Tag: Cllr John Hale

Council (Wirral Council) 12/12/2011 Part 2 Agenda Item 1 (Mayor’s Communications)

Present (64): Cllr Moira McLaughlin Mayor Cllr Gerry Ellis Deputy Mayor Cllr Bob Wilkins Cllr Phil Gilchrist Cllr John Salter Cllr Tom Harney Cllr Mrs Kate Wood Cllr Sheila Clarke MBE Cllr Jim Crabtree Cllr George Davies Cllr Phil Davies Cllr Bill Davies Cllr Mrs Pat Williams Cllr David M Elderton Cllr Steve Foulkes Cllr … Continue reading “Council (Wirral Council) 12/12/2011 Part 2 Agenda Item 1 (Mayor’s Communications)”

Present (64):

Cllr Moira McLaughlin Mayor
Cllr Gerry Ellis Deputy Mayor
Cllr Bob Wilkins
Cllr Phil Gilchrist
Cllr John Salter
Cllr Tom Harney
Cllr Mrs Kate Wood
Cllr Sheila Clarke MBE
Cllr Jim Crabtree
Cllr George Davies
Cllr Phil Davies
Cllr Bill Davies
Cllr Mrs Pat Williams
Cllr David M Elderton
Cllr Steve Foulkes
Cllr Tom Anderson
Cllr Jerry Williams
Cllr Jeff Green
Cllr John Hale
Cllr Ann Bridson
Cllr Paul Hayes
Cllr Andrew Hodson
Cllr Ron Abbey
Cllr Peter Johnson
Cllr Geoffrey Watt
Cllr Adrian Jones
Cllr Sue Taylor
Cllr James Keeley
Cllr Stuart Kelly
Cllr Brian Kenny
Cllr Ian Lewis
Cllr Jean Stapleton
Cllr Walter Smith
Cllr Ann McLachlan
Cllr Chris Meaden
Cllr Dave Mitchell
Cllr Simon R Mountney
Cllr Steve Niblock
Cllr Cherry Povall, JP
Cllr Tony Smith
Cllr Lesley Rennie
Cllr Denise Roberts
Cllr Les Rowlands
Cllr Chris Blakeley
Cllr Harry Smith
Cllr Steve Williams
Cllr Irene Williams
Cllr Denise Realey
Cllr Don McCubbin
Cllr Anne McArdle
Cllr Peter Kearney
Cllr Stuart Wittingham
Cllr Mark Johnston
Cllr Alan Brighouse
Cllr Eddie Boult
Cllr Patricia Glasman
Cllr Darren Dodd
Cllr Wendy Clements
Cllr Joe Walsh
Cllr Pat Hackett
Cllr Tony Cox
Cllr Adam Sykes
Cllr Chris Jones
Cllr Paul Doughty
Cllr Bernie Mooney
Cllr Mike Hornby

AGENDA ITEM 1: MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS

Apologies (for not being there) were given by Cllr Chris Blakeley (for Cllr John Hale not being able to attend) and a Labour councillor on behalf of Cllr Steve Niblock. The Mayor relayed the sad news that a former Labour councillor called Peter James McCarthy, who had represented Park Ward in Bebington County Borough Council from 1972-1974 and Bebington ward from 1974 to 1980, had died.

She also informed those present of nominations in the ScottishPower/Trinity Mirror Your Champions award. She said there had been nominations in all five categories (two of whom had won). These nominees were Ryan Hanlon (regional Sports Champion category), Lance Corporal Alan Redford (regional Champion Person of the Year category), Abigail Snowden (Young Person category), Calday Grange Grammar School’s LeJog team (Team category) and Ken McDermott (Volunteer category).  The Mayor also referred to the Military Cross that Lane Corporal Alan Redford had received. The nominees were all invited to a reception in the Mayor’s Parlour. The Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Bernard McConnell led the Council in prayers.

Continues at Council (Wirral Council) 12/12/2011 Part 3 Agenda Item 2 (Declarations of Interest).

Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee 20/10/2011 Part 1 (PACSPE call in)

The agenda and reports for the meeting can be found here.

Apologies
Cllr Stuart Wittingham substituted by Cllr Denise Roberts
Cllr Pat Hackett substituted by Cllr Ron Abbey

Present:
Conservative councillors
Cllr John Hale (Chair)
Cllr Don McCubbin (Vice-Chair)
Cllr Steve Williams
Cllr Adam Sykes

Labour councillors
Cllr Denise Roberts (substitute for Cllr Stuart Wittingham)
Cllr Ron Abbey (substitute for Cllr Pat Hackett)
Cllr Jerry Williams
Cllr Chris Jones
Cllr Joe Walsh

Liberal Democrat councillor
Cllr Bob Wilkins

Labour Cabinet member in attendance (who is not part of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee)
Cllr Chris Meaden (Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Leisure)

The Chair, Cllr John Hale welcomed people to the meeting. Something about the Serious Fraud Office was mentioned and a wish to “close without session”.

