Prayers were taken by Reverend Richard Andrews.

As the Chairman of the Council was present this item was withdrawn.

To elect the Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2011/12.  The retiring 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 vote by 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 2011/12.  Councillor P Hollick was duly proposed and seconded.  There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

that Councillor P Hollick be appointed to the office of Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2011/12.

Councillor P Hollick then read out and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Thereafter the newly-elected Chairman thanked Members for their support for electing him as Chairman for a second term of office.

To elect the Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2011/12.  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 vote by 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 2011/12.  Councillor Mrs R Gammons was duly proposed and seconded and there were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

that Councillor Mrs R Gammons be appointed to the office of Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2011/12.

Councillor Mrs R Gammons then read out and signed 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 2015.

The Chairman invited nominations for the office of Leader of the Council for the period up to May 2015.  Councillor J Jamieson was duly proposed and seconded and there were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

that Councillor J Jamieson be appointed to the office of Leader of the Council for the period until May 2015.

The Leader of the Council explained that he would set out policy priorities at the next Council meeting on 21 July 2011.

Councillor D Jones advised the Council that he had been elected Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group.

Councillor J Murray advised the Council that he had been elected Group Leader of the Independent Group.

To approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 14 April 2011.

(Attached at pages 5 to 18)

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 April 2011 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to Councillor P Williams being recorded as present and not listed under apologies for absence.

To receive from Members any declarations and their nature in relation to:-

(a)    personal interests in any agenda item

(b)    personal and prejudicial interests in any agenda item.

The Chairman to make any announcements or communications.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Mrs F Chapman MBE, the outgoing Vice-Chairman, for supporting him during 2010/11 and congratulated Councillor  Mrs R Gammons on her position as the new Vice-Chairman.  He also congratulated Councillor J Jamieson on his position as Leader of the Council.

The Chairman reported on the recent deaths of:

·        June Harrowell, who had served as a Councillor on the former Mid Bedfordshire District Council until 2003;

·        Noel Martin, who had served as a Councillor on the former South Bedfordshire District Council until 2003; and

·        Brian Gibbons, who had served as a Councillor and Chairman of the former Bedfordshire County Council.

The Council stood in silent tribute to the memory of June Harrowell, Noel Martin and Brian Gibbons.

The Chairman commented on the previous year’s events, including events that had taken place with neighbouring authorities.  He reported that he had raised nearly £7,000 for his nominated charities. 

The Chairman thanked and presented flowers to the Personal Assistant to the Chairman, the outgoing Vice-Chairman, and his consort Councillor Miss A Sparrow.  He announced that Councillor Miss A Sparrow would continue in her role as his consort for his second term of office.

The Leader of the Council to make any announcements or communications.

There were none.

To receive any questions, statements or deputations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 1 of part A4 of the Constitution.  (This session will be held at the Chairman’s discretion and will normally last no longer than 15 minutes.)

There were none.

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

(Attached at pages 19 to 32)

The Council considered a report of the Monitoring Officer outlining the requirements for Member appointments to Committees and other Council bodies, including taking account of political proportionality.

As a supplement to the report, Members had received the nominations for membership of Committees and for Chairmanships and Vice-Chairmanships of Committees for 2011/12 from the Group Leaders. These were proposed en bloc and were duly seconded.

RESOLVED

1.      that the Council confirms for the municipal year 2011/12:

(a)    the structure, size and terms of reference of the committees, sub-committees and joint committees set out in sections D1, E2 and J2 of the Council’s constitution; and

(b)    the allocation of seats and substitutes to these and other bodies, as set out in the revised Appendix A to the submitted report, in accordance with the political balance rules where they apply.

2.      that the appointment of individual Members and substitutes to committees and other bodies be approved in accordance with nominations submitted by the political groups, as set out in Appendix B to the report;

3.      that the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of committees for the municipal year 2011/12 be approved in accordance with nominations submitted by the political group, as set out in Appendix C to the report;

4.      that the following persons be appointed to the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee as co-opted members with voting rights on education matters for the period June 2011 to the AGM in May 2015:

(a)    Mrs Frances Image, Roman Catholic Diocesan representative; and

(b)    Mr Jon Reynolds, Church of England Diocesan representative.

5.      to note that at the meeting of Council on 14 April 2011 Council agreed that the existing co-optees on the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee would remain in place until June 2011 and that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to appoint from June 2011 until the AGM in 2015, the three additional parent governor representatives who have been duly nominated and elected by parent governors, following completion of the statutory election process.   

[Note:  A comprehensive list of appointments is attached at Appendix A to these Minutes.]

