Agenda, decisions and minutes

To elect a Chairman of the Council to hold office until the annual meeting in 2016.

Cllr Mrs Hoare has been nominated as Chairman for the ensuing year.

Declaration of acceptance of office by the Chairman and investiture of badges of office

                          The newly elected Chairman in the Chair.

Vote of thanks to Cllr Mrs Holding and presentation of badges.

Cllr Mrs Alison Hoare was elected Chairman of the Council.

Cllr Mrs Holding moved that Cllr Mrs Hoare be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.  The motion was seconded by Cllr Mrs Wyeth.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr Mrs Hoare be elected Chairman of the Council to continue in office until her successor becomes entitled to act as Chairman at the next annual meeting of the Council.

Cllr Mrs Hoare took the chair and made the declaration of acceptance of office, which was formally witnessed by the Chief Executive.

Cllr Mrs Holding invested the Chairman with the Chain and Badge of Office and a bouquet of flowers, and presented Mr Hoare, the Chairman’s consort, with a gift.

On behalf of employees, the Chief Executive congratulated the Chairman on her election.

The Chairman thanked members of the Council for electing her as Chairman.

The Chairman moved a vote of thanks to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr Mrs Holding.

The Chairman, in paying tribute to Cllr Mrs Holding, said that Cllr Mrs Holding had been held in high esteem by colleagues and residents alike during her term as Chairman.  She had proved to be excellent ambassador for the New Forest, and had worked tirelessly to ensure that the New Forest was well represented and showcased.

The motion was seconded.

Members spoke in support of the motion. They said that Cllr Mrs Holding, with the support of her husband, had worked very hard during her year in office and had been very successful in her charitable fundraising. She had represented the people of the New Forest District in an exemplary manner, attending a great number of events both within and outside the District, and had been a great ambassador for the Council.

Other members referred to the commitment and hard work displayed by Cllr Mrs Holding during her time in office.

The Chief Executive thanked Cllr Mrs Holding for her tireless work during her year as Chairman.

RESOLVED:

That the thanks and best wishes of the Council be recorded to Cllr Mrs Holding for her service during her term of office as Chairman of the Council.

Cllr Mrs Holding thanked members for their kind wishes. She said that it had been a great privilege to serve as Chairman of the Council. She had thoroughly enjoyed her time in office. Cllr Mrs Holding thanked in particular colleagues she had met over the last year, who had made her time as Chairman enjoyable. She also thanked those who had helped organise her civic day, which had provided an invaluable opportunity to showcase the New Forest.

Cllr Mrs Holding thanked colleagues and officers for helping to raise funds for her charities, the Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance, the Nalder Benevolent Fund and Oakhaven Hospice. Representatives from the Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance and the Nalder Benevolent Fund were in attendance and gratefully received cheques from Cllr Mrs Holding. The Chairman had raised £7,918 for her two charities. In addition the goods donated as part of the Oakhaven spring clean appeal had an estimated value of £10,000.

         To appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Council to hold office until the annual meeting in 2016.

Cllr G C Beck has been nominated as Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

Declaration of acceptance of office by the Vice-Chairman and investiture of badges of office.

Cllr Goff Beck was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council.

It was moved by Cllr O’Sullivan and seconded by Cllr Mrs Ward that Cllr Beck be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr Beck be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council to hold office until immediately after the election of the Chairman at the next annual meeting of the Council.

Cllr Beck made the declaration of acceptance of office, which was formally witnessed by the Chief Executive.  The Chairman invested Cllr Beck with his badge of office and presented the Vice-Chairman’s consort, Mrs Beck, with flowers.

To appoint a Leader of the Council for the four year period until May 2019.

Cllr Barry Rickman was appointed Leader of the Council for the four year period until May 2019.

It was moved by Cllr E J Heron and seconded by Cllr Glass that Cllr Rickman be appointed Leader of the Council.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr Rickman be appointed Leader of the Council for the four year period until May 2019.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2015 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2015 were agreed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 April 2015 be agreed as a correct record.

The Chairman welcomed all members to the first Council meeting of the four year term, following the elections on 7 May. She particularly welcomed the 18 new members joining the Council for the first time. She was sure that returning councillors would be happy to assist their new colleagues. The Chairman’s charities for the year would be Oakhaven Hospice and the Firefly Orphanage in Kathmandhu.

The Chairman welcomed all members to the first Council meeting of the four year term, following the elections on 7 May. She particularly welcomed the 18 new members joining the Council for the first time. She was sure that returning councillors would be happy to assist their new colleagues. The Chairman announced that her charities for the year would be Oakhaven Hospice and the Firefly Orphanage in Kathmandhu.

The Chairman explained that whilst her second charity was not a local charity, given the two recent catastrophic earthquakes in Nepal and the devastation that these had caused, she felt it appropriate to raise funds in support of the children who had lost families and homes as a result of these tragic events. She hoped that other members would support her in her fundraising for both charities. 

The Leader of the Council thanked the Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer and all the staff that worked on the elections for their hard work particularly in light of the extra demands in the electoral process this year.  

The Leader of the Council thanked the Returning Officer, the Deputy Returning Officer and the staff who had assisted in the elections on 7 May for their hard work particularly in light of the extra demands in the electoral process this year. 

The Leader of the Council will inform the Council of:

(a)     the name of the councillor he has appointed Deputy Leader of the Council;

(b)     the number and content of the Portfolios;

(c)     the name of the councillor he has appointed to each Portfolio; and

RECOMMENDED:

That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make any consequential changes to the Constitution arising from the above.

