Full Council
Manage the strategic delivery of all of the council’s activities.
Macclesfield Town Council Full Council
Macclesfield Town Council Notice of Meeting
24th February 2023
To Chair Cllr Fiona Wilson and Councillors Sarah Bennett-Wake, David Edwardes, Alift Harewood-Jones, Mike Hutchison, Janet Jackson, Sandy Livingstone, Neil Puttick, Ruth Thompson, Mick Warren and Chris Wilcock.
You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of
Macclesfield Town Council’s Full Council meeting to be held at
Macclesfield Town Hall
on
6th March 2023
commencing at 7pm,
for the purpose of transacting the business shown on the attached agenda.
With thanks,
Laura Smith
Town Clerk
Agenda
The agenda of the meeting to be held on the 6th February 2023 at 7pm at Macclesfield Town Hall.
1 Apologies for Absence
To receive apologies and approval.
2 Declarations of Interest
To receive declarations of interests from members relevant to items under discussion at the meeting.
Public Questions
The meeting will be adjourned to invite comments and questions from the public.
The meeting will then be reconvened.
NOTE:
If you would like to speak during public session, please email
clerk@macclesfield-tc.gov.uk by 5pm Thursday 2nd March 2023. Every practicable effort will be made to try and arrange your inclusion.
If you would like to submit a written statement, please submit your statement for inclusion and circulation to the committee to clerk@macclesfield-tc.gov.uk by 5pm Thursday 2nd March 2023.
3 Minutes of the Full Council Meeting held 12th December 2022
Action: To approve the minutes.
4 Matters Arising from the Minutes
Action: To consider any matters arising from the minutes.
5 Planning Committee Minutes
5.1 Planning Committee Minutes 16th December 2022
5.2 Planning Committee Minutes 17th January 2023
5.3 Draft Planning Committee Minutes 3rd February
To note the minutes.
5.4 Matters arising from the minutes.
6 Finance Committee Minutes
6.1 Finance Committee Minutes 13th February 2023.
To note the minutes.
6.2 Matters arising from the minutes.
To consider any matters arising from the minutes.
6.3 Spend to Date
To approve the spend to date (end of DEC 22) of £692,904 as approved for recommendation by the Finance Committee 13th February 2023.
7 Community Delivery
7.1 Local Police Unit
Chief Inspector to brief the Council.
7.2 CAB
To receive and note the report.
7.3 CCTV
To receive and note the report.
8 Governance Review
8.1 Retention Schedule
Action: To approve the above document.
8.2 Volunteer Policy
Action: To approve the above document.
8.3 Training and Development Policy
Action: To approve the above policy.
9 South Park Pavilion Update
Action: To consider the proposal within the report.
10 Community Enforcement Update
To note the attached report.
11 Toilets for Public Use
Action: To approve the proposal in the report.
12 Town Centre Recovery Working Group
To receive and note the updated report.
13 Shop Front Glow Up Grant programme
Action: To consider the proposal within the report.
14 Review of Planned Priorities for the Year
To receive and note the updated report.
15 Date/Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Full Council will be held on 15th May 2023, at the Town Hall.
Macclesfield Town Council Full Council
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on the 6th March 2023 at 7pm at Macclesfield Town Hall.
In Attendance:
Cllr Fiona Wilson
Cllr Sarah Bennett-Wake
Cllr Alift Harewood
Cllr Janet Jackson MBE
Cllr Sandy Livingstone
Cllr Chris Wilcock
Cllr Neil Puttick
Cllr Mike Hutchison
1 Apologies for Absence
Cllr David Edwardes
Cllr Ruth Thompson
2 Declarations of Interest
Cllr Janet Jackson declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 7.2 as a Trustee of CAB.
Cllr Chris Wilcock declared a non-pecuniary interest in item 11 as a member of St. Michaels Church.
Public Questions
The meeting was adjourned to invite comments and questions from the public.
