Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval to the proportionality arrangements for committees of Buckinghamshire Council established in the constitution, and the designation of elected members to individual committees.

RESOLVED:

Recommendations: That the Executive of Buckinghamshire Council: -

1. Approves the updated proportionality arrangements set out at table 2;

2. Subject to the Regulations coming into force:

a) agrees to designate appointments to Council committees at Appendix 2, and then confirm these on 11 May 2020;

b) notes the appointments to Select Committees at Appendix 3, as designated by the Chief Executive, following discussion with the Group Leaders.

3. Agrees to delegate to the Monitoring Officer powers to vary the membership of a Committee at any point on a permanent or casual basis upon the written nomination of a Group Leader..

Martin Tett referred to the report which contained the names of the members who been selected for the Buckinghamshire Council committees.   Once agreed, the induction process and member training would commence.  M Tett stressed that this was a very important item as it was fundamental to the operation of the Council. 

M Tett also announced the following as representatives of Buckinghamshire Council on the Local Economic Partnership:

·        Steve Broadbent

·        Steve Bowles

·        Martin Tett

·        Nick Naylor

·        Isobel Darby

Councillor Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member, Communities and  Public Health, announced the Community Board Chairmen as follows:

• Beeches - David Anthony
• Buckingham and villages - Charlie Clare
• Wing and villages - Anne Wight
• Winslow and villages - Susan Renshell
• Haddenham and Waddesdon - Michael Rand
• Aylesbury - Mark Winn
• Wendover - Julie Ward
• Missendens - Peter Martin
• Chesham and villages - Patricia Birchley
• North West Chilterns - Gary Hall
• High Wycombe - Arif Hussain
• Amersham - Graham Harris
• South West Chilterns - Dominic Barnes
• Beaconsfield and Chepping Wye - Anita Cranmer
• Denham, Gerrards Cross and Chalfonts - Santokh Chhoker
• Wexham and Ivers - Jilly Jordan

M Tett announced the following cabinet member responsibilities:

• Councillor Martin Tett  (Leader) 
• Councillor Angela Macpherson  (Deputy Leader) - Cabinet Member Adult Social Care
• Councillor Katrina Wood  (Deputy Leader) - Cabinet Member Resources
• Councillor Steve Bowles  -  Cabinet Member Town Centre Regeneration
• Councillor Bill Chapple OBE  -  Cabinet Member Environment and Climate Change
• Councillor John Chilver  -  Cabinet Member Property and Assets
• Councillor Anita Cranmer -  Cabinet Member Education and Skills
• Councillor Isobel Darby -  Cabinet Member Housing and Homelessness
• Councillor Tony Green -  Cabinet Member Youth Provision
• Councillor Clive Harriss  -  Cabinet Member Sports and Leisure
• Councillor Patrick Hogan  -  Cabinet Member Culture
• Councillor David Martin -  Cabinet Member Logistics
• Councillor Nick Naylor -  Cabinet Member Transport
• Councillor Mark Shaw -  Cabinet Member Children’s Services
• Councillor Warren Whyte - Cabinet Member Planning and Enforcement
• Councillor Gareth Williams  - Cabinet Member Communities and Public Health
• Councillor Fred Wilson  - Cabinet Member Regulatory Services

RESOLVED:  The Cabinet AGREED the following recommendations:

That the Executive of Buckinghamshire Council: -

1. APPROVE the updated proportionality arrangements set out at table 2;

2. Subject to the Regulations coming into force:

a) AGREED to designate appointments to Council committees at Appendix 2, and then confirm these on 11 May 2020;

b) NOTED the appointments to Select Committees at Appendix 3, as designated by the Chief Executive, following discussion with the Group Leaders.

3. AGREED to delegate to the Monitoring Officer powers to vary the membership of a Committee at any point on a permanent or casual basis upon the written nomination of a Group Leader.

This report seeks approval to the proportionality arrangements for committees of

Buckinghamshire Council established in the constitution, and sets out next steps in

appointing members to individual committees.

RESOLVED:

Recommendations: That the Executive of Buckinghamshire Council: -

1. note the Regulations set out in Appendix 1;

2. Subject to these Regulations coming into force:

a. note the proportionality arrangements as set out at Appendix 2;

b. agree that, following discussion with the Group Leaders, the Executive should receive a further report at its next meeting to designate appointments to Council committees, and then confirm these on 11 May 2020;

c. note that the two Deputy Leaders on the Executive will be Cllr Katrina Wood and Cllr Angela Macpherson;

3. agree to delegate to the Monitoring Officer powers to vary the membership of a Committee at any point on a permanent or casual basis upon the written nomination of a Group Leader.

Martin Tett referred to the report which sought approval of the proportionality arrangements for the committees of Buckinghamshire Council established in the constitution, and the next steps in appointing members to individual committees.  Sarah Ashmead added that the regulation would come into force on 11 May 2020 (the Statutory Instrument stated 8 May 2020 but this was a bank holiday).  It was proposed that a report be provided at the additional Cabinet meeting the following week; after which member training would commence.  Since the report had been published there had been a further change to the membership of the political groups and the report for the additional Cabinet meeting would include the appointments and an updated version of the political proportionality arrangements.  M Tett stated that the Buckinghamshire Council constitution allowed for two deputies within the Cabinet; Cllr Katrina Wood would continue as deputy leader and Cllr Angela Macpherson would be the other deputy leader.

The following points were raised by members of the Cabinet:

• In response to a query on the potential number of members on the High Wycombe Town Committee being 36, S Ashmead clarified that the members would be from wards in the High Wycombe area and would not be as high as 36; a list would be circulated.
• The group leaders had not all been confirmed and would be reported at the additional Cabinet meeting.
• A member of the Cabinet queried why only 20 members were required for a full council meeting to be quorate.  S Ashmead advised that due to the coronavirus, an annual general meeting did not have to be held; this was an exception for one year.  If a full council meeting was required under the current extraordinary circumstances, a low bar had been set, to enable one to go ahead.

RESOLVED:  Cabinet AGREED that the Executive of Buckinghamshire Council: -

1. NOTED the Regulations set out in Appendix 1.

2. Subject to these Regulations coming into force:

a. NOTED the proportionality arrangements as set out at Appendix 2.

b. AGREED that, following discussion with the Group Leaders, the Executive

would receive a further report at its next meeting to designate appointments to Council committees, and then confirm these on 11 May 2020.

c. NOTED that the two Deputy Leaders on the Executive would be Cllr Katrina Wood and Cllr Angela Macpherson.