Agenda and minutes

The Mayor welcomed all those in attendance to the meeting, particularly the new Members, Councillors Mark Anderson, Rob Bailey, Patricia Burnside, Andy Fowler, Rob Molloy, Damian Owen, Suresh Patel, Linda Gresty, Paul Hogan and John Fillis.

 

The Mayor’s Chaplain for the evening, Father Godric led Members and Officers in Prayer.

 

 

There were no apologies for absence.

 

The Mayor paid tribute to Doreen Stephenson who had lost her seat in the Borough elections held on 5 May 2022 and was therefore no longer a Councillor and thanked her for her service to the Council.  He advised that the election results were available on the Council's website.

 

 

If a member requires advice on Declarations of Interest, he/she is advised to contact the Legal and Democratic Services Manager in advance of the meeting.  (For the assistance of members a checklist for use in considering their position on any particular item is included at the end of this agenda sheet.)

There were no declarations of interest received.

 

 

 

To receive as a correct record, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 April 2022.

RESOLVED:     That the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 6 April 2022 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

(See attached Procedural Note.)

A.

The retiring Mayor, Councillor Gordon Johnson, thanked Council Members and staff, friends and family for their part in making her year of office so enjoyable and wished the incoming Mayor a successful year of office and invited nominations for the office of Mayor for the ensuing Municipal year 2022/23.   Councillor Mrs Marilyn Westley was nominated, which was moved and seconded. Councillors Mrs Westley accepted the nomination.   A vote was taken, which was CARRIED   Councillor Mrs Westley indicated her acceptance of office.   RESOLVED:   That Councillor Mrs Marilyn Westley be elected as Mayor for the ensuing Municipal Year.   (Note, during this item, the new Mayor, Councillor Mrs Westley:   1.     Was dressed in the Mayor's robes and invested in the Mayor's Chain and Badge of Office and made the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office, following which she assumed the Chair.   2.     Expressed her thanks to the proposer and seconder, and to the Council for the honour conferred upon her, in electing her as Mayor, before presenting Councillor Johnson, the retiring Mayor, with his Past Mayor's engraved Shield.   3.    The outgoing Mayor presented the outgoing Mayoress, Mrs Jacqueline Johnson, with flowers.   4.    The new Mayor, Councillor Mrs Westley, presented the New Mayoress, Mrs Doreen Stephenson, with the Mayoress' Chain and Badge of Office.)   B.       APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY MAYOR FOR THE ENSUING YEAR   The Mayor invited nominations for the appointment of Deputy Mayor.   Councillor Kate Mitchell was nominated, which was moved and seconded.   Councillor Mitchell accepted the nomination.   A vote was taken, which was CARRIED   Councillor Mitchell signified her acceptance of office.   RESOLVED:   That Councillor Kate Mitchell be appointed Deputy Mayor for the ensuing Municipal Year.   (Note, during this item, the new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Kate Mitchell:   1.     Made the statutory Declaration of Acceptance of Office and assumed the Deputy Mayor's Chair.    2.     Thanked the Council for the honour of allowing her to serve as Deputy Mayor.   3.     The Mayor presented the Deputy Mayoress, Mrs Carol Davies, with the Deputy Mayoress' Chain and Badge of Office.)

 

The Mayor announced that she would provide details of her Chaplain for the year and her fund-raising activities for her year in office at the next meeting.

To consider the report of the Chief Operating Officer.

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Operating Officer, as contained on pages 17 to 20 and page 20 of the Book of Reports, which sought to elect the Leader of the Council until the Annual Meeting in 2022, receive notification of the Leader's appointment of a Deputy Leader for the same term and Cabinet for the Municipal Year 2022/23 and to confirm the 'Proper Officer Provisions and Schemes of Delegation'.

 

The Mayor invited nominations for the appointment of Leader.

 

The following nominations were moved and seconded:

·       Councillor Yvonne Gagen

·       Councillor David Westley

·       Councillor Adrian Owens

 

Councillors Gagen, D Westley and Owens accepted the nominations.

