Proposed by Cllr B Elliot and seconded by Cllr J Tyson that the Council approve the admission to the Local Government Pension Scheme for the following officers:
Lesley J Smyth Town Clerk
Claire Nolan Deputy Town Clerk
Jennifer Sanderson Allotments Officer All agreed.
Cllr K Hyland requested reference to the European Union in Section 5 be deleted.
Proposed by Cllr W McEwan and second by Cllr M Leach that the Policy here submitted be approved, with the removal of section 5.1 (European Union). All agreed.
was proposed by Cllr P Griffiths and seconded by Cllr J Tyson.
In the absence of Cllr P Griffiths, the draft motion was introduced and outlined by Cllr J Tyson; Motion Proposed: This Council notes with concern the ongoing public dissatisfaction regarding the current standard and frequency of grass cutting and general green space maintenance within the Barrow Town Council boundary. This Council believes that localised management of green spaces leads to higher quality outcomes, greater agility during peak growing seasons and increased civic pride in our town.
Direct the Town Clerk to issue a formal Request for Information (RFI) to Westmorland and Furness Council to secure all relevant mapping, financial allocations and contract specifications, relating to green spaces maintenance in Barrow.
Establish a cross-party Green Spaces Devolution Working Group, supported by the Town Clerk or Deputy Town Clerk, to evaluate this data - To prevent additional staffing costs and respect staff welfare, all working group meetings shall be scheduled strictly within the officers standard contractual working hours. Any members interested in forming a GSDWG, to inform the Town Clerk.
Instruct the Working Group to produce a comprehensive feasibility study exploring delivery options, including benchmarking with peer councils operating under similar devolved frameworks, to identify best practices and incorporate lessons learned, with the intention of aligning with the community empowerment principles of the Localism Act 2011 to secure an improved service delivery model for Barrow.
D Require the Working Group to present its findings and recommended next steps to Full Council within six months of receiving the data from Westmorland and Furness Council.
Cllr W McEwan said the costing will be prohibitive for the Council and noted the contractors have been working tirelessly these past two weeks to remedy the situation and the work should be up to date in the coming week. The Town Clerk noted at a recent meeting of the furness clerks this issue had been raised and Cllr Callister from W&F confirmed the contractors have received financial penalties for their lack of service and promised immediate action to rectify the problem. Cllr B Elliot voiced his concern in respect of consultation costs should this motion be approved.
Proposed by Cllr H Edwards and seconded by Cllr S Churcher.
Cllr H Edwards said that whilst she appreciates the sentiment of the draft motion the decision should be deferred to the next meeting when assurances from Westmorland and Furness have been evidenced. The cemetery and roundabout work are on course for completion, and the