Agenda and minutes

To receive from Members declarations as to disclosable pecuniary, other registerable and non-registerable interests in relation to any Agenda item. See Notes below.

No declarations were received.

Motion from Councillor R Martin

Motion of No Confidence in the Executive Leader

This Council resolves that it no longer has confidence in Councillor Conboy as Leader of the Council and, in accordance with the Constitution, removes Councillor Conboy from the office of Leader with immediate effect.

In the event it is resolved to remove Cllr Conboy as Leader of the Council, this Council further resolves to proceed immediately to the election of a new Leader of the Council, for the remainder of the four-year term, in accordance with the Constitution.

Councillor R Martin moved, and it was duly seconded by Councillor M Beuttell that

Motion of No Confidence in the Executive Leader

This Council resolves that it no longer has confidence in Councillor Conboy as Leader of the Council and, in accordance with the Constitution, removes Councillor Conboy from the office of Leader with immediate effect.

In the event it is resolved to remove Councillor Conboy as Leader of the Council, this Council further resolves to proceed immediately to the election of a new Leader of the Council, for the remainder of the four-year term, in accordance with the Constitution.

In presenting the proposed motion, Councillor R Martin stated that such a meeting had not been requested lightly but was necessary to determine whether the Council continued to have confidence in the administration. He argued that a series of events in recent months had damaged the Council’s reputation, with the Capital & Centric consultation acting as the catalyst for wider concerns regarding leadership, accountability and governance. He referred to the public departure of two Members from the Joint Administration, who had expressed a loss of confidence in the administration, resulting in a change to its composition.

He expressed concern that responsibility for the consultation and its consequences had not been clearly accepted, stating that elected Members should ultimately be accountable for decisions taken by the Council. He questioned what lessons had been learned from the situation and whether sufficient scrutiny and accountability had been demonstrated. Councillor R Martin also raised concerns regarding the lack of published financial information relating to the Capital & Centric project, noting that previously requested details had not yet been provided. He questioned whether the Council had adequate oversight of project expenditure and governance arrangements. In concluding, Councillor Martin challenged explanations that pre-election restrictions had limited Members’ ability to comment on the consultation and maintained that the issues raised reflected a broader failure of leadership and accountability. He therefore commended the motion to Council.

Councillor M Beuttell seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

Councillor T Alban spoke in support of the motion, stating that he had given the matter considerable thought before reaching his decision. Drawing on his many years of involvement in local politics, he remarked that he could not recall a District Council issue that had generated such significant public concern, anger and engagement. He welcomed the level of community involvement but expressed regret that it had arisen from what he regarded as a self-inflicted issue for the Council. Whilst acknowledging that the circumstances surrounding the Capital & Centric project should be thoroughly examined through the Council's governance and scrutiny processes, he emphasised that the purpose of the debate was to consider confidence in the Council’s leadership. He stated that, whilst he held Councillor S Conboy in high personal regard and was not motivated by personal criticism, he believed the Joint Administration had failed in its handling of the matter. He cited poor decision-making, inadequate communication and a lack of accountability as key concerns.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.