Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

Members were reminded that the meeting would be audio-recorded.

The attached list shows the confirmed membership of the Fire Authority for the 2019-20.

The agenda contained details of the appointments to the Fire Authority for the 2019-20 municipal year:

Appointed by Cheshire East Borough Council (3 Con, 3 Lab, I Ind)

Appointed by Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council (3 Con, 4 Lab)

Appointed by Halton Borough Council (3 Lab)

Appointed by Warrington Borough Council (4 Lab, 1 Lib Dem)

Note: The Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire, Mr David Keane, has also been afforded certain rights in relation to Fire Authority business, including the right to attend meetings.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Beanland.

Members will be invited to elect a Chair of the Authority, to serve until the Annual Meeting in 2020.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning asked for nominations from Members for the position of Chair. 

Councillor B Rudd was nominated unopposed and was duly appointed Chair of the Fire Authority.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor B Rudd be appointed as Chair of Cheshire Fire Authority until the Annual Meeting in June 2020.

On taking the Chair Councillor B Rudd thanked Members for their continued support.

Members will be invited to elect a Deputy Chair of the Authority, to serve until the Annual Meeting in 2020.

Notes: The Chair and Deputy Chair must be from different constituent authorities.

If an election is necessary votes will be cast by secret ballot until one Member receives more than half of the cast votes.

The Chair invited nominations for the position of Deputy Chair.  Councillor S Nelson was nominated unopposed and was duly appointed Deputy Chair of the Fire Authority.

Councillor Nelson also thanked Members for their continued support.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor S Nelson be appointed as Deputy Chair of Cheshire Fire Authority until the Annual Meeting in June 2020.

A political group may appoint a Group Spokesperson. The respective names will be confirmed at the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That the following appointments of Group Spokespersons be noted:

Conservative: Councillor S Parker

Labour: Councillor B Rudd

Democratic: Councillor M Biggin

Each constituent authority is invited to appoint a Lead Member.

Note: Should the Chair or Deputy Chair wish to act as Lead Member for their respective constituent authority they would automatically take the role.

RESOLVED:

That the following appointments of Lead Members be noted:

Cheshire East: Councillor D Flude

Cheshire West and Chester: Councillor G Lewis

Halton: Councillor S Nelson

Warrington: Councillor M Tarr

To receive any announcements that the Chair wishes to make prior to the commencement of the formal business of the meeting.

The Chair asked Members to note the content of the Chair’s announcements which included details of Authority achievements and events Members had attended since the last meeting of the Fire Authority.

The Chair reported that Cheshire Fire Authority had the pleasure of announcing the appointment of two new Area Managers, Steve Barnes and Neil Griffiths who were selected to become the Service’s new Area Managers after a formal interview and presentation to Member’s of the Authority’s Staffing Committee on 22nd May 2019. The Area Manager roles had different areas of responsibility with Steve Barnes taking up the role of Head of Operational Policy and Assurance and Neil Griffiths taking up the role of the Head of Service Delivery.

Members are reminded that the Members’ Code of Conduct requires the disclosure of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Non-Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interests.

There were no declarations of Members’ interest.

To receive any questions submitted, in accordance with procedure rules 4.47 to 4.54 by members of the public within the area covered by the Fire Authority.

To receive any petitions submitted in accordance with procedure rules 4.55 to 4.58 in the Petitions Protocol.

There were no questions.  However, two related petitions had been received and the Chair asked the Director of Governance and Commissioning to confirm details for the record as the petitioner was not in attendance.

He informed Members that the petitions were both concerned with the building of a new fire station in Chester and the return of a second fire engine to Chester.  In total there were 6,495 signatures with the vast majority from individuals within Cheshire/neighbouring county postcodes. The Director referred to the fact that fire cover arrangements would be considered later in the year when it would be appropriate to take the petitions into account.

The Director took the opportunity to cover the current position in relation to the new fire station, e.g. the fact that planning permission had now been secured and that work was continuing on the project.  Councillors Rudd, Daniels and Delaney indicated that they had signed one of the petitions.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Fire Authority Meeting held on 24^th April 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Fire Authority meeting held on 24^th April 2019 be approved as a correct record.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Staffing Committee meeting held on 22^nd May and 10^th June 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Staffing Committee meetings held on 22^nd May and 10^th June 2019 be noted.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Closure of Accounts Committee meeting held on 29th May 2019

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Closure of Accounts Committee meeting held on 29^th May 2019 be noted.

To receive, for information, the notes of the Local Pension Board – Firefighter Pension Scheme meeting held on 7th May 2019.

RESOLVED:

That the notes of the Local Pension Board – Firefighters Pension Scheme held on 7^th May 2019 be noted.

