Reverend Mark-Aaron Tisdale, Rector of Clifton led the Council in prayer.

The Chairman to make any announcements or communications.

The Chairman took the opportunity to mention the sad loss of Mayor Frank Branston, the Mayor of Bedford Borough Council who died on 14 August 2009 and that he would be sadly missed.  Bedford Borough Council would be holding mayoral elections on 15 October 2009 to fill the vacancy.

The Chairman announced that he had attended many events, but in particular he highlighted the Girlguiding Centenary Year.  He had attended an event along with 2,600 girlguides from all over Bedfordshire, which had been a very enjoyable day.  He congratulated Councillor Fahn for dressing up as Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Association, and debating why the Girlguiding UK was needed.

The Chairman was pleased to advise Members that Central Bedfordshire Council had been nominated in the Association for Public Service Excellence Awards 2009 for the Best Elected Member Development Initiative.  The Head of Organisational Capability was attending the award ceremony on 10 September in Cardiff.

Central Bedfordshire Council had also been shortlisted for the best Traffic Flow Improvement Scheme of the Year for the Leighton Buzzard Traffic Calming scheme.  The award ceremony was due to be held in London on 22 October 2009.

The Chairman commented on the Leighton Buzzard Station Travel Plan that was due to be considered by the Executive on 15 September.  He congratulated Officers as he believed it was a very good document.  The Plan sought to reduce the transport impacts of Leighton Buzzard station by encouraging station users to travel to the station by non-car modes of transport.  It also offered a good opportunity for tackling a number of railway station related issues affecting residents in Leighton Buzzard.

At the discretion of the Chairman, 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.

The Chairman announced that there were no applications from members of the public to speak under the Public Participation Procedure.

To receive recommendations from the General Purposes Committee, at its meeting held on 27 August 2009, with regard to the draft submission to be made in response to the consultation by the Boundary Committee for England on the Council size for Central Bedfordshire.

Recommendations enclosed at pages 1 to 2.

The Council considered recommendations from the General Purposes Committee meeting held on 27 August 2009, with regard to the proposed submission to be made in response to the consultation by the Boundary Committee for England on the Council Size for Central Bedfordshire. 

The recommendations were introduced by the Chairman of the Electoral Arrangements Review Working Group.  He explained that after informal consultation with officers of the Boundary Committee for England, it had been suggested that the submission would benefit from certain amendments which would better reflect the work carried out by the Council, in reaching its conclusions.  The suggested amendments were circulated at the meeting as follows:

• paragraph 4.7 to be replaced in its entirety with the following text:

“The National Census of Local Authority Councillors 2008 indicates that across all authorities, members hold on average 3.7 committee or sub-committee seats.  Using this average of each member sitting on 3.7 committees would result in 37 councillors being required to fill the remaining non-executive seats.”

• paragraphs 12.6 and 12.7 be replaced with the paragraphs shown below and that the remaining paragraphs from 12.6 to 12.8 be renumbered 12.8 to 12.10:

“12.6      Consideration was given to a range of Council sizes from 62 to 70.  The effect of a number below 66 councillors would be to increase the number of committee memberships to a figure greater than the national average.  This was considered unacceptable as it had already been established that councillors at Central Bedfordshire were required to devote to council and community activities a far greater proportion of their time than the national average figure.

12.7       Whilst a figure below 66 councillors would result in higher than average figures for both committee memberships and time spent on council and community activities, it was not considered to be either appropriate or necessary to seek a greater number of councillors than the number of 66 fixed by the Secretary of State in The Bedfordshire (Structural Changes) Order 2008.”

It was proposed, seconded and

RESOLVED

1.            that the recommendation that there should be 66 elected Councillors for Central Bedfordshire be endorsed; and

2.            that the submission to the Boundary Committee for England on Council Size for Central Bedfordshire be approved, subject to the above amendments.