 

A vote was taken as follows:

 

Councillor Yvonne Gagen – 26 (TWENTY SIX)

Councillor David Westley – 20 (TWENTY)

Councillor Adrian Owens – 8 (EIGHT) 

 

As there were more than two people nominated and there wasn't a clear majority of votes in favour of one person, the nominee with the lowest number of votes, Councillor Owens, was taken off the list and a new vote was taken as follows:

 

Councillor Yvonne Gagen – 27 (TWENTY SEVEN)

Councillor David Westley – 20 (TWENTY)

Abstentions – 7 (SEVEN)

 

Councillor Yvonne Gagen indicated her acceptance to the position as Leader.

 

A Motion to move recommendations 2.2 to 2.4 in the report was moved and seconded.

 

A copy of the Labour nominations had been circulated prior to the meeting.

 

RESOLVED:A.    That Councillor Yvonne Gagen be elected as the Leader of the Council for a term of office expiring on the date of the Annual Meeting in 2023.

 

B.   That the Member appointed by the Leader as Deputy Leader for the same term of office, and the Members appointed by the Leader as Members of the Cabinet for 2022/23, with the Portfolios identified by the Leader, be noted as follows:

·       Councillor Gagen – Leader, Legal & Democratic Services

·       Councillor Dowling – Deputy Leader, Communities & Community Safety

·       Councillor Coughlan - Leisure

·       Councillor Cummins – Health & Wellbeing and Economic Regeneration

·       Councillor Fennell - Planning

·       Councillor Pryce-Roberts – Housing and Landlord Services

·       Councillor J Wilkie - Street Scene

·       Councillor Yates – Resources & Transformation and Human Resources

 

C.   That the ‘Proper Officer Provisions and Scheme of Delegation to Chief Officers’, insofar as they are Council functions be confirmed and insofar as they are Cabinet functions it be noted that the Leader has delegated these to the officers stated therein.

 

D.   That the Leader’s Scheme of Delegation to Cabinet members, as updated to reflect the Portfolios/Portfolio Holders now appointed, be noted.

The Council noted that Councillor David Westley had been appointed Leader of the Conservative Group and that Councillor David Whittington had been appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Group.  Details of the Shadow Cabinet and Spokesmen would be circulated after the meeting.

 

The Council also noted that Councillor Adrian Owens had been appointed Leader of the Our West Lancs Group and that Councillor Ian Davis had been appointed as the Deputy Leader of the Group.  Details of Spokesmen would be circulated after the meeting.

 

To consider the report of the Chief Operating Officer.

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Operating Officer, as contained on pages 21 to 23 of the Book of Reports, which set out the appointment of Committees etc. and their terms of reference and allocation of seats thereon to the political groups for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

 

The political balance on Committees and the Labour nominations had been circulated prior to the meeting.

 

A Motion to approve recommendations 2.1 to 2.5 in the report were moved and seconded.

 

An Amendment containing proposals from the Conservative and Our West Lancashire Groups, in respect of the allocation on seats on Committees, circulated prior to the meeting, was moved and seconded.

 

A vote was taken on the Amendment, which was CARRIED.

 

Councillor Upjohn advised that he would not be able to sit on the Planning Committee.

 

A vote was taken on the Substantive Motion, with the removal of Councillor Upjohn from the Planning Committee, which was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:     A.     That, for the period ending with the next Annual Meeting of the Council, or such lesser period should the political balance or allocation to political groups change during the year requiring a review under the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Committees, Sub-Committees etc be appointed as detailed in the revised Labour Appendix circulated prior to the meeting and that the allocation of seats to the political groups be as indicated, with the following changes:

 

(i)          Executive Overview & Scrutiny Committee

12 Members: 6 LAB 4 CON 2 OWL

 

(ii)         Corporate & Environmental Overview & Scrutiny Committee

11 Members: 5 LAB 4 CON 1 OWL 1 IND (JU)

 

(iii)       Planning Committee

14 Members: 6 LAB 5 CON 2 OWL 1 IND

 

(iv)       Licensing & Appeals Committee

11 Members: 5 LAB 4 CON 1 OWL 1 IND (PO)

 

(v)        Chief Officers Committee

7 Members: 3 LAB 3 CON 1 OWL

 