Sophie Fitzpatrick was invited to speak, the subject was parking issues on the roads and estate around the football club. Sophie has lived there since she was 4 years old and has small children now herself. Firstly she said the work the football club do is amazing, however parking is difficult everyday of the week but on match day it is impossible. The roads are covered in cars that are just ‘dumped’, blocking kerbs and driveways.
Recently a fire engine struggled to get through and she said crossing the roads to the shops is not safe as you have to go into the road to look as there are cars parked everywhere. It is also difficult for prams and wheelchair users who have to go into the road.
She has spoken to Robbie Savage who has said it’s the Councils problem.
Sophie said if you took the average attendance for Jan 23 and divided it by 5, as the amount of people who could get in one car, that would result in 695 cars trying to park. She believes there will be even more parking issues if the club get permission to open a café.
Sophie herself does not go out in her car on match days as she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to get back on to her drive, and with shopping and small kids, she cannot park far away. She says she has also asked people if they could move their cars and just received abuse. She does not know anywhere else people could get away with this behaviour, and wants a safe environment for the community and the children.
The 2nd speaker was, Joanne Clifford Whitmore, who simply said she agreed with everything said by Sophie.
The clerk read out a question from Gareth Jones as follows:
“Since May 2019, 4 Town Councillors have resigned, there have been 2 By Elections ( Central & Broken Cross ) & 1 Secondment ( West & Ivy ). Can you please tell me how much each By Election cost & how much the secondment cost
The clerk answered that the election for Central ward cost £15,431.56 and that the invoice for the Broken Cross and Upton Ward has not yet been received. There was no cost for the co-option.
The Chair, Cllr Wilson, thanked the speakers and the meeting was then reconvened.
3 Minutes of the Full Council Meeting held 12th December 2022
Resolved: The minutes were approved
4 Matters Arising from the Minutes
Resolved: Cllr Wilson referred to 8.1 of the minutes of the meeting of 12th Dec 2022, where she had asked if they could discuss the parking around the Football ground with the PCSO’s offline, which Inspector Watkins agreed too, and said she would cover this in item 7.1.
5 Planning Committee Minutes
5.1 Planning Committee Minutes 16th December 2022
5.2 Planning Committee Minutes 17th January 2023
5.3 Draft Planning Committee Minutes 3rd February
The minutes were noted.
5.4 Matters arising from the minutes.
There were no matters arising.
6 Finance Committee Minutes
6.1 Finance Committee Minutes 13th February 2023.
The minutes were noted.
6.2 Matters arising from the minutes.
There were no matters arising.
6.3 Spend to Date
The spend to date (end of DEC 22) of £692,904 was approved.
7 Community Delivery
7.1 Local Police Unit
Inspector Christian Watkins (CW) attended to brief the Council.
- He said key issues in Macclesfield since 1/2/23 were 9 warrants issued, 2 linked to child protection the rest were for drug issues.
- There were closure orders on five locations linked to organised crime and drug activities.
- 3 criminal behaviour orders have been issued.
- There are no big nightlife problems but there are issues with drinking and 6 arrests were made.
- He is working with CEC to deal with parking at Tytherington school.
Cllr Livingstone asked if they were fully recruited, CW replied that they have 1 PCSO and 1 PC vacancy.
Cllr Harwood asked what powers they had to deal with the orders. CW replied they are granted those powers by the magistrates.
Cllr Wilson discussed the issues with parking at the football club, in reference to the public speakers and echoing the issues raised by the residents. Cllr Wilson said it is everyone’s issue, residents, football club, police and councils. They are seeking assistance with the club and residents as they do have a responsibility. She had been advised that the PCOS had issued 60 parking tickets at a recent home game.
CW has also met with CEC and has raised this issue although he stated the police cannot issue tickets for double yellow parking but they can for obstructions.
Cllr Puttick raised issues of transport and the Town Council transport committee and the possibility of free bus days and investigating how to improve parking behaviours and working with CCTV to respond to anti social behaviour in an agile way.