To agree the scheme of delegation as set out at parts E2 and H3 of the Constitution.

(Attached at pages 33 to 34)

Council received a report from the Monitoring Officer which requested Members to note that the Constitution had been amended during the course of 2010/11 and had been updated and published on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED

that the Council notes that the Constitution is up to date and published on the Council’s website.

The Leader of the Council to report regarding the composition and responsibilities of the Executive for the coming year (to be circulated separately).

The Council received a report from the Leader of the Council setting out the composition of the Executive for the coming year, including the names of the Councillors appointed to the Executive.  The Leader of the Council advised Members that the remit of the Executive Member for Sustainable Communities – Services and the Executive Member for Sustainable Communities – Strategic Planning and Economic Development had been amended.  A revised schedule of remits of the Executive Members is attached at Appendix B.

The Leader responded to questions from Members concerning the construction of the Executive.

RESOLVED

that the Council:

1.      notes the composition of the Executive and allocation of portfolios, as amended, as set out at Appendix A to the report;

2.      notes that Councillor Mark Versallion will be the lead member for Children’s Services; and

3.      agrees to the amendment of the Constitution at Parts C3 and H3 to reflect the portfolio areas and titles set out in Appendix A to the report.

[The titles for Councillors Mrs P Turner and R Stay were not available at the meeting but have been included in the Appendix for the sake of completeness.]

To consider the attached report.

(Attached at pages 35 to 40)

The Council considered a report from the Monitoring Officer outlining the requirements for Member appointments to the Joint Selection Committee (for Bedfordshire Police Authority) and the Bedfordshire and Luton Combined Fire Authority 2011.  Nominations from Central Bedfordshire Council were requested for the following seats:

• Joint Selection Committee:             5 seats for the Conservative Group
• Bedfordshire Police Authority:         4 seats for the Conservative Group
• Bedfordshire & Luton

Combined Fire Authority:                 4 seats for the Conservative Group            and 1 seat for the Liberal Democrat                                           Group

RESOLVED

1.      that the Council:

(a)    appoints Councillors Mrs F Chapman MBE, Mrs D Gurney, P Hollick, R Johnstone and I MacKilligan to serve on the Joint Selection Committee which was responsible for appointing the membership of the Bedfordshire Police Authority; and

(b)    nominates Councillors Mrs F Chapman MBE, Mrs D Gurney, P Hollick and I MacKilligan as those Central Bedfordshire Council Members that the Joint Selection Committee may wish to consider for appointment to the Bedfordshire Police Authority for the period until the proposed Police and Crime Commissioner takes office.

2.      that the Council appoints Councillors Mrs R Drinkwater, D McVicar, J Saunders, A Shadbolt and P Williams to serve on Bedfordshire and Luton Combined Fire Authority, reflecting the political balance within Central Bedfordshire Council.

In accordance with the Part B5 2.2.2.13 to make appointments to outside bodies.

(Attached at pages 41 to 66)

The Council received a report from the Monitoring Officer outlining the appointments to be made to up to 85 outside bodies and setting out the schedule for those appointments.  As the next ordinary meeting of full Council for making the appointments was not until 12 July, 2011 it was recommended that approval of a final schedule of bodies and the actual appointments should be delegated to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with Group Leaders.

RESOLVED

1.                  that the schedule of outside bodies to which Council appointments may be made, as attached to the report at Appendix A, be noted pending further consultation with Group Leaders;

2.                  that the Monitoring Officer be authorised, in consultation with Group Leaders, to approve the final schedule of outside bodies, to make the necessary appointments and to inform the Members and organisations concerned; and

3.                  that existing appointments be extended until 31 August 2011 or until fresh appointments are made, whichever is the earlier, where the representatives appointed in June 2009 continue to be Central Bedfordshire Council Members.

To consider the report of the Monitoring Officer (to be circulated separately).

The Council considered a report from the Monitoring Officer which proposed an amendment to the Members’ Allowances Scheme to take account of changes to the portfolio structure of the Executive.

The Leader of the Council clarified the roles of the two Executive Members without portfolios. 

A question was asked about the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Leaders of the minority groups.  The Chairman agreed that a written response would be provided to the relevant Member.

RESOLVED

1.      that the Council agrees to amend the Members’ Allowances Scheme by adding an additional Special Responsibility Allowance payable to Executive Members without a portfolio of £10,721.20 per year; and

2.      that an early meeting of the Independent Remuneration Panel be convened to consult the Panel about the proposed amendment to the Scheme and to undertake a review of the current Scheme.