Prayers were taken by the Reverend Richard Andrews, Rector of The Priory Church of St Peter, Dunstable.

To elect a person to preside if the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are absent.

The Chairman formally welcomed those Councillors who had recently been re-elected and extended a warm welcome to Councillors who had been elected for the first time.  He paid tribute to the 122 Councillors on the Shadow Central Bedfordshire Council and expressed commisserations to those former Councillors who had been unsuccessful in securing election to the new Council.

The Chairman went on to thank his Vice-Chairman, Councillor Duggan for the support he had given him during his two months of offfice.  He also paid tribute to the support he had received from Ingrid Male, his personal assistant, Barbara Morris, Assistant Director Legal & Democtratic Services and Kathrin John, Head of Democratic Services.

He concluded by stating that Central Bedfordshire Council was a leading driving force and he was sure that the new Chairman would continue to raise the  profile of the new Council.

To elect the Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10.  The retiring Chairman (or if absent the retiring Vice-Chairman or substitute Chairman) will call for nominations for Chairman and each nomination must be seconded.  Members may speak in support of the nominations.

(Note: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 20.7, if more than one nomination is received, a show of hands will be conducted).

The appointed Chairman to sign and read out the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

The Chairman invited nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10.  Only one nomination was duly proposed and seconded for this position in the name of Cllr B J Spurr.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr B J Spurr be appointed to the office of Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10.

Cllr B J Spurr then signed and read out the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Thereafter the Chairman thanked Members for their support and expressed appreciation on behalf of the Council to the outgoing Chairman for the way in which he had conducted that office and in bringing Central Bedfordshire Council into being.  He also paid tribute to the outgoing Vice-Chairman, Councillor Duggan for the support he had given to the former Chairman.

To elect the Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10.  The Chairman will call for nominations for Vice-Chairman and each nomination must be seconded.  Members may speak in support of the nominations.

(Note: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 20.7, if more than one nomination is received, a show of hands will be conducted).

The appointed Vice-Chairman to sign and read out the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

The Chairman invited nominations for the office of Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10.  Only one nomination was received in the name of Cllr P Hollick.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr P Hollick be appointed to the office of Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2009/10. 

Cllr P Hollick then signed and read out the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and thanked Members for their support.

In accordance with B5 Council Procedure Rule No. 2.3 and C1 Executive Arrangements paragraph 3.1, the Chairman to invite nominations for the election of the Leader of the Council for the period until the next election of all members of the Council in 2011.

The Chairman invited nominations for the Election of Leader of the Council for the Municipal Years 2009/10 and 2010/11.  The only nomination received for this position was in the name of Cllr Mrs P E Turner MBE.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr Mrs P E Turner MBE be elected Leader of the Council for the Municipal Years 2009/10 and 2010/11.

To receive and sign the Minutes of the meetings of the Councils of the predecessor  authorities as follows:

(i)                 Central Bedfordshire Shadow Council – 26 February 2009

(ii)               Bedfordshire County Council –  26 March 2009

(iii)             Mid Bedfordshire District Council – 26 March 2009

(iv)              South Bedfordshire District Council – 31 March 2009

RESOLVED:

That the Minutes of the meetings of the Councils of the predecessor Authorities be received and signed by the Chairman as follows:-

(i)        Central Bedfordshire Shadow Council – 26 February 2009

(ii)       Bedfordshire County Council – 26 March 2009

(iii)      Mid Bedfordshire District Council – 26 March 2009

(iv)      South Bedfordshire District Council – 31 March 2009.

Declarations were received from Members as follows:-

If any

(i)         The Chairman reported that he was going to vary the order of business on the Agenda.  He proposed to take Item No. 14 (Composition of the Executive and Proposed Scheme of Delegation of Executive Functions) prior to Item No. 13 (Local Development Framework) as shown on the Agenda.

(ii)        The Chairman thanked Members for electing him to the position of Chairman of the Council.  He stated that he would do his best to promote the Council whilst carrying out his civic duties during his period of office. 

(iii)       The Chairman announced to the Council that his nominated charities for the Municipal Year 2009/10 were:-

·        Air Ambulance

·        RNIB

·        Help for Heroes.

The Chairman to preside over any questions, statements, deputations or petitions from members of the public (this session is to be held at the Chairman’s discretion and will normally last no more than 15 minutes).

