Issue - meetings

Report of the Democratic Services Manager

The Committee considered responding on behalf of the City Council to the County Council’s consultation on its Property Strategy 2016. 

Members discussed the County Council’s consultation and raised questions that they wanted answers to before the City Council’s response was finalised.

The questions that were raised are set out below:

·         What would happen to the private nursery at Firbank if the proposals went ahead? Councillors understood the nursery had been given no prior warning of the proposals until they went out to consultation.

·         Why was it proposed to move registration services from Morecambe Town Hall to Morecambe Library?

·         Why was it proposed to keep the library open at Halton and close the library at Bolton-le-Sands? If this was because there was a children’s centre at Halton, please could County clarify what childrens services were on offer there? Councillors were not aware of any childrens services there at present. 

·         Regarding Bolton-le-Sands library, money had recently been spent on refurbishing it, why close it? Also, had an impact assessment been carried out on the shops on the main street in Bolton-le-Sands where the library was situated? Councillors had concerns that custom may drop if the library were to close.

·         Regarding the proposal to centralise services at The Hub in Carnforth; had the schools concerned been consulted before the proposals were put forward?

·         Had Westgate school been consulted on the proposals before they were put forward?

·         Was the reduction in the number of Lancashire County Council buildings directly linked to the reduction in the number of Lancashire County Council employees?

·         What was the rationale for deciding on the locations of the childrens centres? Closing Poulton and Balmoral Road, for example, could have a greater cost than saving in the long term if families were to reach crisis point and need intervention. Had all local schools (Sandylands, Lancaster Road, etc) been explored with a view to providing capacity to reduce the impact of removal of the Poulton and Balmoral Road sites?

·         The consultation proposals stated that the Wellbeing, Prevention and Early Help service would operate through a revised budget of £17.2M. What was the budget before?

Committee Members were in agreement that once these questions had been addressed, they would be able to draft and finalise a response to the County Council consultation via email.

Resolved:

(1)  That Officers will raise the questions outlined above with Lancashire County Council and inform Members via email of the County’s response.

(2)  That Officers and Members will draft a response to the consultation via email.

(3)  That authority to agree the final response be delegated to the Chairman.