Cllr Hutchison thanked the speakers, and said he was co-opted to the Silkman Supporters Trust and he will take this issue to the club as the club could support the messaging that match attendees should not park the way they do.
Cllr Livingston thanked the speakers and understands the challenge. He stated it’s great that the football club is doing well but they have to be encouraged to work with the police to find a solution as they do have a responsibility.
Cllr Wilson said a great solution would be to park at the college and walk to the ground and Cllr Jackson agreed saying it would promote walking to the ground.
CW also said a dialogue was needed with the opposition teams who are visiting giving clear information of where they can park
Cllr Wilson stated there were lots of good solutions between the residents, speakers, Councillors and the Police including points raised by CW and asked CW to liaise with the Councillors outside of the meeting to arrange a meeting. CW agreed.
7.2 CAB
The report was noted.
718 people seen but there are more issues. Debt issues relating to the cost of living crisis are on the rise. More people are applying for disability benefit that they don’t perhaps qualify for as they are desperate to increase their income, relationship issues due to financial problems are on the increase too.
CEC have funding to help those, the Energy Support Fund, around £100 one off payment if the person qualifies, which goes directly to their utilities provider.
Mental Health issues are increasing in numbers and the CAB have 2 full time members to deal with this.
Cllr Puttick asked is there any way that the Town Council can help, perhaps with mental health issues that are on the increase.
Cllr Jackson, commented that the CAB do a great job to help those locally who are having more and more difficult times in this cost of living crisis. She thanked all the staff and volunteers there.
Cllr Bennett-Wake also thanked the CAB, and said what a shame with these figures, and this cost of living crisis that people are described as ‘in work poverty’. People are now queuing up for the £3 food bags one hour before and they did not have enough to give to everyone. She asked Will, what he saw as the solution?
He said CAB would always do their best to help but the problem that has to be addressed is that minimum income has to be more than expenditure, basically increase income or decrease those essential costs such as domestic fuel.
7.3 CCTV
The report was noted.
More details are needed for the report as it’s a bit too general. The Clerk is requested to ask for more details for the next report and to ask for data around women’s safety, and to encourage CCTV to work with our new CEO.
8 Governance Review
8.1 Retention Schedule
Resolved: The above document was approved.
8.2 Volunteer Policy
Resolved: The above document was approved.
8.3 Training and Development Policy
Resolved: The above document was approved.
9 South Park Pavilion Update
Resolved: The proposal within the report to go for a 2 stage tender was approved.
10 Community Enforcement Update
The report was noted.
The Community Enforcement Officer (CEO) was present for the Councillors to ask questions as follows:
Cllr Wilcock asked if he could work with Peaks and Plains for fly tipping and Mark said he would have to have the land owners permission.
Cllr Bennett-Wake said thank you as dog fouling was a real issue in Macclesfield.
Cllr Puttick said working with other agencies is key and to try to work with CCTV too.
Cllr Harewood said that West and Ivy have issues too and the Chair said to follow the procedures given by the Clerk to report issues.
Cllr Hutchison, asked about enforcement, and asked at what point do you issue a fine. The CEO replied that if they get names and addresses of offenders of dog fouling he can go and give then a fixed penalty notice straight away.
Cllr Livingstone also said it was great to have the CEO, and to work with the local PCSO and CCTV to make real change on these behaviours.
Cllr Wilson, also thanked the CEO, and that having someone to do this work concentrating in Macclesfield only is great and reminded all Councillors to follow the procedures for reporting.
11 Toilets for Public Use
Resolved: To approve the proposal in the report and the Clerk to ask if they can have signage which the Town Council can assist with the costs.
12 Town Centre Recovery Working Group
The report was noted.
13 Shop Front Glow Up Grant programme
Resolved: The proposal within the report was approved.
14 Review of Planned Priorities for the Year
The report was noted.
15 Date/Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Full Council will be held on 15th May 2023, at the Town Hall.
Meeting Closed: 8:31pm
Chair: Cllr Fiona Wilson
Clerk: Laura Smith