To elect the Chairman of the Council.

Councillor WLS Bowen proposed and Councillor AW Johnson seconded the nomination of Councillor LO Barnett.

RESOLVED: That Councillor LO Barnett be elected Chairman of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

The Chairman expressed her personal thanks to the former Vice Chairman, Councillor Chappell, for all his support to her during his term of office.

To appoint the Vice-Chairman of the Council.

Councillor LO Barnett proposed and Councillor TM James seconded the nomination of Councillor J Stone.

RESOLVED: That Councillor J Stone be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

The Very Reverend Michael Tavinor led the Council in prayers.

Councillor RC Hunt and Councillor PJ Watts

The Leader of the Council paid tribute on behalf of the Council to Councillor Roger Hunt and Councillor Peter Watts.

Council observed a silence in their memory.

Apologies were received from Councillor ACR Chappell, MAF Hubbard, RL Mayo, J Norris and CA North.

The Solicitor to the Council reminded Council that he had granted a dispensation under his delegated authority to those Councillors seeking election to posts carrying a Special Responsibility Allowance so permitting them to vote on agenda item 8 - Appointments to Council Committees and outside bodies.

Agenda item 7: Election of Leader of the Council

Councillor AW Johnson declared a pecuniary interest and left the meeting for the duration of this item.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2014.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2014 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

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

To elect the Leader of the Council.

(Councillor AW Johnson declared a pecuniary interest and left the meeting for the duration of this item.)

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor H Bramer seconded the nomination of Councillor AW Johnson.

RESOLVED:  That Councillor AW Johnson be elected Leader of the Council for the forthcoming municipal year.

To make appointments to the committees of the council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality and to consider the membership of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

Please note that the Council will be asked under this item to approve alternative arrangements to strict political proportionality for appointments to Committees and other bodies in accordance with Regulation 20 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

Council considered appointments to the Committees of the Council and outside bodies in line with the rules of political proportionality, an amendment to the terms of reference of the Audit and Governance Committee and arrangements for making appointments to the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Solicitor to the Council commented that following discussion with Group Leaders it was suggested that recommendations a-d and f-j as printed in the agenda papers, about which there was consensus, should be considered and voted upon as a whole.  Discussion of appointments to the positions of Chairmen and Vic-Chairmen for which several nominations were expected could then be considered.

The Solicitor to the Council clarified that recommendation h, permitting vacancies arising during the year to be filled by the Chief Executive following consultation with the Group Leaders, was a procedural device to enable the Chief Executive to give effect to the wishes of Group Leaders.

Councillor TM James proposed and Councillor WLS Bowen seconded a motion that recommendations a-d and f-j as printed in the agenda papers be approved.

This motion was carried with no one voting against it and ten abstentions.

Council agreed that appointments to the positions of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen would be determined by named vote where there was more than one nomination for the position. 

The consideration of each appointment was as follows:

Chairman of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor J Hardwick proposed and Councillor AW Johnson seconded the nomination of Councillor WLS Bowen.

Councillor AJW Powers proposed and Councillor EPJ Harvey seconded the nomination of Councillor A Seldon.

A named vote was held.

For Councillor Bowen (41)

Councillors PA Andrews, AM Atkinson, CNH Attwood,  CM Bartrum, LO Barnett,  PL Bettington,  AJM Blackshaw,  WLS Bowen,  H Bramer,  AN Bridges, MJK Cooper,  PGH Cutter,  BA Durkin,  PJ Edwards, DW Greenow, KS Guthrie,  J Hardwick,  JW Hope, MBE, JA Hyde, TM James,  JG Jarvis,  AW Johnson, Brig P Jones CBE, JF Knipe, JG Lester, RI Matthews, PJ McCaull, JW Millar, PM Morgan, NP Nenadich, RJ Phillips, GJ Powell, R Preece, PD Price, SJ Robertson, P Rone,  P Sinclair-Knipe,  J Stone, DC Taylor, GA Vaughan-Powell and DB Wilcox.

For Councillor Seldon (8)

Councillors EMK Chave, EPJ Harvey, JLV Kenyon, MD Lloyd-Hayes, SM Michael, C Nicholls, FM Norman, and  AJW Powers.

Abstentions (2) Councillors A Seldon and GR Swinford.

Councillor Bowen was therefore appointed.

Vice-Chairman of the General Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor PM Morgan proposed and Councillor WLS Bowen seconded the nomination of Councillor BA Durkin.

Councillor AJW Powers proposed and Councillor A Seldon seconded the nomination of Councillor EPJ Harvey.

A named vote was held.

For Councillor Durkin (35)

Councillors PA Andrews, AM Atkinson, CM Bartrum, PL Bettington, AJM Blackshaw,  WLS Bowen,  H Bramer,  MJK Cooper,  PGH Cutter,  BA Durkin,  PJ Edwards,  DW Greenow, KS Guthrie, J Hardwick,  JW Hope, MBE, JA Hyde, JG Jarvis,  AW Johnson, Brig P Jones CBE, JG Lester, RI Matthews, PJ McCaull, JW Millar, PM Morgan, NP Nenadich, RJ Phillips, GJ Powell, PD Price, SJ Robertson, P  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To approve the programme of meetings of the Council for 2014/15:

18 July 2014

26 September 2014

12 December 2014

6 February 2015

6 March 2015

24 April 2015

22 May 2015

All meetings will start at 10:00 am except for the annual meeting in May which will start at 10:30 am.

RESOLVED:  That the dates for ordinary meeting of Council for 2014/15 be approved:

18 July 2014

26 September 2014

12 December 2014

6 February 2015

6 March 2015

24 April 2015*

22 May 2015

*(It was noted that the meeting scheduled for April 2015 would only be convened should there be business necessary for Council to conclude before the election in May 2015.)