Members are asked to appoint to the committees etc., outside bodies and Member Roles for 2019-20.

The report of the Director of Governance and Commissioning sets out the requirements for these appointments.

The Director of Governance and Commissioning introduced the report which covered the following items:

a)  Responsibilities of the Fire Authority and its committees, boards etc.;

b)  Political proportions on the Fire Authority;

c)  Political proportionality rules (where they apply and where they do not and their affect upon the allocation of seats on committees etc.);

d)  Appointment of Members to available seats on committees etc;

e)  Involvement of independent (non-elected) members;

f)   Appointments to outside bodies;

g)  Appointment of Member Champions; and

h)  Endorsement of Member/officer buddy arrangements.

Following a short adjournment, details of the proposed nominations to the various committees, outside bodies and member champion roles had been provided to Members.  Completed versions of Appendices 2B, 3 and 4 were provided to all Members in order for them to check the documents for accuracy prior to approval.

A complete list of the appointments made at the Fire Authority meeting (Appendices 2B, 3 and 4) is attached as an Annex to these minutes.

RESOLVED That:

[1]       the responsibilities of the Fire Authority set out in Appendix 1A be confirmed;

[2]       the responsibilities of Committees, Boards and Groups set out in Appendix 1B be agreed;

[3]       the political proportions on the Fire Authority set out in paragraph 4 be agreed;

[4]       the approach to the allocation of seats explained in paragraphs 5 and 6 and the revised copy of Appendix 2A be agreed;

[5]       the appointments required as set out in Appendix 2B be agreed (see Annex);

[6]       the involvement of independent (non-elected) members (to act in an advisory capacity) as set out in paragraphs 10 to 12 of the report and shown in Appendix 2B be agreed (see Annex);

[7]       the appointments to outside bodies set out in Appendix 3 be agreed (see Annex);

[8]       the appointments of Member Champions set out in Appendix 4 be agreed (see Annex); and

[9]       the continuation of the Member/officer buddy arrangements be agreed.

Previously approved (one additional Member Planning Day has been included within the Programme of Member Meetings 2019-20) – to be noted.

Members were advised that an additional Member Planning Day on 3^rd April 2020 had been included within Programme of Member Meetings for 2019-20.

RESOLVED:

That the Programme of Meetings for 2019-20 be noted.

Members are asked to adopt the constitution which contains the following sections:-

Section 1 – Cheshire Fire Authority

Section 2 – Key Documents

Section 3 – Members’ Decision Making

Section 4 – Procedural Matters

Section 5 – Outside Bodies

Section 6 – Protocols

Section 8 – Members’ Code of Conduct

Section 9 – Members’ Allowance Scheme

Section 10 – Financial Regulations

Section 11 – Scheme of Delegation

A copy of the Constitution can be accessed on the Service’s website:

https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/about-us/fire-authority/cheshire-fire-authority-constitution

The Director of Governance and Commissioning informed Members that the constitution had been updated to include the changes made by the Fire Authority during 2018-19 and published on the Authority’ website.

RESOLVED:

That the Fire Authority’s constitution be adopted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Finance which provided details of the 2018-19 year end review of the Authority’s financial position.

RESOLVED: That

[1]       the forecast outturn position be noted;

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Finance which provided a review of the Authority’s treasury management activities during 2018-19. The report also provided information about compliance with the Authority’s Treasury Management Practices during the year.  

The Head of Finance highlighted the key areas of the report which provided details on the following:

a)    the Authority’s loans portfolio position at 31^st March 2019;

b)    the Authority’s investment portfolio position at 31^st March 2019;

c)    a summary of performance for the year 2018-19; and

d)    the Authority’s performance in 2018-19 against the key Prudential Indicators.

Members were reminded that all of the 2018-19 figures in the report remained subject to audit.

RESOLVED: That

[1]       the report on treasury management activity for 2018-19 be noted; and

[2]       the prudential and treasury management outturn indicators as detailed in the report be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Governance and Commissioning which sought approval of the Member Training and Development Programme for 2019-20.

The report also contained a review of the Service’s member development activities over the last year which included a summary of the delivery of the Member Development Programme.

Councillor D Flude, Chair of the Member Training and Development Group took the opportunity to advise that Cheshire Fire Authority had been successful at the recent review of its Level One Charter for Elected Member Development.  The Chair took the opportunity to thank Members and the Democratic Services Team involved in the process for their commitment and hard work when preparing for the assessment.

RESOLVED:That

[1]     the 2019-20 Member Development Programme (attached as Appendix 1 to the report) be approved; and

[2]     the review of Member Development activities for 2018-19 (attached as Appendix 2 to the report ) be noted.