Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed Councillors, officers and members of the public and press to the South Northamptonshire Council Annual Meeting and explained that, due to the current coronavirus restrictions, the meeting was being held as a remote meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 22 July 2020.

The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 22 July 2020 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Annual Council

The Chairman explained that by convention there was no public participation, questions, petitions and motions at Annual Council and these, if any, would be considered at the next meeting.

All Member Seminar

The Chairman reminded Members that an All Member Seminar on Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Residents in South Northants would be taking place via Zoom at 5pm on Wednesday 7 October. All Members were encouraged to attend what will be an informative and useful seminar.

Housekeeping

The Chairman reminded Members of the remote meeting etiquette and protocol.

To receive communications from the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive

Announcements by the Leader, Councillor Ian McCord

1.    The Leader thanked all officers for the ongoing extra work they were undertaking to support residents and businesses in the district during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

2.    The Leader thanked the outgoing Chairman, Councillor Rosie Herring, for her help, support and service during her term of office and extended his best wishes to the incoming Chairman, Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb.

3.    The Leader thanked his and the Chairman’s PA, Kate Adams, for her ongoing support to him and the Chairman.

4.    The Leader congratulated Martin Henry, Executive Director of Finance, on his appointment as Director of Finance and Statutory Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) for the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority and West Northamptonshire Council. The Leader also extended congratulations to the Executive Director Resources, Andrew Hunkin, who had been appointed Interim Monitoring Officer for the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority.

5.    The Leader reported that Moat Lane had been shortlisted in the Mixed-Use category at the Planning Awards, which were held annually to recognise excellence in planning, regeneration, economic development, urban design, sustainable development and community development. Whilst the Moat Lane regeneration had not won, it was a great achievement to be recognised and the Leader commended all officers involved in the project.

Announcements by the Chief Executive

1.    The Chief Executive echoed the congratulations of the Leader to the Executive Director of Finance on his appointment as Director of Finance and Statutory Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) for the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority and West Northamptonshire Council and the Executive Director Resources on his appointment as Interim Monitoring Officer for the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority.

2.    The Chief Executive assured Members that he would ensure that there was adequate senior level officer resource for South Northamptonshire Council and would keep this under review.

The Chairman to invite questions to the Leader of the Council and the Chief Executive relevant to their announcements

There were no questions to the Leader or Chief Executive on their announcements.

(The outgoing Chairman, Councillor Rosie Herring, presided for the consideration of this matter and those preceding).

It was moved by Councillor Peter Rawlinson and seconded by Councillor John Townsend, that Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb be elected as Chairman for the Municipal Year 2020/2021. There were no other nominations.

Resolved

That Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb be appointed Chairman of South Northamptonshire Council for the Municipal Year 2020/2021.

Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb, having made and signed the required Declaration of Acceptance of Office, was invested with the Chairman's Badge and Chain and occupied the Chair.

Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb thanked Members for his appointment and addressed the Council. Councillor Bagot-Webb advised Council that he would be retaining the outgoing Chairman’s charity, Brackley Community Hospital, as his charity for his term of office. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many fundraising events that would usually have taken place had to be cancelled. The Chairman explained that he hoped to hold civic events to continue raising funds for the Hospital.

The Chairman advised Council that he was privileged to be the 47^th Chairman of South Northamptonshire Council and that, due to Local Government Reform, he would be the last Chairman of the Council. During his term of office, he would do his best as Chairman.

Councillor Bagot-Webb reported that his wife, Kareen, would be his consort for the year and presented her with a small token of his appreciation.

On behalf of Council, the Chairman thanked Councillor Herring for the service she had rendered to the District and the able, fair and courteous way in which she had presided over the deliberations of the Council during her year and a half of office, particularly in light of the current coronavirus pandemic and holding of remote meetings.

Councillor Herring was presented with her past Chairman’s badge and a gift as a memento for her term of office. 

Councillor Rosie Herring addressed Council to report on her term of office reporting on the many events she had hosted and attended during her term of office. Councillor Herring explained that she had particularly enjoyed visiting different council services where she had learnt a lot and been very impressed by the dedication of the council’s staff.

Referring to the address of the Chairman and his continued support for the charity she had chosen, Brackley Community Hospital, Councillor Herring explained she was pleased that the Chairman had agreed to combine efforts and they would deliver a joint cheque to Brackley Community Hospital.

Councillor Herring also thanked all officers who had supported her, in particular Kate Adams, the Chairman’s PA, and Natasha Clark, the Governance and Elections Manager, and gave them each a gift as a token of her appreciation.

Councillor Herring thanked her husband, Tony, for being her consort during her term of office and gave him a gift as a token of her appreciation for his support.

