Issue - meetings

To receive a report providing the Committee with an opportunity to recommend to Council the appointment of Independent Persons as required by the Localism Act 2011.

With the aid of a report prepared by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager & Deputy Monitoring Officer (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Committee were provided with an opportunity to recommend to Council the appointment to the post of Lead Independent Person as required by the Localism Act 2011.

The Elections & Democratic Services Manager set out the report and invited questions from the Committee.

In response to questions from the Committee, the Elections & Democratic Services Manager advised that the Council had previously had a Deputy Independent Person in post, however the regulations required the Council to appoint a minimum of 1 Independent Person. Resources had not allowed for a recruitment process to appoint a Deputy Independent Person but it was something that could be taken forward. She confirmed that the two-year period until April 2028 was to coincide with the new Unitary Authority. Comments from the Committee were noted around the logic of appointing a Deputy Independent Person who could transfer to the role of Independent Person for the new Unitary Authority in 2028.

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the Council be recommended to affirm the re-appointment of Mrs Gillian Holmes to the post of Lead Independent Person for a further two-year period to 1st April 2028 without the need for further ratification in each year by the Council at its Annual Meeting.