Agenda item

To consider the attached report.

Contact Officer: nick.graham@buckinghamshire.gov.uk  

The Committee received the report on an Honorary Alderman Scheme for Buckinghamshire Council. Section 249 of the Local Government Act gave principal councils the power to confer the title of ‘Honorary Alderman’ on persons who had in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Council as past Members but who were no longer politically active.

All the legacy Councils apart from South Bucks District Council had a Scheme and the Local Government (Structural Changes)(Transitional arrangements) No 2Regulations 2008 provided for the continuation of the conferment of Honorary Alderman status from legacy Councils to a new Authority. As a result, 32 Alderman can continue. Prior to the abolition of the legacy Councils both Wycombe and Chiltern District Council agreed to confer that status of Honorary Alderman to 11 individuals. However, due to the pandemic Members continued on as Buckinghamshire Councillors as elections could not be held.

Mr Cartwright was conferred the Honorary Alderman status by the former Wycombe District Council Scheme, which set out that, “in the event of an Honorary Alderman seeking election to the District Council, or any other Council within the area, he or she shall, from the time this scheme is adopted, cease to hold the position of Honorary Alderman if he or she is still standing as a candidate immediately following the deadline for withdrawal of candidature. At that time the entitlement to such rights and privileges attached to the position of Honorary Alderman shall cease automatically.” Members were therefore being asked to consider whether Mr Cartwright should be invited to continue with Honorary Alderman status under the provisions of the new proposed Scheme for the Council.

During discussion the following points were raised:-

·       At paragraph 10 of the proposed new scheme it stated that being an Honorary Alderman was an apolitical role so individuals should not hold any political office such as parish councillor. A Member expressed concern that many parish councillors were apolitical and did not stand under a political banner. Another Member commented that there was confusion here in terms of standing for a political party and undertaking political activity. A Parish Council was a political organisation and conducted parish politics and an alderman should retire from political activity. An Independent candidate would still be political. Members were advised that as a parish councillor you were elected to hold political office. Another Member reported that the status of Alderman was conferred on someone who had given exceptional service to their community and Parish and Town Councils were separate to this and they should not be excluded from continuing their role. Another Member commented that not every Parish Councillor was elected.

·       A Member commented that it would be helpful to have a renewable time limit for Honorary Alderman (perhaps of five years) as people move away etc and life moved on and there was no easy way for them to stand down. Another Member disagreed and said that the appointment should be for life. Another point was made that in a legacy council if you became an alderman you were unable to stand for election which had caused some issues.

A proposal was made that the two Members who had been put forward as Honorary Alderman but did not get elected this year should be appointed.

·       A Member commented it was important to use the skills of Honorary Alderman as ambassadors for the Council in a non-political role to aid the Council. Another Member felt that the appointment of Honorary Alderman was a point of recognition for work done and that no further role was required and should be carried out by unitary councillors.

·       In terms of moving forward into the new Council current Honorary Alderman could be asked whether they would still like to continue in this role.

The Committee recommended that the individual identified in the report should continue with Honorary Alderman status. On a vote being taken (10 for and 1 against) it was:-

RECOMMENDED that Full Council:

a) adopt the proposed Buckinghamshire Council Honorary Alderman Scheme as set out at appendix ‘C’ to the report, noting it will be subject to a review prior to the 2025 Unitary Elections, and authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer to insert the Scheme into the Council’s Constitution.

b) note that future nominations for Honorary Alderman status be in accordance with the proposed scheme.

c) invite the individual identified in paragraph 3.6 of the report to continue with the Honorary Alderman status.