How did Wirral Council councillors vote at a public meeting about the Hoylake Golf Resort/Celtic Manor Resort?
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Extraordinary Council (Wirral Council) 25th February 2019 Hoylake Golf Resort Part 1 of 5
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Extraordinary Council (Wirral Council) 25th February 2019 Hoylake Golf Resort Part 2 of 5
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Extraordinary Council (Wirral Council) 25th February 2019 Hoylake Golf Resort Part 3 of 5
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Extraordinary Council (Wirral Council) 25th February 2019 Hoylake Golf Resort Part 4 of 5
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Extraordinary Council (Wirral Council) 25th February 2019 Hoylake Golf Resort Part 5 of 5
At the end of a three hour meeting full of passionate speeches it came finally time for councillors to vote on the various notices of motion.
But before councillors could press their buttons, Conservative councillors stood up and demanded a recorded vote (known at Wirral Council as a card vote) which meant that each councillors’ name would be read out and each individual councillor present would have to announce their vote verbally either for, against or abstaining.
The text of the motion proposed by Cllr Chris Blakeley and seconded by Cllr Gerry Ellis is below:
Proposed by Councillor Chris Blakeley
Seconded by Councillor Gerry Ellis
Council notes that in excess of £1 million of Council taxpayers’ money has, so far, been utilised to support this project, as well as Council Officers’ and consultants’ time, while Cabinet itself has stated that golf in Wirral is in decline.
Council also notes that the Celtic Manor Resort, formerly known as the Hoylake Golf Resort, is dependent on 160 higher-band houses and 40 apartments being built on a location within Wirral’s precious Green Belt with further Council support suggested at up to £26 million.
Council recognises the widespread concern at this proposal, including the opposition voiced recently by Local Campaign Forum of the Labour Party.
Council is advised by the Director of Governance and Assurance that, under the Leader and Cabinet system (as operated by Labour in Wirral), it does not have the power to demand or force the Cabinet to drop this unwanted scheme in its entirety.
However, given the uncertainty, the massive public opposition, the financial risks to the taxpayer and the harm that would be caused to Wirral’s Green Belt, Council strongly recommends that Cabinet listen to the people of Wirral and withdraws from this scheme in its entirety and notify all stakeholders of its intention not to proceed.
The electronic voting showed 31 councillors in favour and 31 against (a tied or hung vote) which cheered up those in the public gallery. However it was after a short delay pointed out by the Mayor to all present that the electronic voting would not be relied upon. One councillor had indicated verbally he was voting against but not pressed any of his voting buttons.
So the actual vote was 32 against and 31 councillors for.
Below is a list of which way councillors voted on this motion:
CLLR ANDERSON (TOM), Conservative – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – FOR
CLLR BERRY (BRUCE), Conservative – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – FOR
CLLR BIRD (JO), Labour & Co-Op – Bromborough – AGAINST
At this point Cllr Stuart Whittingham raises a point of order and the Mayor requests that the vote is started again.
CLLR ANDERSON (TOM), Conservative – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – FOR
CLLR BERRY (BRUCE), Conservative – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – FOR
CLLR BIRD (JO), Labour & Co-Op – Bromborough – AGAINST
CLLR BLAKELEY (CHRIS), Conservative – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – FOR