The Chairman to inform Members of any request to speak before any individual item on this Agenda in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure set out in A4 Citizens and the Council, Appendix A.

No applications had been received under Section B5 of the full Council Procedure Rules to speak during the 15 minute question, statement and petition period, nor before any individual items included in the Agenda for this meeting in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure set out in A4 Citizens and the Council, Appendix A.

The report outlines the outcome of the election to the new Central Bedfordshire Council.

(Report attached – pages 10/1 to 10/12)

The Council received and considered a report of the Returning Officer to Central Bedfordshire Council Election, June 2009 detailing the outcome of the Election to the new Central Bedfordshire Council.

In considering this item, the Leader of the Council paid tribute to all officers involved in the recent election.  The elections, which extended over two days of intensive work, had featured in the national news with the Council being one of the few that continued with the count straight after the close of the election and into the early hours of the next morning.

The Council noted that the election results listing should show an “E” (elected) against both Cllr Gary Summerfield (Ampthill Ward) and Cllr Ms Caroline Maudlin (Northill and Blunham ward).

RESOLVED:

That the Central Bedfordshire Council Election Results be noted.

The report outlines the requirements for member appointments to committees and other Council bodies, including political proportionality.  Nominations from group leaders will be circulated separately.

(Report attached – pages 11/1 to 11/17)

The Council received and considered a report of the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services outlining the requirements for Member appointments to Committees and other Council bodies, including political proportionality.

As a supplement to the report, an update paper had been circulated to all Members of the Council in respect of a proposed change to the size of the Children, Families and Learning Overview and Scrutiny Committee and adjustments to the political balance on certain Overview and Scrutiny Committees.  The supplementary paper therefore proposed a variation to Recommendation 1 detailed in the covering report to reflect these changes.  The supplementary paper also contained nominations from the Group Leaders. 

The revised Recommendation 1 having been moved was duly seconded.

The Council then received the nominations from Group Leaders for the appointment of individual Members and substitutes to Committees and other bodies, as set out in the supplementary paper.

In considering this item, the Leader of the Council made a number of amendments and reported on nominations in respect of the vacancies detailed in the papers as follows:-

The Chairman then advised that as there were certain bodies in respect of which there may be more nominations than there were seats available, namely Dunstable Town Centre Management Committee, Leighton-Linslade Town Centre Management Committee and Luton and South Bedfordshire Joint (Section 29) Committees, he would take the appointments to those Committees separately. 

The Appointments to Committees as set out in Appendix B of the supplementary paper, subject to the amendments detailed above, were moved and seconded en bloc.

The Council then considered the bodies in respect of which there were more nominations than seats available.

In relation to the Dunstable Town Centre Management Joint Committee, the Leader of the Council proposed the following appointments:-

Cllr T Green

Cllr Mrs C Hegley

Cllr J Kane

Cllr Miss A J Sparrow

Cllr  N Young

The appointments having been moved were duly seconded.

In respect of Leighton-Linslade Town Centre Management Committee, the Leader of the Council proposed the following appointments which were moved and duly seconded:-

Cllr R Berry

Cllr D Bowater

Cllr A J Shadbolt

Cllr K Sharer

Cllr R Johnstone

As an amendment to the Motion, it was moved and duly seconded:-

“Cllr P J Snelling be nominated to serve on the Leighton-Linslade Town Centre Management Committee.”

Upon being put to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

In accordance with Full Council Procedure Rule 2.2.2.11, to confirm the Scheme of Delegation to officers as set out in Part H3 of the Constitution.

The Council received and considered the report of the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services advising of recent minor amendments agreed by the Constitution Advisory Group to the Scheme of Delegation to Officers and other miscellaneous changes to the Constitution.

RESOLVED:

That the minor amendments to the Scheme of Delegation to Officers and miscellaneous changes to the Constitution, as set out in Appendices A and B of the submitted report, be noted and confirmed.

To receive a report from the Leader of the Council regarding the composition of the Executive for the coming year, the names of the Councillors appointed to the Executive and the responsibilities to be held by those Councillors together with a record of the proposed Scheme of Delegation of Executive Functions. (Executive Procedure Rule C4 1.2 refers)

The Council received a report from the Leader of the Council regarding the composition of the Executive for the coming year, the names of the Councillors appointed to the Executive together with the proposed Scheme of Delegation of Executive Functions (Executive Procedure Rule No. 1.2) (Part C4 of the Constitution refers).  The Leader welcomed Cllr Richard Stay as her Deputy Leader.