Cllr Ron Abbey suggested ten minutes of the meeting in closed session.

Cllr John Hale mentioned something about the press and an inquiry being another matter.

The legal advisor to the committee said it had been brought to Wirral Council’s attention, but the level of information was limited. He appreciated the Labour councillor’s suggestion.

Cllr Bob Wilkins said he failed to see the evidence, but agreed with the Labour councillors to hold it in closed session for ten minutes.
Cllr John Hale said as it was a majority view of the committee, that press and public would have to leave until they were invited back in.

Due to the large numbers of people present it took some time for the room to clear. Some people went home, others waited in the lobby to go back into the meeting.

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In the interests of openness, John Brace lives opposite Bidston Hill which is covered by the PACSPE contract.

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wirral Council 27th September 2011 You Choose Budget simulator Part 3

Cllr Brighouse, Vice-Chair said that he had no problems with the £14 million & £25 million issue, however said that what they were “asking the public to do is right”. He talked about what Wirral Council did with the results and its effect on decisions. He said the majority were looking for a bigger reduction, with the average resulting in a -3% Council Tax change. The public were “looking for cuts” and “lower Council Tax”. He asked if council employees had been asked?

Cllr Gilchrist mentioned the Redbridge conversation. Cllr Ron Abbey said, he was not hung up on a like for like comparison between Wirral Council and the London Borough of Redbridge. He said they didn’t know Redbridge’s GDP or catchment area.

Cllr Gilchrist about the report to Cabinet on the 8th December. Ian Coleman replied by saying that was the intention. Cllr John Hale asked when the item was over, would there be copies of how people responded? Cllr John Salter said people could “sit all day putting anything in” and said it was “open to corruption”. Cllr Gilchrist said Cllr Salter’s explanation was “frank”. Cllr James Keeley asked if it was a dangerous exercise, as it implied the only way to balance the Budget was to cut council services? Cllr Ron Abbey said something about the human cost. Cllr Gilchrist said that councillors should address remarks to the Chair. He noted potential drawbacks. He thanked people and looked forward to a more detailed analysis and a report to all councillors. Ian Coleman said “once results are available”. Cllr Phil Gilchrist asked about the Cabinet paper. Ian Coleman said it would be an open report. Cllr Gilchrist thanked Peter Molyneux.

Council Excellence Overview and Scrutiny Committee Wirral Council 27th September 2011 You Choose Budget simulator Part 2

Cllr John Hale asked a question about the consequences used for reduced budgets. He also asked about efficiency savings.

The Chair, Cllr Gilchrist said there was a ninety-three page guide. Cllr Ron Abbey said it was “only a tool” and a “means to an end”. Cllr John Hale said that there would’ve been a different response if efficiency savings had been used. Cllr Gilchrist referred to the Wirral Globe and a query that had been raised about the narrative. He mentioned figures of £35 million, savings of £25 million and £14 million. He asked for the query and the evidence.

Cllr Ron Abbey said it was made up of inflation, service driven costs and was a factual reality. Cllr Gilchrist referred to the London Borough of Redbridge’s results but asked how much the budget simulator costs. The answer given was £1,000 to £,3000. There would be an analysis done by postcode. Cllr Gilchrist referred to one of the 986 responses in Redbridge which was to cut the number of councillors and allowances.

Cllr Ron Abbey said that the evidence to the Independent Remuneration Panel stated that Wirral Council councillors were one of the lowest paid in North West England. He said that not all communities can gain access to computers, so the responses would be biased towards the rich. Cllr Steve Williams asked if there was any verification of postcodes. The answer was that they were not aware of any verification, but this was a YouGov issue.

Wirral Council – Wirral Council 23rd May 2011 – Part 5 – Cllr Kate Wood, Cllr Dave Mitchell & Cllr John Hale’s speech on leader motion/amendment

Cllr Kate Wood said that Labour were doing what one would expect regarding councillors and outcome of the elections. She said they had a brave talk about a minority administration. She congratulated Cllr Tom Harney on the substance of his speech but she was trying to understand why the Lib Dems were doing this. She said there were 36 Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors and that she was proud of this.

Cllr Dave Mitchell (Deputy Leader, Lib Dem Group) said there was no Lib Dem Group Kate. He said “What can we get now?” He talked about the return to Labour control and the freezing of Council Tax which had been achieved last year. He said other Labour leaders have gone into war regarding funding. He referred to the good work and said they owed a debt of gratitude to Cabinet Members. He said that last time the Mayor had said they were in charge was 1974 which had also been a nurse.

Cllr John Hale referred to Cllr Green and the achievements of the Coalition considering the “right mess” they’d inherited. He referred to the pendulum of politics and that local councillors always suffered when their party was in government nationally. He said that the people of Wirral had simply put their preferences against the administration, but no Labour council had been elected on May 5th.