Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed all Members and guests, including all former councillors and past Chairmen and Honorary Alderman Fred Blackwell.  

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman made the following announcements:

Annual Council

The Chairman reminded Members that by convention the minutes of Committees, questions, petitions and motions were not taken at Annual Council and these, if any, would be considered at the next meeting.

The Group nominations to committees for the coming year had been tabled.

Chairman’s Engagements

The Chairman advised that a copy of the events attended by herself or the Vice-Chairman had been included in the agenda pack.

Post

The Chairman reminded Members to collect their post from their pigeon hole.

To confirm as correct records the Minutes of Council held on 20 February 2017 and the Special Meeting of Council held on 22 March 2017.

The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 20 February 2017 and the special meeting of Council held on 22 March 2017 were agreed as correct records and signed by the Chairman.

(The outgoing Chairman, Councillor Chris Heath, presided for the consideration of this matter and those preceding)

It was moved by Councillor Wood and seconded by Councillor Reynolds, that Councillor Maurice Billington be elected as Chairman for the municipal year 2017/2018. There were no other nominations.

Resolved

That Councillor Maurice Billington be appointed Chairman of Cherwell District Council for the Municipal Year 2017/2018.

Councillor Maurice Billington, having made and signed the required Declaration of Acceptance of Office was invested with the Chairman’s Chain and took the Chair.

Councillor Maurice Billington thanked members for his appointment and addressed Council.

The Chairman reported that he would be supporting four Kidlington based charities during his term of office: Senile Dementia, The Neighbourhood Scheme and Information Centre, Girl Guides, and Young Adults with Depression.

The Chairman advised Council his consorts for the year would be his sister Marie Silman and former Chairman, Councillor Chris Heath.

The Chairman of the Council presented Councillor Chris Heath with a gift and her past Chairman’s badge as a token of her term of office.

Members paid tribute to Councillor Heath and thanked her for the dedication she had shown representing the Council, the services she had rendered to the District and the gracious way she had presided over the deliberations of Council during her year of office.

Councillor Chris Heath addressed Council to report on her term of office.

Councillor Heath reported that she had attended numerous and varied functions during her term of office and hosted events to raise money for her chosen charitiy, Second Time Around, a Banbury charity that enables adults with physical and learning difficulties to gain hands on skills and improve their confidence.

Councillor Heath presented a cheque for £2600 to representatives from Second Time Around.

Councillor Heath paid particular thanks to her consorts for the year and Liz Matthews, the Chairman’s PA and presented them with a token of her appreciation.

It was moved by Councillor Wood and seconded by Councillor Reynolds, that Councillor Jolanta Lis be elected as Vice-Chairman for the Municipal Year 2017/2018. There were no other nominations.

Resolved

(1)          That Councillor Jolanta Lis be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2017/2018.

Councillor Jolanta Lis, having made and signed the required Declaration of Acceptance of Office was invested with the Vice-Chairman’s Chain.

** Appendix 1 and 2 to this report will follow as Political Groups are considering appointments to Committees **

Report of Interim Chief Executive / Head of Paid Service

Purpose of report

To note the constitution of Political Groups, note the appointment of the Deputy Leader and Executive for the Municipal Year 2017/18, consider and agree the suggested constitution of Committees for the Municipal year 2017/2018 and consider an amendment to the Constitution whereby training will be mandatory for members of the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee.

Recommendations

** The recommendations are also included in the relevant section of the report**

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To note the constitution of Political Groups and notification of Group Leaders.

1.2         To note the appointment of Deputy Leader of the Council, the membership of the Executive and the Executive Portfolios for 2017/18 (Appendix 1 – to follow).

1.3         To agree the allocation of seats on committees that are subject to the political balance requirements as set out in Table 1.

1.4         To agree the allocation of seats on committees not subject to political balance requirements as set out in Table 2.

1.5         To appoint members (and where appropriate, substitute members) to serve on each of the committees and other bodies set out in Tables 1 and 2 in accordance with the nominations to be made by political groups (Appendix 2 - to follow).

1.6         To appoint a representative to the Oxfordshire County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

1.7         To appoint a representative to the Police and Crime Commissioner Scrutiny Panel.

1.8         To agree that the Constitution be amended so that it is mandatory for members of the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee to have received training before they can sit on the Committee.

