexibility Fund be delegated to Area Committees, as out in paragraph 3.4 of the report;
· that Ward and Joint Committees requested by Ward Councillors, as set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report, be established by the Council Meeting;
· the proposals relating to Area Committees acting as ‘Trustees’ in relation to the disposal of Charitable land, as set out in paragraph 3.6 of the report and Appendix 3;
· the proposals relating to Commuted Sums, as set out in paragraph 3.7 of the report, be approved;
· the miscellaneous Drafting Matters, as set out in paragraph 4 of the report, with the exception of those relating to property matters;
· the revised delegations to Area Committees, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, but that the issue be reconsidered in twelve months’ time in the light of health and social care integration.
In relation to the Cheadle Hulme North Ward and the Cheadle Hulme South Ward being in two different Area Committees the Executive agreed that in its view the Council Meeting should establish a joint ward committee to address the concerns of ward councillors.
The Executive also recommended that the Council Meeting change the name of the Marple Area Committee to the ‘Marple and High Lane Area Committee’ and the Werneth Area Committee to the ‘Bredbury, Romiley and Woodley Area Committee’ to improve clarity of the geographical remits of those area committees.