In advance of the meeting, the Town Mayor noted the horrendous war in Ukraine and the council held a minute silence for the people of Ukraine.
The Town Mayor noted the death of former Town Mayor Tony Want and the council held a minute silence in his memory.
21/075 PRESENT
Councillors Gardiner, Houghton, Beswick, Coan, Forbes, Gray, Lowe, Malloy, McCulloch, Morris and Robertson.
In attendance: A Keppel-Green (Town Clerk)
21/076 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllrs Abel (business), Dalzell (health), Nicholson and Power (personal business)
21/078 DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
No member declared an interest in any item.
21/079 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A resident spoke in support of the council allocating resource to undertake the reviews of the Conservation Areas, highlighting their importance and noting the removal of saved policies from the Macclesfield Local Plan 2004.
A member of the public spoke in relation to the War Memorial Cottage Hospital noting that 2022 marked the building’s centenary and stating they considered the building should be protected. They further expressed the view that the sale of the building to McCarthy and Stone could be prevented and that the Red Cross had no right to acquire the building from the NHS.
A resident expressed disappointment at the services delivered by Cheshire East Council highlighting that numerous issued they raised have not been resolved.
21/080 CONFIRMATION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
It was RESOLVED to confirm the minutes of the meeting held 10th January 2022.
21/081 COMMITTEE MINUTES
The minutes of committees meeting since the previous ordinary meeting were noted.
21/082 CHESHIRE EAST COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS
The reports of Cllrs Abel, Dean and Gardiner were noted.
Members raised the poor condition of road repairs and questioned the necessity for Cheshire East Council to hold such significant financial reserves.
21/083 MEMBERS’ REPORTS
Cllr Forbes reported that the parkletics project was slowly progressing.
Cllr Malloy reported that the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership priority remained securing the half hourly service; the Friends of College Wood were agreeing their programme of activity for the year and that the Knutsford and District Schools Council was meeting the following day and would be discussing, amongst other things, celebrations for HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Cllr Malloy further reported on a meeting with Everybody Sport and Leisure concerning improvements to the leisure centre; noting the significant usage of the facility by the Knutsford Academy, that further discussions needed to take place between the academy and ESAR around the shared usage and that ESAR had committed to developing an updated business case to look to secure investment via Cheshire East Council.
Cllr Malloy further noted the strong desire of the local community to support the people of Ukraine, noting that two cars of supplies had been collected and dispatched but that financial donations were now being encouraged instead of items.
Cllr Houghton reported he had attended the funeral of former Town Mayor Tony Want. Cllr Houghton further reported that the honours working group had met twice in recent months and agreed to submit five names to the government for consideration.
Cllr McCulloch reported that there had been no meetings of the Knutsford Fund but that he had attended several meetings of the Friends of St Johns Wood which was progressing its plan for improvements to the area and had recently held a meeting with the ANSA/Cheshire East as one of the landowners.
21/084 CANUTE PLACE ROUNDABOUT PROPOSALS
It was RESOLVED that the Town Council is totally opposed to the current proposals for changes at the Canute Place Roundabout and to inform Redrow of the council’s position.
Cllr Gardiner abstained from voting.
21/085 CONSERVATION AREA REVIEWS
It was RESOLVED to contract Donald Insall Associates to undertake the reviews of the four remaining Conservation Areas at a cost of £24,375.
21/086 CORPORATE RISK REGISTER
It was RESOLVED to add a risk relating to increasing fuel and utility costs with a impact of 2 and likelihood of 3.
It was RESOLVED to approve the corporate risk register subject to the following additional amendments:
- Increase the likelihood of vandalism at 60 King Street to 2 and add further explanatory information on risk mitigation
- Add a risk relating to the loss of non-digital data
- Increase the likelihood of lack of officer capacity to 2
21/087 REVIEW OF STANDING ORDERS
Amendments to the terms of reference for the Personnel Committee and Finance Committee to reduce their membership to 5 members (plus the Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor ex-officio) were proposed and seconded and stood adjourned without debate to the next ordinary meeting.
An amendment to the terms of reference for the Assets and Operations Committee to reduce its membership to 6 members (plus the Town Mayor and Deputy Town Mayor ex-officio) was proposed and seconded and stood adjourned without debate to the next ordinary meeting.
21/088 MAYORAL DUTIES
The Town Mayor reported on duties as detailed in Annex A.
21/089 PAYMENTS
The payment schedules were noted.
21/090 OUTSTANDING MATTERS LOG
The log was noted.
21/091 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No member of the public wished to speak.
21/092 QUESTIONS TO THE TOWN CLERK
The Town Clerk responded to questions from members advising that: there had been no update from the NHS/GPs on the development of plans for a super surgery; that the council has previously suggested to Cheshire East Council alternative pedestrian routes over the sinkhole but these had been rejected as the current route is regarded as safe; that the council’s standing orders provide that the council will usually take a break after 1.5hrs but that it was at the discretion of the chairman; that he would ascertain whether the maintenance of the drainage ponds on new developments is included within management plans; that the planning inquiry into the refused Traveller homes on Broadoak Lane in Mobberley had been held but no outcome yet announced and that the memorial boards from the War Memorial Cottage Hospital were displayed in the Committee Room of the Council Offices.
The Deputy Town Mayor expressed the thanks of the council to the Town Mayor.
21/093 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
It was noted that the next scheduled meeting will be held on Monday 9th May at 7pm.