Falkirk Council Agenda - 29 October 2009, 10:30 Help

A meeting to be held at Council Chambers, Municipal Buildings, Falkirk at 10:30 on 29 October 2009.

Number Item
1NOTICE OF MOTIONS
(a)(a) Housing and Social Care Committee

"Council notes with disappointment that since the media comment by the Convener of the Housing and Social Care Committee in the summer of 2007 that the Housing Department would extend into loft space to deal with overcrowding not one single property has been extended in such a manner.

Council finds this unacceptable, particularly as a number of properties have been identified as suitable for such alterations but, to date, no action has been taken to alleviate these families' problems.

Council therefore calls on the Director of Corporate and Neighbourhood Services to advise what action has been taken by the Council to extend houses into their loft spaces or to bring a report to the next meeting of the Housing and Social Care Committee outlining why these works cannot proceed". View Papers
(b)(b) Air Weapons

"Council notes with disappointment the UKL government's refusal to devolve control of air weapons to the Scottish Parliament or bring forward their own legislation to ban or license these weapons despite the recommendations of the Calman Commission.

Council therefore agrees to ask Council's Legal Officers to bring forward proposals for the development of appropriate by-laws to address the nuisance and danger caused by air weapons in this area". View Papers
(c)(c) Woodburn Day Nursery

"Council notes that despite the axe hanging over it and education officials actively discouraging registration the intake at the Woodburn Day Nursery has gone up by around 12% this session.

Council therefore recognises that there is not only clear public support for the retention of the nursery, almost 900 letters of objection, but also a clear demand for the services the nursery offers.

Council therefore agrees to reverse the decision to close the nursery school". View Papers
(d)(d) Standing Orders

"Council notes with concern the recent tactic of excluding opposition members of committees from debate and voting.

Council agrees that this practice is undemocratic and represents a flaw in the interpretation of Council Standing Orders, exploited for partisan reasons.

In order to ensure fairness Council resolves to amend Standing Orders 26.1 and 26.2 to read as follows.

26.1 The Provost may check a Councillor for irrelevance, tedious repetition, failure to address the Chair, unbecoming language, reflections of a personal character on another Member or any breach of order and may direct such Councillor speaking to discontinue his or her speech. In doing so the Provost will identify the misconduct which will be recorded in the minute of the meeting.

26.2 In the event of persistent misconduct of a Councillor by disregarding the ruling of the Provost, or behaving improperly or offensively, or using racist or sexist or unbecoming language, or wilfully obstructing the business of the meeting, the Provost may direct the Councillor to refrain from speaking during the remainder of the debate on the matter under discussion. In doing so the Provost will identify the misconduct which will be recorded in the minute of the meeting.

Insert a new 26.3

In the event of further misconduct by the same Councillor the Provost will have the option to:-

1. Move that the Councillor named "be not further heard". This motion will require to be seconded and the named Councillor will have the right to reply to it before the motion is put to a simple vote. The misconduct giving rise to the motion will be identified by the Provost and recorded in the minute of the meeting. If the Councillor named continues the misconduct after the motion has been carried and does not heed a further warning from the Provost (which warning together with the misconduct that gave rise to it will be recorded in the minute of the meeting), the Provost is empowered to require the Councillor to leave the meeting". View Papers
(e)(e) Proposed Railway Stations

"In response to the positive results of the public consultations on the proposed railway stations at Bonnybridge and Grangemouth carried out by Michael Matheson MSP and Jamie Hepburn MSP, also acknowledging the support of Cathy Peattie MSP, Council instructs that officers commission Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidelines Reports for Bonnybridge and Grangemouth to allow these projects to advance".

Proposed by Councillors Alexander, Coleman, Constable, Jackson, A MacDonald, McNally, Meiklejohn and Oliver.
 View Papers