The Leader of the Council informed the Council that:

            (a)        He had appointed Cllr E J Heron as Deputy Leader of the Council and Vice-Chairman of the Cabinet.

            (b)        The new Portfolio Holders were:-

Leader’s Portfolio – Cllr Barry Rickman

Environment – Cllr Sophie Beeton

Finance and Efficiency – Cllr Jeremy Heron

Health and Leisure – Cllr James Binns

Housing and Communities – Cllr Jill Cleary

Planning and Transportation – Cllr Edward Heron

The content of each portfolio be as set out in the attached appendix.

It was agreed that the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make any consequential changes to the Constitution arising from the above.

The Leader of the Council informed the Council that:

            (a)        He had appointed Cllr E J Heron as Deputy Leader of the Council and Vice-Chairman of the Cabinet;

            (b)        The Portfolio Holders were:-

Leader’s Portfolio – Cllr Barry Rickman

Environment – Cllr Sophie Beeton

Finance and Efficiency – Cllr Jeremy Heron

Health and Leisure – Cllr James Binns

Housing and Communities – Cllr Jill Cleary

Planning and Transportation – Cllr Edward Heron

and that the content of each portfolio would be as set out below.

1)  Leader’s Portfolio - Portfolio Holder Cllr Barry Rickman

• Corporate Plan and Financial Strategy
• Communications and Community Engagement
• Employment and Tourism
• Human Resources
• Performance and Risk Management
• Equality and Fairness
• Emergency Planning
• Political and Management Structures

2)  Environment – Portfolio Holder Cllr Sophie Beeton

• Refuse Collection
• Street Cleaning
• Abandoned Vehicles
• Cemeteries
• Coastal Protection and Drainage Issues
• Environmental Health Services
• Grounds Maintenance
• Public Conveniences
• Recycling
• Sustainability Co-ordination
• Open Spaces

3)  Finance and Efficiency – Portfolio Holder Cllr Jeremy Heron

• Asset Management/Property Services
• Council Tax and Benefits
• Customer Services
• Financial Services
• Information and Communications Technology
• Legal and Democratic Services

4)  Health and Leisure – Portfolio Holder Cllr James Binns

• Leisure Services
• Children and Youth Matters
• Health and Wellbeing (other than Environmental Health)
• Older Persons’ Matters

5)  Housing and Communities – Portfolio Holder Cllr Jill Cleary

• Housing Strategy
• Housing Service Delivery
• Crime and Disorder
• Improvement Grants

6)  Planning and Transportation – Portfolio Holder Cllr Edward Heron

• Planning Strategy/Policy
• Development Plans
• Building Control
• Local Land Charges
• Transportation and Car Parking
• Highways Matters
• Listed Buildings and Conservation

RESOLVED:

That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make any consequential changes to the Constitution arising from the above.

To receive the report of the Returning Officer on the elections held on Thursday 7 May 2015.

The Report of the Returning Officer was received and noted.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Returning Officer be received and noted.

In accordance with Section 15(1)(b) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Council must review the representation of political groups on committees at the annual meeting each year or as soon as practicable thereafter.  For this purpose, “committees” includes the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Panels but excludes the Cabinet. 

The Act prescribes, amongst other things, that –

(a)       the majority of seats on committees must be allocated to the majority political group;  and

(b)       subject to (a) above, the number of seats on committees allocated to each political group must bear the same proportion as the total of the membership of that group to the membership of the authority.

These provisions need not be applied if a different position is agreed without any member of the authority voting against.

Following the ordinary election of Councillors on 7 May 2015, the political proportionality on the Council is:

Conservative:    58

Liberal Democrat:   2

There are 101 Committee/Panel places to which appointments should be made under the principles of proportionality. Of these, 98 should be allocated to the Conservative Group and 3 to the Liberal Democrat Group.

Recommendations for the appointment of members to Committees and Panels to comply with the principles of proportionality will be circulated later for consideration under item 10 of this agenda.

RECOMMENDED:

That appointments be made to committees and panels in accordance with the principles for the allocation of seats to political parties as set out in Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, except in those cases where it is decided, without any member voting against, not to apply the principles of proportionality.

The recommendation was agreed.

RESOLVED:

That appointments be made to committees and panels in accordance with the principles for the allocation of seats to political groups as set out in Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, except in those cases where it is decided, without any member voting against, not to apply the principles of proportionality.

To appoint members to the Committees and Panels set out in Report C, as proposed by the political groups, for the four year period commencing 18 May 2015.

The membership and Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen appointments set out below were agreed.

APPEALS COMMITTEE (20 members)

AUDIT COMMITTEE (8 members)

GENERAL PURPOSES AND LICENSING COMMITTEE (15 members)

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE (16 members – Cllrs (8), Employee Side (8))

Note: This Committee elects the Chairman/Vice-Chairman at its meeting in June.

PLANNING DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE (20 members)

CORPORATE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

RESOLVED:

That the following members be appointed to the Committees/Panels.

APPEALS COMMITTEE (20 members)

AUDIT COMMITTEE (8 members)

GENERAL PURPOSES AND LICENSING COMMITTEE (15 members)

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE (16 members – Cllrs (8), Employee Side (8))

PLANNING DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE (20 members)

CORPORATE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

ENVIRONMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL (10 members)

There were none.

There were none.