CLLR BRAME (ALLAN), Liberal Democrat – Oxton – FOR
CLLR BRIGHTMORE (PHILLIP), Labour – Pensby and Thingwall – AGAINST
CLLR BURGESS-JOYCE (DAVID), Conservative – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – FOR
CLLR CANNON (KATE), Labour – Pensby and Thinghwall – AGAINST
CLLR CARUBIA (CHRIS), Liberal Democrat – Eastham – FOR
CLLR CLEARY (PAT), Green – Birkenhead and Tranmere – FOR
CLLR CLEMENTS (WENDY), Conservative – Greasby, Frankby and Irby – FOR
CLLR COTTIER (TONY), Labour – Bebington – AGAINST
CLLR COX (TONY), Conservative – Hoylake and Meols – FOR
CLLR DAVIES (ANGELA), Labour – Prenton – AGAINST
CLLR DAVIES (GEORGE), Labour – Claughton – AGAINST
CLLR DAVIES (PHIL), Labour – Birkenhead and Tranmere – AGAINST
CLLR DAVIES (BILL), Labour – Rock Ferry – AGAINST
CLLR DOUGHTY (PAUL), Labour – Oxton – AGAINST
CLLR ELDERTON (DAVID), Conservative – West Kirby and Thurstaston – FOR
CLLR ELLIS (GERRY), Conservative – Hoylake and Meols – FOR
CLLR FOULKES (STEVE), Labour – Claughton – AGAINST
CLLR FROST (SAMANTHA), Labour – Prenton – AGAINST
CLLR GARDNER (ANDREW), Conservative – Hoylake and Meols – FOR
CLLR GILCHRIST (PHIL), Liberal Democrat – Eastham – FOR
CLLR GREEN (JEFF), Conservative – West Kirby and Thurstaston – FOR
CLLR GREY (ELIZABETH), Labour – Bidston and St James – AGAINST
CLLR HAYES (PAUL), Conservative – Wallasey – FOR
CLLR HODSON (ANDREW), Conservative – Hewall – FOR
CLLR HODSON (KATHY), Conservative – Heswall – FOR
CLLR JONES (ADRIAN), Labour – Seacombe – AGAINST
CLLR JONES (CHRIS), Labour – Seacombe – AGAINST
CLLR JONES (SHARON), Labour – Leasowe and Moreton East – AGAINST
CLLR JONES (TONY), Labour – New Brighton – AGAINST
CLLR JORDAN (MARY), Conservative – Clatterbridge – FOR
CLLR KELLY (STUART), Liberal Democrat – Oxton – FOR
CLLR KENNY (BRIAN), Labour – Bidston and St James – AGAINST
CLLR LEECH (ANITA), Labour – Leasowe and Moreton East – AGAINST
CLLR LEWIS (IAN), Conservative – Wallasey – FOR
CLLR MCLAUGHLIN (MOIRA), Independent – Rock Ferry – FOR
CLLR MCMANUS (JULIE), Labour – Bidston and St James – AGAINST
CLLR MEADEN (CHRIS), Independent – Rock Ferry – FOR
CLLR MITCHELL (DAVE), Liberal Democrat – Eastham – FOR
CLLR MOONEY (BERNIE), Labour – Liscard – AGAINST
CLLR MUSPRATT (CHRISTINA), Labour – Bebington – AGAINST*
CLLR NORBURY (TONY), Labour – Prenton – AGAINST
CLLR POVALL (CHERRY), Conservative – Clatterbridge – FOR
CLLR RENNIE (LESLEY), Conservative – Wallasey – FOR
CLLR ROBINSON (JEAN), Labour – Upton – FOR*
CLLR ROWLANDS (LES), Conservative – Heswall – FOR
CLLR SMITH (TONY), Labour – Upton – AGAINST
CLLR SPRIGGS (CHRISTINE), Labour – New Brighton – AGAINST
CLLR STAPLETON (JEAN), Labour – Birkenhead and Tranmere – AGAINST
CLLR STUART (PAUL), Labour – Seacombe – AGAINST
CLLR SULLIVAN (MICHAEL), Independent – Pensby and Thingwall – FOR
CLLR SYKES (ADAM), Conservative – Clatterbridge – FOR
CLLR USHER (THOMAS), Labour – Liscard – AGAINST
CLLR WALSH (JOE), Labour – Bromborough – AGAINST
CLLR WATT (GEOFFREY), Conservative – West Kirby and Thurstaston – FOR
CLLR WHITTINGHAM (STUART), Labour – Upton – AGAINST
CLLR WILLIAMS (IRENE), Labour – Bromborough – AGAINST
CLLR WILLIAMS (JERRY), Labour – Bebington – AGAINST
CLLR WILLIAMS (STEVE), Conservative – Moreton West and Saughall Massie – FOR
CLLR WILLIAMSON (JANETTE), Labour – Liscard – AGAINST
*The vote of Cllrs Muspratt and Robinson are asterisked above as on both the Council webcast and my own recording it is unclear (due to Mr McCourt’s microphone being on) what they actually said in response to their name being called out. The draft minutes (see page 6) however record Cllr Muspratt (Labour) as voting against and Cllr Robinson (Labour) as voting for. This also tallies with which electronic voting button each councillor pressed.
Before the meeting started there was a protest outside Wallasey Town Hall. Photos from that protest are below.
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