It was proposed by Councillor Rebecca Breese and seconded by Councillor Ian McCord that Councillor Rosie Herring be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Municipal Year 2020/2021. There were no other nominations.

Resolved

That Councillor Rosie Herring be appointed Vice-Chairman of South Northamptonshire Council for the Municipal Year 2020/2021.

Councillor Rosie Herring, having made and signed the required Declaration of Acceptance of Office, was invested with the Vice-Chairman’s chain.

It was proposed by Councillor Anthony Bagot-Webb and seconded by Councillor Rosie Herring that a vote of thanks be given to the Council’s officers for the contribution and effort in the operation of the Council’s business in 2019/2020.

Resolved

(1)           That a vote of thanks be given to the Council's officers for their contribution and effort in the operation of the Council's business in 2019/2020.

The Leader of the Council to report on the appointment of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Members for 2020/21

The Chairman invited Councillor McCord, Leader of the Council, to advise Council of his appointments of Deputy Leader and Cabinet Members for 2020/2021.

Councillor McCord reported that for the municipal year 2020/2021 he would re-appoint Councillor Phil Bignell as Deputy Leader of the Council and re-appoint all current Portfolio Holders.

In reporting his Cabinet for 2020/21, Councillor McCord, thanked his Deputy Leader and all Portfolio Holders for their hard work and contribution over the past 18 months, which had supported him with the additional work he had been undertaking as Leader of the West Northamptonshire Shadow Council.

For the municipal year 2020/2021, Cabinet would comprise:

Resolved

(1)           That the appointment of Deputy Leader and Cabinet members for the municipal year 2020/2021 be noted.

Report of Chief Executive

Purpose of report

To consider and agree the suggested constitution of Committees for the Municipal Year 2020/2021.  

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1          To agree the allocation of seats on committees that are subject to the political balance requirements (Table 1).

1.2          To agree the allocation of seats on committees not subject to political balance requirements (Table 2).

1.3          To agree the appointments to each of the Committees in accordance with the nominations made by political groups (Appendix 1).

The Chief Executive submitted a report to consider and agree the suggested constitution of Committees for the Municipal Year 2020/2021. 

Resolved

(1)           That the allocation of seats that are subject to the political balance requirements be agreed:

(2)           That the allocation of seats on committees not subject to political balance requirements be agreed:

* This is a departure from the proportionality rules and is therefore only permissible with no member voting against.

(3)           That appointments to each of the Committees in accordance with the nominations made by political groups be agreed:

Proportional Committees

Appeals Committee

Membership (5 seats)

Budget and Financial Strategy Committee

Membership (12 seats)

Licensing Committee

Membership (12 seats)

Planning Committee

Membership (14 seats)

Planning Policy and Regeneration Strategy Committee

Membership (12 seats)

Scrutiny Committee

Membership (15 seats)

Non Proportional Committees

Audit Committee

Membership (6 seats)

Report of Chief Executive

Purpose of report

To consider and agree the appointments of Members to Outside Bodies for the Municipal Year 2020/2021.  

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1         To approve appointments to the following Outside Bodies for the Municipal Year 2020/21:

The Chief Executive submitted a report to consider and agree the appointments of Members to Outside Bodies for the Municipal Year 2020/2021. 

Resolved

(1)           That the following Outside Bodies appointments for the Municipal Year 2020/21 be agreed:

Report of Chief Executive

Purpose of report

To enable Council to agree the relevant parts of the Responsibility for Functions, and the financial threshold to apply in determining which executive decisions are key decisions, as required by paragraphs 1.1.8 and 1.1.9 of the Council Procedure Rules

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1         To agree to the Responsibility for Functions set out in Part 10 of the Council’s constitution in so far as they relate to Council functions and powers Constitution Part 10

1.2          To agree that the financial thresholds for executive decisions to be designated as “key” are as follows:

·       £50,000 for revenue expenditure

·       £250,000 for capital expenditure

·       Where a decision is being taken to invest some of the Council’s reserves as part of the Treasury Management function the threshold is £5 million.

The Chief Executive submitted a report to enable Council to agree the relevant parts of the Responsibility for Functions, and the financial threshold to apply in determining which executive decisions are key decisions, as required by paragraphs 1.1.8 and 1.1.9 of the Council Procedure Rules.

Resolved

(1)           That the Responsibility for Functions set out in Part 10 of the Council’s constitution in so far as they relate to Council functions and powers be agreed.

(2)           That the financial thresholds for executive decisions to be designated as “key” be agreed as follows:

·       £50,000 for revenue expenditure

·       £250,000 for capital expenditure

·       Where a decision is being taken to invest some of the Council’s reserves as part of the Treasury Management function the threshold is £5 million.

There were no items of urgent business.