Motion - Bus Shelters
To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor Mrs. C. M. McDonald which was deferred at the meeting of the Council on 23rd June 2010 pending clarification from officers on responsibility for bus shelters:
“This Council states one of its main objectives is the Sense of Community and Well Being; this is certainly not being met or practiced with the removal of many bus shelters and the appalling state many are now in. Therefore, we call upon the Council to treat bus passengers with dignity and well being in providing bus shelters that are fit for purpose.”
Minutes:
The Chairman referred to the following motion which had been moved by Councillor Mrs. C. M. McDonald and seconded by Councillor S. P. Shannon at the meeting of the Council held on 23rd June 2010. The motion had been deferred clarification of responsibility for bus shelters.
“This Council states one of its main objectives is the Sense of Community and Well Being; this is certainly not being met or practiced with the removal of many bus shelters and the appalling state many are now in. Therefore, we call upon the Council to treat bus passengers with dignity and well being in providing bus shelters that are fit for purpose.”
The Leader responded that, having looked into the matter, no council had a statutory responsibility for providing bus shelters. Whilst in the past the Council had not said ‘no’ to requests, five years ago the Council had taken the decision not to provide bus shelters as part of re-focusing expenditure on priorities as required to do so by the last government. Whilst ‘sense of community and wellbeing’ was an objective, bus shelters were not a priority. He suggested that if Councillor Mrs. McDonald wished to provide bus shelters, she should form a parish council, raise a precept and use that precept to fund bus shelters as other parish councils had done. If bus shelters were dilapidated, as had been suggested, he would ask officers to remove them.
Having consulted with the mover of the motion who confirmed that she wished the motion to be discussed, the Chairman then invited Members to debate the motion.
On a requisition under Council Procedure Rule 17.5, the following details of voting were recorded.
For the motion: Councillors Mrs. A. E. Doyle, Ms. J. A. Marshall, Mrs. C. M. McDonald, P. M. McDonald, D. McGrath, E. J. Murray, D. L. Pardoe, S. P. Shannon and C. J. K. Wilson (9);
Against the motion: Councillors A. N. Blagg, Mrs. J. M. Boswell, S. R. Colella, R. J. Deeming, G. N. Denaro, Mrs. R. L. Dent, J. T. Duddy, Mrs. J. Dyer M.B.E., D. Hancox, R. Hollingworth, B. Lewis, Dr. G. H. Lord, Mrs. J. D. Luck, S. R. Peters, C. R. Scurrell, R. D. Smith, Mrs. C. J. Spencer, C. B. Taylor, E. C. Tibby, C. J. Tidmarsh, L. J. Turner, M. J. A. Webb and P. J. Whittaker (23).
Accordingly, the Chairman declared the motion to be LOST.