To elect the Chairperson of the Council.

(The Vice-Chairperson of the Council assumed the Chair during the election of the Chairperson of the Council)

A motion to elect Councillor Roger Phillips as Chairperson of the Council was moved.

A vote was taken and Councillor Phillips was elected Chairperson of the Council.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Roger Phillips is elected Chairperson of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

Councillor Phillips made the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.

(Councillor Phillips assumed the Chair of the meeting as the Chairperson of the Council)

To appoint the Vice Chairperson of the Council.

A motion to appoint Councillor Kevin Tillett as Vice-Chairperson of the Council was moved.

A vote was taken and Councillor Tillett was appointed Vice-Chairperson of the Council.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Kevin Tillett is appointed Vice-Chairperson of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

Councillor Tillett made the statutory declaration of acceptance of office.

Council paid tribute to former councillor and Leader of the Council Tony Johnson who had passed away recently. Council stood in slience as a mark of respect.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bartrum, Boulter, Dykes, Dan Powell and Thomas.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 6 March 2026 and the extraordinary meeting on 1 May 2026.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 6 March 2026 and the extraordinary meeting on 1 May 2026 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive the Chairman and Chief Executive’s announcements.

Council noted the Chairman’s and Chief Executive’s announcements as printed in the agenda papers.

Tributes were paid to the outgoing Chief Executive from the Chairman, the previous Leader and current Leader of the Council.

To elect the leader of the Council.

A motion to elect Councillor Jonathan Lester as Leader of the Council was moved.

A vote was taken and Councillor Lester was elected as Leader of the Council.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Jonathan Lester is elected Leader of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

Councillor Allan Williams left the meeting at 10:48 a.m.

To make appointments to the committees of the Council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality.

Council considered a report by the solicitor to the Council relating to appointments to committees of the Council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality. The Chairman outlined the tabled supplement, published on 22 May, with an updated appendix 2 containing details of the number of seats on the scrutiny management board and the allocation of those seats to political groups.

Recommendation (a)

A motion was moved to agree the list of ordinary committees listed at paragraph 10 be confirmed with their terms of reference as set out in the council’s constitution which was put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED: That the list of ordinary committees listed at paragraph 10 are confirmed with their terms of reference as set out in the council’s constitution.

Recommendation (b)

A motion was moved to agree the number of seats on each committee as set out at paragraph 10 and the allocation of those seats to political groups as set out at paragraph 11 which was put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED: That the number of seats on each committee as set out at paragraph 10 and the allocation of those seats to political groups as set out at paragraph 11 be approved.

Recommendation (c)

A motion was moved to agree the allocation of seats on outside bodies to political groups as set out at paragraph 13 which was put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED: That the allocation of seats in outside bodies to political groups, as set out at paragraph 13, be approved.

Recommendation (d)

A motion was moved to agree the appointment of co-opted members of the children and young people scrutiny committee which was put to the vote and was carried.

RESOLVED: That the appointment of five co-opted members of children and young people scrutiny committee is approved as follows:

i.               one representative as nominated by the diocese of Hereford

ii.              one representative as nominated by the archdiocese of Cardiff

iii.             three parent governors as elected from the school sector

Recommendation (e)

A motion was moved to agree the suspension of proportionality in respect of a number of local outside bodies which was put to the vote and was carried with no votes against.

RESOLVED: That the suspension of the rules of proportionality in respect of the standards panel, the River Lugg Drainage Board, and the Wye Valley National Landscape Joint Advisory Committee is approved.

Recommendation (f)

Council noted the table of committee membership (in appendix 1 to the report) which outlined the current chairpersons and vice chairpersons of Council committees. The Chairman invited any changes to the listed appointments which included those set out below:

A motion was moved that Councillor Rebecca Tully was appointed as vice-chairperson of the Health, care and wellbeing scrutiny committee which was put to the vote and was carried.

A motion was moved to appoint the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of council committees, consistent with the listing in appendix a of the report and subject to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To propose amendments to the constitution.

Council considered a report which proposed amendments to the Council’s constitution.

The Chairperson of the Audit and Governance committee introduced the item and moved the recommendations in the report.

The Vice-Chairperson of the Audit and Governance committee seconded the recommendations in the report.

Council debated the report and the following action was raised:

·       To include in the next review of the constitution, an analysis of the quality and standard of responses provided to public questions.

An alteration to the recommendations contained in the report was outlined. The number of representatives appointed to the Health and Wellbeing Board from the Integrated Care Board should be three following the agreement of this number by the Board. The proposer and seconder of the motion and the meeting provided consent for the alteration to be included in the motion.

The recommendations in the report, as altered above, were put to the vote and were carried by a simple majority.

RESOLVED:

 That Council approves changes in the Constitution:

a) in Appendix 1 to enable a change to the process for questions from the public and members;

b) in Appendix 2 to enable changes to clarify substitutes on Scrutiny Management Board;

c) in Appendix 3 to make changes to clarify the planning rules in respect to deferrals;

d) in Appendix 4 to make changes to clarify the appointments and procedure for the Health and Wellbeing Board – that the number of representatives of the Integrated Care Board appointed to the Health and Wellbeing Board numbers three (3);

e) in Appendix 5 to makes changes to the Special Urgency procedure for executive decisions to ensure the Monitoring Officer is aware that a request has being made;

f) in Appendix 6 to enable motions to be allowed at some Annual Councils;

g) in Appendix 7 to clarify the rules relating to business cases for capital schemes;

h) in Appendix 8 to amend the requirements about the publication of Records of operational decisions (RoOD); 

i) in Appendix 9 to make amendments to the Arrangements for dealing with complaints about the Code of Conduct; and

j) in Appendix 10 to describe the scope and purpose of Political Group Consultations.