Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Baguley, Glancy, Hurrell, and Wright.

To include Mayor’s Outgoing speech.

 

At the start of the meeting, the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Bains, thanked the Reverend Ashby for his support as his Chaplain during his year of office.

 

Councillor Bains then:

 

·         prefaced his announcements by asking the Council to observe a moment of silence for Mr Peter Waller Marsh, a local Solicitor, who has recently died suddenly.  Councillor Bains paid tribute to the late Mr Marsh as being a mentor and support to him professionally;

·         expressed his amazement at how his year had gone in a blink of an eye and referred to the unique set of challenges that being the Mayor whilst working in a full time profession had presented.  However, he considered it had been both an honour and a privilege;

·         referred to some of the highlights of his year which had included being the Returning Officer and announcing the election results from the snap General Election in 2017 and the opportunity his role had afforded to meet the young people of the Borough.  Being the youngest ever Mayor and from an Asian background, he hoped that this had inspired some of the young citizens of tomorrow.  At all times when representing the Borough, he had tried to be inclusive;

·         thanked the following people who had supported him during the year:

 

~ his mother, the Mayoress who had shared many experiences with him. Councillor Bains also acknowledged the support his father had given;

 

~ Mrs Lena Shuttlewood, Democracy & Involvement Officer for her consistent support and ensuring the smooth running of his diary and arranging all the civic events;

 

~ his Deputy, Councillor Chandler for attending a number of events on his behalf

 

~  the Chief Executive, Mr de Coverly for his support and guidance;

 

~  his new wife, Navpreet, whom he had met whilst on Mayoral duties, which he considered one of the biggest blessings of his year.  Councillor Bains presented his wife with flowers;

 

~  the people of the Borough of Melton for their support, kind words, and hospitality.  He undertook to continue to serve their interests as an elected Member on returning to the ‘back benches’.

To elect the Mayor for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

Councillor Rhodes proposed that Councillor Chandler be elected Mayor of the Borough until the Annual Meeting in 2019.  In support of his nomination, Councillor Rhodes referred to Councillor Chandler originally coming from Grantham in Lincolnshire, moving to Muston when she married her late husband who was a farmer.  He went on to speak about her sporting interests and her service on the Bottesford Parish Council, having chaired the parish council from 1993 to 2003 when she had been elected to the Borough Council.  Councillor Chandler had been the chair of the Council’s Planning Committee and more recently chaired the Local Plan Working Group.  Councillor Rhodes paid tribute to Councillor Chandler’s thorough approach and attention to detail.  He considered there was no one better qualified to be the Mayor having regard to her dedication and sense of duty.

 

Councillor Posnett seconded the nomination and briefly spoke on how both she and Councillor Chandler had been elected to the Borough Council in the same year and had served on the same committees.  Councillor Chandler was proud to represent Bottesford but she was also equally proud to serve the whole Borough and she would carry out the role of Mayor with her usual tenacity and drive to do a good job, tempered with kindness.  As a past Mayor herself, Councillor Posnett advised Councillor Chandler to enjoy her year of office.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

RESOLVED: that Councillor Chandler be elected Mayor of the Borough of Melton for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

(a)   To invest the Mayor

     

 (New Mayor in the Chair)

 

(b)   The Mayor to give thanks for his/her election

 

Councillor Chandler read and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. 

 

Councillor Bains invested Councillor Chandler with the Chain of Office.  

 

(The new Mayor, Councillor Chandler, in the Chair.)

 

Councillor Chandler thanked her nominator and seconder and undertook to do her best to promote the Borough as an attractive place to visit, work, and live. She referred to a recent article that had been published in the Daily Telegraph that had painted a less than flattering picture of a visit to the town; she suggested that the Council’s self promotion in this regard had been poor and she wanted to improve that.

 

To receive a vote of thanks for the retiring Mayor and Mayoress

Councillor Orson proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Mayoress, commenting on the wonderful year of memories they would take away with them.  Councillor Orson thanked Mrs Bains for her support as the Mayoress and praised Councillor Bains for the energy and genuine warmth with which he had engaged with people, citing two events in particular  – the Melton & Belvoir Agricultural Society Annual Dinner and the recent Dinner event at Melton Learning Hub – where his enthusiasm and demeanour had made him a credit to this Council.  Councillor Orson congratulated Councillor Bains on his recent marriage and wished him and his wife all the best for the future.

 

In seconding the vote of thanks. Councillor Higgins also commended Councillor Bains’ approach and enthusiasm for people and the community.  He also acknowledged the support given by Councillor Bains’ parents.

 

RESOLVED: that a vote of thanks be recorded for the retiring Mayor and Mayoress.

To elect the Deputy Mayor for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

After congratulating Councillor Chandler on her election and thanking Councillor Bains for a most energetic year, Councillor Graham proposed that Councillor Greenow be elected Deputy Mayor for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.  In so doing,  Councillor Graham referred to Councillor Greenow’s contribution to the authority since being elected to the Council, and spoke on his qualities that would make him a good candidate for Deputy Mayor.

