A25/030 PRESENT
Councillors Coan, Gray, Dalzell, Gardiner, Hartley, McCulloch and Wood.
A Keppel-Green (Town Clerk)
A25/031 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllr Lowe (business).
A25/032 DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
Cllr Hartley declared a personal interest in A25/045 on the grounds of being known to personnel involved in a proposal.
Cllr Gardiner declared in the spirit of openness and transparency that he occasionally deputises on the Cheshire East Council Economy and Growth committee which makes decisions in respect of asset transfers.
A25/033 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident noted Cllr Gardiner’s comments in local media that he believed the borough council’s budget pressures could be relieved through the transfer of assets and services to town and parish councils and asked Cllr Gardiner and the Town Clerk to consider whether this constitutes an interest which would prevent him speaking and voting on such matters at the Town Council. The resident asked if the committee was aware that it had an additional operational liability as a result of a decision of the Environment and Transport Committee to plant a hedge at Longridge and stated they would like it recorded that the hedge would be maintained to a height of 1m.
A resident spoke in relation to 60 King Street, protesting that it was set to be discussed following a resolution to exclude the public and press from the meeting. The resident stated they had been prevented from accessing the building by council officers, claiming they had been invited to do so by the Town Mayor; the Town Mayor stated that they had not invited the resident to view the building. The resident disputed that the council was able to provide positive assertions in respect of statements in the annual governance statement, that the council had never advertised the building nationally to secure a tenant and has failed to let the building resulting a loss of public funds. The resident further asserted that the call for proposals via Bruntwood fails to meet the legal obligation to obtain best value in any disposal of the asset.
The Town Clerk undertook to provide a response to the resident and correct the misunderstandings in their statement.
Cllrs Wood and Gray arrived whilst the second resident was speaking.
A25/034 CONFIRMATION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
It was RESOLVED to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 22nd September subject to a typographical correction to A25/018.
A25/035 REVIEW OF YEAR-TO-DATE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE
The year to date income and expenditure report was noted.
The Town Clerk responded to questions reporting on a number of budget lines which were overspent.
A25/036 GREEN WASTE DISPOSAL
The committee noted the various options for the disposal of green waste and RESOLVED to approve the continuation of the existing arrangements and that this be reviewed during the 2027/28 civic year.
A25/037 COUNCIL OFFICES IMPROVEMENT PLAN
An update from the working group setting out initial principles for the works specification was noted. It was noted that it was proposed to retain the chairman’s table and dais in the chamber but not use the old council chamber furniture which would instead, where possible, be repurposed for use within the building or otherwise.
It was RESOLVED to endorse the working groups output to date.
A25/038 COUNCIL OFFICES WINDOW REPAIR
It was RESOLVED to authorise repair of the window at a cost of £2,015, noting it would exceed the current year budget for building repairs but that the expenditure had been factored into budget projections as part of approving the council budget.
A25/039 CEMETERY REGULATIONS
It was RESOLVED to approve the revised cemetery regulations subject to the insertion of a missing word to 5.4d.
A25/040 STRATEGIC PLAN
The progress against strategic plan actions was noted; it was noted new posters promoting the chapel were on display at the cemetery and other locations.
A25/041 OUTSTANDING ACTIONS AND PROJECT UPDATES REPORT
The outstanding actions and project updates report was noted. The Town Clerk reported that the installation of the Silk Mill Street cycle shelter was pending the final consent from Cheshire East Council.
A25/042 COMMITTEE WORKPLAN
The committee workplan was noted. The Town Clerk advised that there was still time for members to provide input into the lessons learned review of the market hall project.
A25/043 QUESTIONS TO THE TOWN CLERK
The Town Clerk responded to questions advising that:
- It was intended that the recently planted hedge at St Helena’s Field would be maintained at 1m, but that this policy falls under the remit of the Environment and Transport Committee which has the remit of third-party open spaces.
- That there was currently no proposal to take responsibility for the management of open spaces on development sites, but that it had been noted during discussion on the potential of taking on Cheshire East Council owned open spaces that should it do so the council would have capacity to take on such spaces.
- Options for installing trackers on vehicles and large equipment would be explored.
A25/044 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
It was noted that the next scheduled meeting will be held on 30th March 2026 at 7:30pm.
A25/045 60 KING STREET
It was RESOLVED to exclude the public and press on the grounds that publicity would be prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted.
It was noted that the council had received one proposal for occupation of 60 King Street and the personnel behind the proposal were invited to address the committee and take questions from members. The representatives then left the meeting.
The meeting was adjourned for a five-minute recess and was subsequently reconvened.
It was determined that there was insufficient detail provided for the proposal for it to be taken further. The committee discussed efforts to re-tenant the building since 2019 and the various options which had been explored. It was concluded that all viable options for retaining ownership of the building had been explored and that the only option now remained to dispose of the asset.
It was RESOLVED to:
- recommend to Full Council that it authorise the sale of the building and the appointment of an agent to facilitate this as soon possible
- express thanks to Bruntwood for their work and support on behalf of the council in seeking to find a viable proposal
- thank the company which submitted the latest proposal for their interest
Cllr Hartley abstained from voting.
The Town Clerk sought clarification from the committee as to how it wishes to see the sale progressed and it was confirmed that it should be a freehold disposal of the entire property, advertised for informal tender and with the committee authorised to determine the tender which presents the best value for the council and community.