1.9         To agree that authority be delegated to the Head of Law and Governance to update the Constitution to reflect recommendation 1.8.

The Interim Chief Executive / Head of Paid Service submitted a report for Council to note the constitution of Political Groups, note the appointment of the Deputy Leader and Executive for the Municipal Year 2017/18, consider and agree the suggested constitution of Committees for the Municipal year 2017/2018 and consider an amendment to the Constitution whereby training would be mandatory for members of the Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee.

In advising Council of Executive appointments for 2017/18, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Barry Wood, explained that Councillor Atack was standing down as an Executive member and thanked him for his hard work as the finance Lead Member.

Resolved

(1)          That the constitution of Political Groups (38 Conservatives, 8 Labour and 2 Independents) and notification of Group Leaders: Councillor Barry Wood, Leader of the Conservative Group and Leader of the Council, Councillor Sean Woodcock, Leader of the Labour Group and Leader of the Opposition and Councillor Les Sibley, Leader of the Independent Group, be noted.

(2)          That the appointment of the Deputy Leader of the Council, the membership of the Executive and the Executive Portfolios for 2017/18 be noted:

(3)          That the allocation of seats on committees that were subject to the political balance requirements be agreed:

(4)          That the allocation of seats on committees not subject to political balance requirements be agreed:

(5)       That members (and where appropriate, substitute members) be appointed to serve on each of the committees and other bodies as set out below in accordance with the nominations made by political groups:

Proportional Committees 2017/18

Accounts, Audit and Risk Committee

Membership (8 members with unnamed substitutes)

Report of Interim Head of Paid Service

Purpose of report

To appoint a monitoring officer in place of Kevin Lane, Head of Law and Governance, who leaves his employment with South Northamptonshire Council on 30 June 2017.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        Pursuant to section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 to appoint James Doble as the Council’s monitoring officer with effect from 1 July 2017.

The Interim Head of Paid Service submitted a report to appoint a monitoring officer in place of Kevin Lane, Head of Law and Governance, who leaves his employment with Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council on 30 June 2017.

Resolved

(1)          That, pursuant to section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, James Doble be appointed as the Council’s monitoring officer with effect from 1 July 2017.

Report of Interim Chief Executive

Purpose of report

To provide an update on the Community Governance Review (CGR), including the results of the first consultation with Upper Heyford, and to ask Council to approve amendments to the timetable.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

 1.1        Note the update;

1.2      Approve a change in the timetable regarding the second consultation stage of the review;

1.3      Delegate authority to the Assistant Director – Transformational Governance to make any further amendments to the timetable if required.

The Interim Chief Executive submitted a report to provide an update on the Community Governance Review (CGR), including the results of the first consultation with Upper Heyford, and to ask Council to approve amendments to the timetable.

Resolved

(1)          That the update be noted.

(2)          That a change in the timetable regarding the second consultation stage of the review be approved.

Report of Head of Development Management

Purpose of report

To seek the agreement of the Council to the proposed revision to the Scheme of Delegation to the Head of Development Management to ensure the expedient determination of applications submitted pursuant to Schedule 17 of the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Act 2017.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To amend the Scheme of Delegation to the Head of Development Management, as set out in the Council’s Constitution, to insert the following application type within the list of delegated application types set out in part A of the Scheme.

“Applications pursuant to Schedule 17 of the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017”.

The Head of Development Management submitted a report to seek the agreement of the Council to the proposed revision to the Scheme of Delegation to the Head of Development Management to ensure the expedient determination of applications submitted pursuant to Schedule 17 of the High Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) Act 2017.

Resolved

(1)          That the Scheme of Delegation to the Head of Development Management, as set out in the Council’s Constitution, be amended to insert the following application type within the list of delegated application types set out in part A of the Scheme.

“Applications pursuant to Schedule 17 of the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017”.

The following item contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following item has been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider it in private or in public. In making the decision, members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make decisions in public, they are recommended to pass the following recommendation:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Resolved

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt Report of Commercial Director

The Commercial Director submitted an exempt report relating to the award of contract for the construction of the Eco Business Centre at NW Bicester.

Resolved

(1)          As set out in the exempt minutes.

(2)          As set out in the exempt minutes.