The Leader introduced the report, which requested the Council to confirm the calculations relating to the allocation of seats on committees and also to appoint the nominations made by political groups to committees. In addition, the report also requested the Council to appoint the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of certain committees.

 

The nominations made to Committees for the municipal year 2014-15, together with the nominations for the positions of Chair and Vice Chair, were set out in a booklet circulated to Members immediately prior to the meeting.

 

Councillor Gledhill informed the Chamber that he felt that Opposition Group Members should hold the positions of Chair on each of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in order to provide effective challenge. He expressed the view that the only way to hold the Council into account was to have Opposition representation on all Overview and Scrutiny Committees and felt that the UKIP Group should have had a seat on all 6 Overview and Scrutiny Committees, whereas they were only strictly entitled to a seat on 5 of the Committees.

 

As a result Councillor Gledhill proposed that the Conservative Group would leave one seat vacant on the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which the UKIP Group could nominate to if they so wished. He advised that this move enabled the UKIP Group to be represented on all 6 of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

 

The Mayor informed the Chamber that he wished to take a single vote on recommendations 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4, followed by a separate vote on each of the contested appointments and finally a vote on those appointments that had not been contested.

 

Upon being put to the vote, Members voted unanimously in favour of recommendations 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 1.4 whereupon the Mayor declared these to be carried.

 

Councillor Gledhill advised Members that he had made an error in the paperwork containing his nomination for the Chair of the Licensing Committee and that this ought to have read that Councillor Maney had been nominated to the positions available.

 

The Mayor then called for a separate vote to be undertaken in respect of each of the contested nominations for Chairs of Committees.

 

At this point and in accordance with Procedure Rule 20.7, Councillor Gledhill and four further Members stood and requested that the vote in respect of each appointment be recorded.

 

The Mayor moved to a recorded vote on each of the contested appointments of Chair.

 

The result of each vote is set out below:

 

(i)         Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

The result of the vote was as follows:

 

Votes in favour of Councillor Morris-Cook:

Councillors Clare Baldwin, Charles Curtis, Tony Fish, Oliver Gerrish, Sue Gray, Yash Gupta, Terence Hipsey, Victoria Holloway, Cathy Kent, John Kent, Martin Kerin, Aaron Kiely, Steve Liddiard, Val Morris-Cook, Bukky Okunade, Barbara Rice, Gerard Rice, Sue Shinnick,  Andy Smith, Philip Smith, Richard Speight, Michael Stone and Lynn Worrall (23).

 

Votes in favour of Councillor Halden:

 

Councillors Mark Coxshall, Robert Gledhill, Garry Hague, James Halden, Shane Hebb, Barry Johnson, Tom Kelly, Charlie Key, Brian Little, Sue Little, Sue MacPherson, Ben Maney, Tunde Ojetola, Barry Palmer, Maureen Pearce, John Purkiss, Joy Redsell, Andrew Roast, Pauline Tolson, Simon Wootton (20).

 

Abstentions:

 

Councillors Chris Baker, Jan Baker, Roy Jones, Maggie O’Keeffe-Ray, Robert Ray and Graham Snell (6).

 

The Mayor declared that Councillor Morris-Cook duly appointed as the Chair of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

(ii)        Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

            The result of the vote was as follows:

 

            Votes in favour of Councillor Cathy Kent:

 

            Councillors Clare Baldwin, Charles Curtis, Tony Fish, Oliver Gerrish, Sue Gray, Yash Gupta, Terence Hipsey, Victoria Holloway, Cathy Kent, John Kent, Martin Kerin, Aaron Kiely, Steve Liddiard, Val Morris-Cook, Bukky Okunade, Barbara Rice, Gerard Rice, Sue Shinnick,  Andy Smith, Philip Smith, Richard Speight, Michael Stone and Lynn Worrall (23).

 

            Votes in favour of Councillor Tolson:

 

            Councillors Mark Coxshall, Robert Gledhill, Garry Hague, James Halden, Shane Hebb, Barry Johnson, Tom Kelly, Charlie Key, Brian Little, Sue Little, Sue MacPherson, Ben Maney, Tunde Ojetola, Barry Palmer, Maureen Pearce, John Purkiss, Joy Redsell, Andrew Roast, Pauline Tolson, Simon Wootton (20).

 

            Abstentions:    

 

            Councillors Chris Baker, Jan Baker, Roy Jones, Maggie O’Keeffe-Ray, Robert Ray and Graham Snell (6).

 

            The Mayor declared that Councillor Cathy Kent duly appointed as the Chair of the Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

            The Mayor enquired whether Members wished to move to a vote by show of hands for the remaining contested appointments, whereupon the Leader of the Opposition and four other Members stood to request that a recorded vote be continued.