 

The nomination was seconded by Councillor Illingworth who commended Councillor Greenow’s suitability to be Deputy Mayor.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED: that Councillor Greenow be elected Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Melton for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

(a)   To invest the Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayoress/Consort

 

(b)   The Deputy Mayor to give thanks for his/her election.

 

(a)       Councillor Greenow read and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office. 

 

Councillor Chandler then invested Councillor Greenow with the Deputy Mayor’s Chain of Office and Mrs Emma Greenow with the Deputy Mayoress’ Chain of Office

 

(b) Councillor Greenow thanked his nominator and seconder for their words of support and the Council for his election.  He also publicly thanked his wife for supporting him as a Councillor and now as his Deputy Mayoress.

To elect the Leader of the Council for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

Councillor Freer-Jones proposed that Councillor Orson be appointed Leader of the Council for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.  In so doing, Councillor Freer-Jones referred to Councillor Orson’s service on the Council and his suitability to lead the Council in taking forward the significant and exciting changes the authority faced.  Councillor Orson had aligned the Council’s priorities to best serve the people of the Borough, supported by his emphasis on having an inclusive policy.

 

Councillor Faulkner spoke in support of Councillor Orson as Leader and seconded the motion.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously. 

 

RESOLVED: that Councillor Orson be appointed Leader of the Council for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

To receive the report of the Leader of the Council.

 

The Leader

 

(a)       began his report by commenting on how much had been achieved in the last year and how the Council had built upon installing a team ethos, using the words ‘us’ and ‘we’ as part of the new culture;

 

(b)       referred to the considerable progress made towards securing the Local Plan which set out the growth ambitions to 2036 and provided a blueprint for the future prosperity of the Borough.  The Leader extended his thanks to the Local Plan team, Councillor Chandler and the Local Plan Working Group for leading this agenda in what had sometimes been a challenging environment.  The Council had also supported and overseen the successful implementation of a number of Neighbourhood Plans within the Borough;

 

(c)        mentioned that the Council’s investments and efforts at the Cattle Market had paid off and had been celebrated both by the official opening and visit by HRH The Princess Royal and more recently through winning the East Midlands Regeneration Award at the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveys 2018 Awards when the judges had recognised that the completion of phase one of the project would safeguard the market’s key role in the local economy for the next 20 years.  The Leader congratulated the Corporate Services Manager, David Scott and the project team for this fantastic recognition.  The new development also provided a platform for strengthening Melton’s status as a rural centre for food tourism and a feasibility into further options for developing the site was currently underway;

 

(d)       referred to other considerable investments made by the Council into improving its housing stock by refurbishing Granby House and Beckmill Court;

 

(e)       spoke about the key drivers to support the Council’s growth ambitions; improving Melton’s infrastructure and connectivity was a key focus.  In conjunction with the County Council a significant funding bid to the Department of Transport for the new distributor road had been submitted.  The outcome of this was due soon. Work had also started on the feasibility of improving rail connectivity with Nottingham which would improve the access to another major market as well as open up improved possibilities to benefit from HS2 and the East Midlands Airport developments;

 

(g)       referred to a number of significant procurements which had been undertaken to maximise the value and quality of a number of major service areas. A new contract for the waste service would shortly be signed which would mitigate the loss of recycling credits and put the Council on a much more stable financial footing.  The Regulatory Services Business Manager, the project team and the working group were commended for delivering a very complicated piece of work;

 

(h)       advised that the Council was in the process of procuring a significant new housing repairs contract which should enable the Council to exploit new technology and improve the quality of service offered to tenants.  The leisure contact had been aligned to cover the Melton Sports Village with the Waterfield site and would run until 2022.  The Council could now look again at  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO9

To elect the Deputy Leader of the Council for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

Councillor Botterill proposed that Councillor Higgins be appointed as Deputy Leader of the Council. 

 

Councillor Orson seconded the proposal and spoke briefly about Councillor Higgins’ qualities, thanking him for his support which made them a good team for the benefit of the Council.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Higgins be appointed Deputy Leader of the Council for the period until the Annual Meeting in 2019.

The Chief Executive to report that having regard to the Council’s present political balance, and following confirmation from the two Single Councillors, there is no Leader of the Opposition to appoint.

 

The Chief Executive reported that as a result of the Council’s current political balance, and confirmation received from the two Single Councillors, there was no Leader of the Opposition to appoint.

The Mayor

 

(a)       advised Members that Honorary Alderman Colin Chapman had recently moved to Scalford Court Care Home.  Honorary Alderman Mrs Dames MBE had been to visit him and he was being well cared for;

 

(b)       announced her two chosen charities to be the beneficiaries of the Mayor’s Appeal for 2018/19 would be Rainbows Hospice and the Air Ambulance Service and briefly spoke on why she had chosen these charities.  A charity quiz evening would be held at Parkside on 8 June run by Mr Richard Angrave;

 

(c)        reported that the Civic Service was to be held on 7 October 2018 at Bottesford parish church.  The proceeds of the collection would be split equally between both Muston and Bottesford churches;

 

(d)       announced that the Civic Dinner would be held on Friday 8 March 2019 at Brooksby Hall;

 

(e)       referred to the special parade which was to take place through Melton Mowbray on Friday 27 July to mark the centenary of the RAVC.  The town had always been immensely proud to be associated with the RAVC and she was honoured to be invited to the Defence Animal Training Regiment for the celebratory lunch after the parade.