The Council noted a Schedule setting out the composition of the Executive for 2009/10, the names and wards of the Councillors appointed  to the Executive and the Portfolios to be held by those Councillors.

The Council also noted that authority had only been delegated to one individual Executive Member at this time, namely, the Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, in relation to Traffic Regulations Orders, as set out in Appendix 2 to the submitted report.

The Council further noted a number of additional functions under the Scheme of Functions Delegated to Officers contained in Part H3 of the Constitution, during the period April – June 2009, as set out in the supplementary information relating to Agenda Item No. 12.  These amendments had been authorised by the Monitoring Officer, after consultation with the Constitution Advisory Group and Leader (in respect of Executive Functions) in accordance with Minute No. SC/08/21 (9).  It was noted that no functions had been delegated beyond those set out in the Constitution or those additional functions circulated in the supplementary information.

RESOLVED:

That the report of the Leader of the Council in relation to the composition of the Executive and the proposed Scheme of Delegation of Executive Functions be noted.

To report proposes that Council delegates authority to the Director of Sustainable Communities in consultation with the Sustainable Development Portfolio Holder to make minor changes to the Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document.

(Report attached – pages 13/1 to 13/3)

The Council received a report from the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development proposing that delegated authority be given to the Director of Sustainable Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development to make minor changes to the Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document.

RESOLVED:

That the Director of Sustainable Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development be authorised to make minor amendments to the Core Strategy and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document during examination.

The report outlines the requirements for member appointments to these two bodies, as previously agreed.  Nominations from group leaders will be circulated separately.

(Report of the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic attached – pages 15/1 to 15/5)

The Council received a report from the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services, outlining the requirements for Member appointments to the Joint Selection Committee (for Bedfordshire Police Authority) and the Bedfordshire and Luton Combined Fire Authority for 2009/10 together with a separate report circulated to all Members of the Council in relation to the nomination of the Group Leaders in respect of seats upon these Joint Committees.

RESOLVED:

To authorise the Assistant Director Legal & Democratic, in consultation with the Group Leaders, to make appointments to the outside bodies listed in the schedule attached to this agenda for the period until the Council election in 2011.

(Report of the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic attached – pages 16/1 to 16/22)

The Council received a report from the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services outlining the expectation for fresh appointments to be made to up to 88 outside bodies.  As the next ordinary meeting of Full Council was not until 24 September 2009, the report suggested delegating the functions of approving a final schedule of bodies and making the actual appointments to the Assistant Director, Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with Group Leaders.  A supplementary paper had also been circulated to all Councillors proposing an amendment to recommendation 3 following a meeting of Group Leaders

RESOLVED:

To consider the payment of a Special Responsibility Allowance to the 4 former non-portfolio Members of the Executive and an enhanced Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Leader of the Council, who served as Vice-Chairman of the Executive without Portfolio, for the second transitional period, that being the period from 1 April 2009 until the fourth day after the ordinary election on 4 June 2009.

(Report of the Director of Corporate Resources attached – pages 17/1 to 17/3)

The Council received a report from the Director of Corporate Services to consider the payment of a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to the four former non-Portfolio Members of the Executive and an enhanced SRA for the Deputy Leader of the Council, who had served as Vice-Chairman of the Executive without Portfolio, for the second transitional period, that being the period from 1 April 2009 until the fourth day after the ordinary election on 4 June 2009.  A supplementary paper had also been circulated to all Members of the Council in respect of the conclusions of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

During consideration of this matter, Members’ attention was drawn to the need to address a mistake applicable in the second phase of the transitional period.  The Council noted that when the Independent Remuneration Panel considered their recommendations for the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for year commencing 1 April 2009, it was not known that the Government would go on to stipulate the same Executive Membership throughout the second phase of the transitional process.

The Leader of the Council explained that during the period April to June 2009 the Executive continued to discharge an enhanced range of functions because the intended range of Overview & Scrutiny Committees had not been fully developed.  All Executive Members had worked together during this intense period of activity and for these reasons the payment of SRAs to the four former non-Portfolio Members of the Executive and an enhanced SRA for the Deputy Leader of the Council, who served as Vice-Chairman of the Executive without Portfolio, was supported.

RESOLVED: