Prayers were taken by Councillor Duckett and Father Frank, the Chairman’s Chaplain.

To elect the Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15. The retiring Chairman will call for nominations for Chairman and each nomination must be seconded. Members may speak in support of nominations.

(Note: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 21.7, 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.

Due to her expected nomination for the position for 2014/15, the Chairman relinquished the Chair and the Vice-Chairman presided for  this item.

The Vice-Chairman invited nominations for the office of Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15.  Councillor Caroline Maudlin was duly proposed and seconded.  There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

that Councillor Maudlin be elected to the office of Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15.

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

Councillor Maudlin thanked Members for re-electing her for a second term in office.  She summarised her experience in office during 2013/14.  She placed on record her thanks to the Vice-Chairman, the Chairman’s Personal Assistant and her Chaplain for their support during 2013/14.

The Chairman’s chosen charity for 2013/14 had been Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cllr Maudlin announced that she had raised over £25,000 for this charity with the support of her friends and family, Councillors and employees.

To elect the Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15. 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. 21.7, 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 2014/15.  Councillor David Bowater was duly proposed and seconded.  There were no other nominations.

RESOLVED

that Councillor Bowater be elected to the office of Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2014/15.

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

To approve the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 February 2014.

(Attached pages 5 to 12)

RESOLVED

that the minutes of the meeting held on 20 February 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To receive from Members any declarations of interest.

None were declared.

The Chairman made no announcements or communications.

The Leader of the Council to announce any matters of communication.

The Leader made no announcements or communications.

To consider recommendations from the meetings of the Executive,

18 March 2014 and 22 April 2014,and answer questions asked under Rule No. 12.1.

(a)     Community Safety Partnership Plan 2014- 2015

          (Attached at pages 13-14)

(b)     The Future Management of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Residential Care Homes for Older People (Recommendation to follow).

(a)     Community Safety Partnership Plan 2014-2015

The Council considered a recommendation from the meeting of the Executive held on 18 March 2014 seeking approval of the Community Safety Partnership Plan 2014-2015.

RESOLVED

that the Community Safety Partnership Plan 2014-2015, as set out in the Executive Agenda, be adopted.

(b)     The Future Management of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Residential Care Homes for Older People

The Council considered a recommendation from the meeting of the Executive held on 22 April 2014 that proposed the transfer of the management of the seven residential care homes for older people, owned by the Council, to the Council, given the notice received from Bupa to bring to an end the existing contract.

RESOLVED

1.         to approve the transfer of the staff in the homes affected to the employment of Central Bedfordshire Council on 1 August 2014 in accordance with TUPE regulations;

2.         to approve the virement from the budget allocated to the Bupa Residential Homes Contract for the period August 2014 to March 2015 of £3,789,000 to a new budget heading of ‘Directly Managed Residential Homes for Older People’ under the Assistant Director, Adult Social Care; the subjective amounts in the budget were set out in paragraph 45 of the Executive report; and

3.         that it increases the budget estimate for income from Fees for Residential Care Homes by £302,000 for the period August 2014 to March 2015.

The report outlines the requirements for appointments to committees and other Council bodies, including political proportionality.

(Attached at pages 15 – 38)

The Council considered a report from the Leader of the Council outlining the requirements for Member appointments to committees and other Council bodies, including taking account of political proportionality.  It was noted that the overall balance for the Independent Liberal Democrat was 1.18 and not 11.18 as set out in the report.

Council was advised that the Fostering Panel and Fostering Permanence Panel had merged into one panel, the Fostering and Permanence Panel.  The nomination for the single position on that Panel was Councillor Amanda Dodwell.

RESOLVED

1.      that the Council confirms for the municipal year 2014/15:

(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 listed in Appendix A to the 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 the nominations submitted by the political groups, subject to Councillor Dodwell taking up the position on the Fostering and Permanence Panel, as set out in Appendix B to the report and attached as Appendix A to these minutes;

3.      that the appointment of the Members to the Central Bedfordshire Health and Wellbeing Board, including at least one member of the Council nominated by the Leader, be approved, as set out in Appendix C to the report and attached at Appendix B to these minutes;

4.      that the appointment of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the various committees for the municipal year 2014/15 be approved in accordance with nominations as set out in Appendix D to the report and set out at Appendix C to these minutes;

5.      to note that the following persons had been 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

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

(c)       Mr Stephen Court, School Parent Governor representative

(d)      Mr Jonathan Chapman, School Parent Governor representative

(e)       Mr Timothy Hodey, School Parent Governor representative.

The Leader of the Council to report any changes to the composition and responsibilities of the Executive for the forthcoming year.

(Attached at pages 39 to 46)

The Council received a report from the Leader of the Council setting out the composition of the Executive for 2014/15, including the names of the Councillors appointed to the Executive.  The report also confirmed that no amendments were proposed to the Scheme of Delegation of Executive functions beyond those previously approved by the Leader of the Council.

The Leader advised the Council that Councillor Amanda Dodwell would take up the role as Deputy Executive Member for Community Safety as well as continuing her existing role as Deputy Executive Member for Children’s Services.

RESOLVED

(a)     that the composition of the Executive and allocation of portfolios, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be noted;

(b)     that the scheme of delegation of Executive functions, as set out at Part C3 of the Constitution, be noted; and

(c)     that Councillor Mark Versallion would continue to be the Lead Member for Children’s Services.

This report outlines the position on appointments for these two bodies.

(Attached at pages 47 to 50)

The Council considered a report from the Monitoring Officer on appointments to the Police and Crime Panel and the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The Leader advised the Council that Councillor Amanda Dodwell would replace Councillor Brian Spurr on the Police and Crime Panel.  An expression of thanks was made to Councillor Spurr for his work on the Panel since its inception.

RESOLVED

1.      to note that appointments were made for the first time to the Police and Crime Panel at the annual meeting of Council on 14 June 2012;

2.      that the membership of the Police and Crime Panel  for 2014/15 be noted as follows:-

·         Councillor Mrs Chapman, MBE

·         Councillor Dodwell

·         Councillor Ms Graham

·         Councillor Hollick

3.      that the appointments to the Police and Crime Panel would be made next at the Council’s Annual Meeting in 2015, and every four years thereafter;

4.      that it be noted that at the Council’s meeting on 19 May 2011 five Members had been appointed to serve on the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service for a period of four years until May 2015 as set out below:

·      Councillor Mrs Drinkwater

·      Councillor McVicar

·      Councillor J Saunders

·      Councillor Shadbolt

·      Councillor Williams.

To receive an annual report from the Leader of the Council outlining policy priorities for the coming year.

The Leader presented his annual report celebrating successes over recent years and outlining plans for the future.