Agenda and minutes

The Archdeacon of Huntingdon and Wisbech, Hugh McCurdy opened the meeting with Prayer.

To elect a Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Municipal Year.

It was proposed by Councillor G J Bull, seconded by Councillor R Fuller and

RESOLVED

that Councillor R J West be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Municipal Year.

Councillor West made the Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office and thanked Members for their support and the honour which the Council had bestowed upon him.

In so doing, the Chairman also paid tribute to the Managing Director, Elections and Democratic Services Manager, Corporate Directors, Senior Leadership Team and Member Support Assistant for their tremendous support.

Councillor R J West in the Chair.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting held on 27th February 2019.

Having been proposed by Councillor Dr N Johnson and seconded by Councillor S Wakeford that the final sentence of the seventh paragraph of Minute No. 65 of the Minutes of the last meeting be amended to read “In response, Councillor Dr Johnson confirmed that he had been interviewed following the announcement of the 2019/20 Local Government Financial Settlementand highlighted that the ITV team had also requested a spokesperson for the Council to be interviewed but that offer had not been taken up. He acknowledged that the interview may have raised some concerns and apologised that if during the interview and in his role of scrutinising the Local Government Financial settlement there had been any confusion for local residents. Chair of Council, Councillor Richard West, rebuked Councillor Johnson saying ‘he was exceptionally disappointed in him’ and stating ‘it does you no favours , it does us no favours , it does us politicians no favours, if we start red herrings running and people feel they cannot trust us’”.

Upon being put the vote the amendment by Councillor Johnson was declared to be LOST.

Having been proposed by Councillor S Wakeford and seconded by Councillor P Kadewere that the tenth paragraph of Minute No. 65 of the Minutes of the last meeting be amended to read “Councillor Tysoe responded to a question from Councillor S Wakeford on the terms and conditions of employment of staff at the Council and lack of recognition by the authority of  a trade union representing staff, and resultant lack of protections for those apparently undertaking collective bargaining as referred to in the pay policy statement,and undertook provide a full response on the issue after the meeting”.

Upon being put the vote the amendment by Councillor Wakeford was declared to be LOST.

Having been proposed by Councillor B S Chapman and seconded by Councillor D A Giles that the word “refuted” be replaced with “disagreed with” in the penultimate line of the eleventh paragraph of Minute No. 65 of the Minutes of the last meeting and upon being put to the vote the amendment was declared to be LOST.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on the 27th February 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary or non statutory disclosable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below.

No declarations were received.

To appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Municipal Year.

It was proposed by Councillor G J Bull, seconded by Councillor R Fuller and

RESOLVED

that Councillor J W Davies be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Municipal Year.

Councillor Davies made the Statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

The Executive Leader to announce the names of –

(a)  a maximum of nine Councillors who shall be Members of the Cabinet; and

(b)  his proposals for Cabinet Assistants for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

The Executive Leader, Councillor G J Bull, announced that he had appointed Councillors Ms M L Beuttell, R Fuller, J A Gray, J M Palmer and D M Tysoe to join him as Members of the Cabinet for the ensuing Municipal Year.

Councillor G J Bull presented details of the Cabinet Portfolios for the 2019/20 Municipal Year:-

Councillor Ms M L Beuttell  Operations and Regulation

Councillor R Fuller  Housing, Planning and Economic Development

Councillor J A Gray  Strategic Resources

Councillor J M Palmer  Partnerships and Well-being

Councillor D M Tysoe  Digital and Customers

Councillor Bull further confirmed the appointments of Councillors D N Keane and J Neish as Cabinet Assistants.

To consider a report by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager on the representation of political groups on Committees, etc in accordance with Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the District Council’s Constitution.

A report was submitted by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) relating to the principles and proportionality to be applied to the appointment of Committees and Panels in accordance with Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Part II of the Local Government Act 2000.

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

that the allocation of seats on District Council Committees and Panels to political groups and non-aligned Members be determined as set out in the report now submitted.

To appoint to:

RESOLVED

that the following Members be appointed to the Overview and Scrutiny Panels for the ensuing Municipal Year.