 

(iii)          Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

The result of the vote was as follows:

 

Votes in favour of Councillor Gupta:

 

Councillors Clare Baldwin, Charles Curtis, Tony Fish, Oliver Gerrish, Sue Gray, Yash Gupta, Terence Hipsey, Victoria Holloway, Cathy Kent, John Kent, Martin Kerin, Aaron Kiely, Steve Liddiard, Val Morris-Cook, Bukky Okunade, John Purkiss, Barbara Rice, Gerard Rice, Sue Shinnick,  Andy Smith, Philip Smith, Richard Speight, Michael Stone and Lynn Worrall (24).

 

Votes in favour of Councillor Hebb:

 

Councillors Mark Coxshall, Robert Gledhill, Garry Hague, James Halden, Shane Hebb, Barry Johnson, Tom Kelly, Charlie Key, Brian Little, Sue Little, Sue MacPherson, Ben Maney, Tunde Ojetola, Barry Palmer, Maureen Pearce, Joy Redsell, Andrew Roast, Pauline Tolson, Simon Wootton (19).

 

Abstentions:

 

Councillors Chris Baker, Jan Baker, Roy Jones, Maggie O’Keeffe-Ray, Robert Ray and Graham Snell (6).

 

The Mayor declared that Councillor Gupta duly appointed as the Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

At this point, Councillor Gledhill advised the Mayor that the remaining votes could be undertaken by a show of hands.

 

(iv)         Corporate Parenting Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Corporate Parenting Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor Okunade, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Halden and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Okunade duly appointed as the Chair of the Corporate Parenting Committee.

 

(v)          General Services Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the General Services Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor John Kent, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Gledhill and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor John Kent duly appointed as the Chair of the General Services Committee.

 

(vi)         Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor Curtis, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Key and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Curtis duly appointed as the Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

(vii)        Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor Gerard Rice, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Johnson and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Gerard Rice duly appointed as the Chair of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

(viii)       Licensing Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Licensing Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor Stone, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Maney and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Stone duly appointed as the Chair of the Licensing Committee.

 

(ix)         Planning Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Planning Committee, whereupon, 24 Members voted in favour of Councillor Hipsey, 19 Members voted in favour of Councillor Brian Little and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Hipsey duly appointed as the Chair of the Planning Committee.

 

(x)          Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Chair of the Planning Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee, whereupon, 23 Members voted in favour of Councillor Gray, 20 Members voted in favour of Councillor Kelly and 6 Members abstained from the vote.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Gray duly appointed as the Chair of the Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

It was noted that the nomination of Councillor Wootton, for the position of Chair of the Standards and Audit Committee had not been contested.

 

 

The Mayor then moved to the contested nomination for the position of Vice Chair of the Planning Committee, the result of which was as follows:

 

(xi)         Planning Committee, position of Vice Chair.

 

A vote was undertaken in respect of the position of Vice Chair of the Planning Committee, whereupon, 24 Members voted in favour of Councillor Curtis and 25 Members voted in favour of Councillor Brian Little.

 

The Mayor declared Councillor Brian Little duly appointed as the Vice Chair of the Planning Committee.

 

Finally, the Mayor called for a vote in respect of the positions of Vice Chair for those committees that had not been contested, as set out below:

 

Committee	Vice Chair
Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Halden
Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Tolson
Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Hebb
Corporate Parenting Committee	Councillor Halden
General Services Committee	Councillor Gledhill
Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Key
Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Johnson
Licensing Committee	Councillor Maney
Planning, Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Councillor Kelly

 

Members voted unanimously in favour of the nominations made to each of the aforementioned committees.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.         That the allocation of seats, as set out in Appendix 1, be approved.

 

2.         That the nominations of the political groups to seats on committees be approved, as set out in Appendix 2.

 

3.         That, further to recommendation 1.2, those Members appointed to the following committees be required to undertake a DBS check prior to taking their seats:

 

·         Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

·         Standards and Audit Committee

·         Corporate Parenting Committee

 

4.         That the non-voting co-opted members of the Planning Committee, the Standards and Audit Committee, the Health and Well-being Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Corporate Parenting Committee be appointed, as set out in Appendix 2.

 

5.         That the Chairs and Vice Chairs of Committees be appointed as set out below:

 

Committee	Chair	Vice Chair
Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr Morris-Cook	Cllr Halden
Cleaner, Greener and Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr C Kent	Cllr Tolson
Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr Gupta	Cllr Hebb
Corporate Parenting Committee	Cllr Okunade	Cllr Halden
General Services Committee	Cllr J Kent	Cllr Gledhill
Health and Wellbeing Board* *The Chair will be the Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health and shall be appointed by the Council	Councillor Barbara Rice	No Vice Chair
Health and Well being Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr Curtis	Cllr Key
Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr G Rice	Cllr Johnson
Licensing Committee	Cllr Stone	Cllr Maney
Planning Committee	Cllr Hipsey	Cllr B Little
Planning, Transport, Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee	Cllr Gray	Cllr Kelly
Standards and Audit Committee	Cllr Wootton	No Vice Chair appointed