(vi)       Audit & Governance Committee

12 Members: 6 LAB 4 CON 1 OWL 1 IND (PO)

 

(vii)     CCTV Committee

6 Members: 3 LAB 2 CON 1 IND (PO)

 

(viii)    Tawd Valley Developments Shareholders Committee

5 Members: 2 LAB 2 CON 1 OWL

 

(ix)       Leisure Procurement Committee

5 Members: 2 LAB 2 CON 1 OWL

 

(x)        Budget / Council Plan Committee

6       Members: 3 LAB 2 CON 1 OWL

 

B.     That the representatives of the political groups on the Committees etc now appointed shall be as indicated on the attached Labour Appendix (Constitution 4.1A) and the appointment of the Independent Persons & the 2 Parish Council Representatives on the Standards Committee, be as detailed in the Labour proposals appendix and any changes or vacancies be notified to the Legal & Democratic Services Manager in accordance with the wishes of the group.

 

C.     That the representatives of the political groups on Outside Bodies (Council appointments) be as indicated on the Appendix 2 circulated prior to the meeting, subject to the following changes:

 

Police & Crime Panel	Councillor G Johnson
Victims Support	Councillors K Juckes and J Thompson
West Lancashire Ageing Well	Councillor M Blake to replace either M  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To appoint the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees as indicated in the Appendix to be circulated as part of Agenda Item 9.

(If there are more than two people nominated for any position to be filled and there is not a clear majority of votes in favour of one person, then the name of the person with the least number of votes will be taken off the list and a new vote taken. The process will continue until there is a majority of votes for one person.)

 

Nominations for the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees for the ensuing year were submitted by the Labour Group as contained in the Labour Appendix 1 to the report, considered at agenda item 9, which were moved and seconded.

 

Nominations for the appointment of a number of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, from the Conservative Group, circulated prior to the meeting, were moved and seconded.

 

Nominations for the appointment of a number of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen, from the Our West Lancashire Group, circulated prior to the meeting, were moved and seconded.

 

An individual vote was taken on each appointment that had received more than one nomination.

 

A vote was taken on the remaining appointments, which had only received one nomination, which was CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED:   That Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees for 2022/23 be appointed as follows:

 

A.     Executive Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Chairman: Councillor Adrian Owens

Vice Chairman: Councillor Julian Finch

 

B.     Corporate & Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee

                              Chairman: Councillor Donna West

                              Vice Chairman: Councillor Damian Owen

 

C.     Planning Committee

Chairman: Councillor David O'Toole

Vice Chairman: Councillor Julian Finch

 

D.     Licensing & Appeals Committee

Chairman: Councillor Gordon Johnson

Vice-Chairman: Councillor John Mee

 

E.     Licensing & Gambling Committee

Chairman: Councillor Neil Furey

Vice-Chairman: Councillor John Mee

 

F.     Standards Committee

        Chairman: Councillor Yvonne Gagen

        Vice Chairman: Councillor David Westley

 

G.    Investigating Committee

Chairman: Councillor Jenny Wilkie

Vice-Chairman: Councillor Vicki Cummins

 

H.     Chief Officers Committee

Chairman: Councillor Yvonne Gagen

Vice-Chairman: Councillor Ian Davis

 

I.      Audit & Governance Committee

Chairman: Councillor Eddie Pope

Vice Chairman: Councillor Paul O'Neill

 

J.     CCTV Committee

Chairman: Councillor Kevin Wilkie

Vice-Chairman: Councillor Donna West

 

K.     Polling Districts & Polling Places Review Committee

        Chairman: Councillor Gaynar Owen

Vice-Chairman: Councillor Gareth Dowling

 

L.     Strategic Asset Purchasing Committee

Chairman: Councillor David Whittington

Vice Chairman: Councillor Adam Yates

 

M.    Tawd Valley Developments Shareholders Committee

Chairman: Councillor David Westley

Vice Chairman: Councillor Ian Davis

 

N.     Leisure Procurement Committee

Chairman: Councillor David Westley

Vice Chairman: Councillor Carl Coughlan

 

O.    Budget / Council Plan Committee

Chairman: Councillor Adam Yates

Vice Chairman: Councillor Rob Molloy