21/058 PRESENT
Councillors Gardiner, Abel, Dalzell, Forbes, Lowe, Malloy, McCulloch and Robertson.
In attendance: A Keppel-Green (Town Clerk)
21/059 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllrs Houghton (health), Beswick (business) and Gray, Morris, Nicholson and Power (personal business)
21/060 DECLARATIONS OF MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
No member declared an interest in any item.
21/061 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No members of the public wished to address the meeting.
21/062 CONFIRMATION OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
It was RESOLVED to confirm the minutes of the meeting held 1st November 2021.
21/063 COMMITTEE MINUTES
The minutes of committees meeting since the previous ordinary meeting were noted.
Cllr Forbes asked whether the Personnel Committee’s discussed review should be undertaken prior to recruitment to the vacant roles and the Town Mayor requested it be discussed with the committee chairman and Town Clerk outside the meeting.
21/064 CHESHIRE EAST COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS
The written reports of Cllrs Abel, Dean and Gardiner were noted.
Further to the report of Cllr Dean, Cllr Lowe asked what the perceived issue with staff working from home was and Cllr Gardiner replied highlighting observed issues within the planning and highways departments.
Cllr Malloy raised concern that the bin lorries were no longer going into Springfields with residents required to leave bins on Shaw Drive. Cllr Malloy further highlighted the concerns of local taxi drivers about the impending Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone and the lack of support from Cheshire East Council unlike the support provided to drivers in the combined authority area.
Cllr Lowe highlighted the row of streetlights out alongside the Heath; Cllr Gardiner advised that the fault was due to underground cabling and the responsibility of Scottish Power to resolve.
Cllr McCulloch raised concern about the dangers presented by the closed pavement on Toft Road.
21/065 MEMBERS’ REPORTS
Cllr Forbes reported on attendance at an internal communications training course and encouraged other members to attend it. Cllr Forbes further reported on multiple meetings concerning the Parkletics project and on attendance at a meeting concerning the proposed combined medical centre and noted that it appeared that the progress made on the project to date had been overestimated. It was suggested that the council write to the NHS concerning the project.
Cllr Malloy reported that the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership was continuing to press for the reintroduction of the peak half-hourly service and that it was soon to be recruiting a new Community Rail Officer. Cllr Malloy further reported that the Friends of College Wood had now been registered as a charitable incorporated organisation and was working on a management strategy for the woodland; that the Knutsford District Youth Council was looking at ideas for celebrating the jubilee; that he had been liaising with Knutsford Police and was concerned to hear a detective was unaware of the town’s CCTV coverage which he has raised with the Inspector and that he had attended meetings to progress the creation of a cycle path from the Moor to Tatton Park as part of a Tatton Wellbeing Loop.
Cllr Dalzell reported that a community wassail event was being held at the Crosstown Community Orchard on Saturday 15th January.
21/066 CLIMATE EMERGENCY WORKING GROUP
It was RESOLVED to appoint Cllrs Malloy, McCulloch and Robertson to the working group. It was noted that the Cllr Abel would be the Cheshire East Councillor on the group.
21/067 ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT 2021 RECOMMENDATIONS
It was RESOLVED to cease the printing of committee minute packs and payment schedules with Council agendas, to include hyperlinks to the minutes within the digital agendas.
21/068 COUNCIL BUDGET AND PRECEPT 2022/23
It was RESOLVED to approve the 2022/23 budget and reserves as presented and set the precept at £437,944.
Council noted its thanks to the Finance Committee and Town Clerk for their work in preparing the budget over the preceding months.
21/069 MAYORAL DUTIES
The Town Mayor reported on duties as detailed in Annex A.
21/070 PAYMENTS
The payment schedules were noted.
21/071 ACTIONS LOG
The log was noted.
Cllr Lowe highlighted the Cheshire East Council Speed Management Strategy and encouraged members to respond.
21/072 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
No member of the public wished to speak.
21/073 QUESTIONS TO THE TOWN CLERK
The Town Clerk responded to questions stating that once CEC Highways had prepared a detailed proposal for the new crossing on Northwich Road the council would be reconsulted, that he was still awaiting a reply from the CEC CCTV team as to when a temporary camera will be installed on the Moor and that he was not aware of licenced traders holding regular meetings.
Cllr Gardiner responded to a question stating that it was uncertain when the strategic development site application at Longridge would be determined by the Strategic Planning Board and that the date listed on the website was the next possible date, not necessarily the date it would be determined.
21/074 DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
It was noted that the next scheduled meeting will be held on Monday 7th March at 7pm.