Meeting: County Council (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 04/02/2009 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A7 Notices of Motion
Councillor Wilkinson to move
The bid for Unitary Status emphasised that all services would be increased in quality. Therefore, this council agrees to reinstate Woodland Road and School Avenue in Esh Winning and Buttons Bank in Waterhouses to the Priority 1 Pre-salted network from 1st April 2009 regardless of cost.
Councillor N Harrison to move
This Council notes:
(a) that substantial investment of £780k over three years via the successful Family Pathfinder Bid is to be made into the areas of Easington, Derwentside and Sedgefield;
(b) that all the Members of the Cabinet bar the Leader represent Divisions in those areas;
(c) that while these areas contain substantial areas of health inequality, there are also significant areas of deprivation and health inequality in other District Council areas and in particular Wear Valley.
The Council believes that such geographical imbalance of power together with decisions that appear to reflect that imbalance leave the Council open to accusations of bias.
This Council therefore:
(a) instructs the Cabinet to ensure that all decisions on such issues take into account of the needs across all the County, and
(b) in order to maintain public confidence in the governance of the County Council, urges the future Leader of the new Council after 1 April 2009, to select a Cabinet which is more representative geographically of the whole of the County Area.
Councillor N Harrison to move
In light of the resolution of this Council on 1 October 2008 opposing any reduction in acute medical services at Bishop Auckland General Hospital, this Council expresses profound regret at the report of the Health Scrutiny Committee which supported the NHS Trust proposals to remove acute medical services and downgrade the Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital.
This Council also re-affirms its earlier opposition to these measures and disassociates itself firmly from the report of the Health Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor Woods to move
In eight weeks time the District Councils will cease to exist and the only elected local councils will be town and parish councils. This council believes that it is very important to strengthen links with the parish and town councils and will commit to offering the same level of service to them as the district council do at the moment.
That is offering free advice on legal, HR, conservation, planning matters etc whilst also providing support in the form of help and advice from the environment and community development teams.
This council will also commit to work in partnership with town and parish councils, consult and keep them informed of works planned for their area.
Councillor Woods to move
This council believes that it is important to keep our villages safe and to that end will work to decrease the speed limits through all villages to 30mph. In particular this council will start by implementing this policy in Brancepeth and Broompark.
Councillor Hopgood
This Council notes:
(a) that the people who operate the procedures and systems of the Council are often best placed to know how they actually work at grass roots level and
(b) that the process of Local Government re-organisation could be the perfect opportunity for Council staff to identify cost savings, improvements to efficiency and improvements to procedures;
This Council believes that involving staff by encouraging them to make an active and positive contribution to the process of change will make them feel valued at what we know is a stressful time.
This Council resolves, therefore, to reinstate ready for 1 April the County Corporate Staff Suggestion Scheme that will offer all staff across all services of the new Council the opportunity to use their voice constructively, to be involved in improving Council services and to be rewarded in a proportionate manner when such suggestions result in significant and measurable savings.