RESOLVED

(a)  that Members be appointed to serve on the Corporate Governance, Development Management, Employment, Licensing and Protection, Licensing and Senior Officers Committees for the ensuing Municipal Year as follows:-

Corporate Governance Committee (12)

Councillors S M Burton, E R Butler, P L R Gaskin, D A Giles, P Kadewere, D N Keane, H Masson, L W McGuire, J P Morris, D R Underwood, D J Wells and J White.

Development Management Committee (16)

Councillors J D Ablewhite, L A Besley, E R Butler, Mrs S J Conboy, S J Corney, K P Gulson, M Humphrey, N Johnson, C J Maslen, J Neish, K I Prentice, T D Sanderson, Ms S Smith, R G Tuplin, R J West and the Executive Councillor Member with appropriate portfolio responsibilities  in an ex officio capacity.

Employment Committee (8)

Councillors Ms A Dickinson, Mrs P A Jordan, D N Keane, T D Sanderson, Mrs J Tavener, D Terry, R J West and the Executive Councillor Member with appropriate portfolio responsibilities in an ex officio capacity.

Licensing and Protection Committee (12)

Councillors B S Banks, J Clarke, S J Criswell, Ms A Diaz, Ms A Dickinson, Mrs S A Giles, Mrs P A Jordan, L W McGuire, D J Mead, Ms P E Shrapnel, R J West and the Executive Councillor Member with appropriate portfolio responsibilities in an ex officio capacity.

Licensing Committee (12)

Councillors B S Banks, J Clarke, S J Criswell, Ms A Diaz, Ms A Dickinson, Mrs S A Giles, Mrs P A Jordan, L W McGuire, D J Mead, Ms P E Shrapnel, R J West and the Executive Councillor Member with appropriate portfolio responsibilities in an ex officio capacity.

Senior Officers Committee (4)

Councillors Mrs S J Conboy, D A Giles, D M Tysoe and R J West.

(b)  that the following Members be nominated from which the Elections and Democratic Services Manager be authorised when necessary, to convene a meeting of the Appeals Sub-Group in include up to five Members (excluding Members of the Employment Committee) to determine appeals under the Council’s disciplinary and appeals procedures –

Councillors J D Ablewhite, T Alban, R E Bellamy, S Bywater, Mrs S J Conboy, S Corney, J W Davies, Mrs S A Giles, P Kadewere, H Masson, D J Mead, Ms S Smith and R G Tuplin.

To appoint a Shareholder Representative to act to on behalf of the Council as Shareholder of the Council’s Local Authority Trading Company.

To appoint four Councillors to the Shareholder Reference Group.

RESOLVED

(a)  that Councillor J A Gray be appointed as a Shareholder Representative to act on behalf of the Council as Shareholder of the Council’s Local Authority Trading Company; and

(b)  that Councillors S J Corney, K I Prentice, T D Sanderson and D R Underwood be appointed to the HDC Ventures Shareholder Reference Group for the ensuing Municipal Year.

To consider a report detailing appointments to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for the 2019/20 Municipal Year - To FOLLOW.

With the assistance of a report by the Elections and Democratic Services Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book), Council were invited to make appointments/ nominations to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

Having noted that the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny and the Audit Committees was required to reflect the balance of political parties of the constituent councils, it was

RESOLVED

(a)  that Councillor G J Bull, Executive Leader of Council be appointed to act as the Council's appointee to the Combined Authority and Councillor R Fuller be appointed as the substitute member;

(b)  the Councillors D B Dew and Mrs S J Conboy be nominated to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with Councillors S Corney and M Grice nominated as substitutes;

(c)  that Councillor L W McGuire be nominated to the Audit and Governance Committee, with Councillor P L R Gaskin as the substitute member; and

(d)  that the Managing Director be authorised to make any amendments to the appointments to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Audit and Governance Committee in consultation with the Executive Leader, should the political balance be amended by the Combined Authority between now and the next Council meeting.

The meeting ended at 6.40pm.