The Chief Executive to submit a report which requests that the Council consider and determine  the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub Committees for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019 in accordance with the political balance rules set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, S15-17 (as amended).  The report requests the Council to consider

 

(a)     the proposals of the political groups for  membership on each Committee and Sub Committee for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019;

 

(b)  the positions of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees and Sub Committees for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019;

 

(c)   membership of Forums, Partnerships and Working Groups for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019;

 

(d)  appointments to  Outside Organisations for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

 

Members had before them the Chief Executive’s report with the appendices  tabled at the meeting which asked the Council to note the allocation of seats on Committees and  Sub-Committees in accordance with the political balance rules set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, S15-17 (as amended) and receive nominations of Councillors to serve on each Committee and the Sub-Committees as well as appointments of Chairs and Vice Chairs, Forums, Partnerships, Working Groups, and Outside Organisations for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019.

 

Councillor Orson moved the recommendations as set out in the Order Paper circulated at the meeting en bloc.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Higgins who congratulated the chairs and vice-chairs, in particular Councillor Cumbers for her work as chair of the Governance Committee.  Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

RESOLVED: that

 

(1)       the political balance percentages and number of seats allocated to each political group as set out in the table below be noted :-

 

 

Group	No. of Councillors	Percentage	Allocation of Seats over 7 Committees
Conservative	26	92.86%	58.50 = 59
Single Cllr (Ind)	1	3.57%	2.25 = 2
Single Cllr (Lab)	1	3.57%	2.25 = 2
Totals	28	100%	63 seats

 

(2)       the allocation of Councillors to each Committee and Sub-Committee as set out below and the nominations as submitted by the Conservative Group Leader for the period to the Annual Meeting in 2019 be as follows :-

 

Appeals Committee: 5 Members

4 Conservative:

P. Cumbers

M.C.R. Graham MBE (Chair)

J. Hurrell

S. Lumley

 

1 Single Cllr:

E. Holmes

 

Corporate Committee: 10 Members

9 Conservative:

P. Cumbers

R de Burle

M. Glancy

L. Higgins (Vice Chair)

E. Hutchison

A. Pearson

J.T. Orson (Chair)

J.B. Rhodes

J. Wyatt

 

Single Cllr:

E. Holmes

 

Governance Committee: 10 Members

9 Conservative:

T. Bains

T. Beaken

P. Cumbers (Chair)

J. Douglas

P. Faulkner

M. Glancy

J. Illingworth

P. Posnett MBE

J. Simpson (Vice Chair)

 

Single Cllr:

M. Blase

 

People Committee: 10 Members

9 Conservative:

T. Beaken

R de Burle (Vice Chair)

P. Faulkner

M.C.R. Graham MBE

S. Lumley

A. Pearson (Chair)

P.M. Posnett MBE

M.R. Sheldon

D. Wright

 

Single Cllr:

M. Blase

 

Place Committee: 10 Members

9 Conservative:

T. Beaken

G.E. Botterill

R. de Burle

A. Freer-Jones (Vice Chair)

L. Higgins

E. Hutchison

M. Glancy

M.R. Sheldon (Chair)

J. Simpson

 

 

Single Cllr:

M. Blase

 

Planning Committee: 11 Members

10 Conservative:

P. Baguley

T. Bains

G.E. Botterill

P. Cumbers

P. Faulkner

M. Glancy

T. Greenow

J. Illingworth (Chair)

P.M. Posnett MBE (Vice Chair)

J.B. Rhodes

 

Single Cllr:

E. Holmes

 

Recruitment Committee: 7 Members

6 Conservative:

P. Cumbers

M. Glancy

L. Higgins (Vice Chair)

J. Illingworth

J.T. Orson

A. Pearson

 

Single Cllr:

E. Holmes

 

Licensing & Regulatory Committee: 10 Members

Political balance not required.  3 out of any of the 10 Members may take part in Licensing Sub-Committees and Licensing Panels.

Conservative:

P. Baguley (Vice Chair)

P. Cumbers

J. Douglas

P. Faulkner

A. Freer-Jones

T. Greenow

J. Hurrell

J. Simpson

J.  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO13

The Monitoring Officer to submit a report on a proposed calendar of meetings for 2018/19.

 

A calendar of meetings for the 2018/19 civic year had previously been circulated.

 

The calendar of meetings was proposed by Councillor Orson with the additional recommendation that the Chief Executive be given delegated authority in consultation with the relevant Committee Chair to change the date of a Committee where considered expedient to meet business needs.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)       to approve the Calendar of Meetings for 2018/19 as circulated;

 

(2)       to approve that delegated authority be granted to the Chief Executive in consultation with the relevant Committee Chair to change the date of a Committee meeting to meet the business needs of the Council.