Agenda, decisions and minutes

On Agenda Item 10 - Schedule of Member Remuneration, a personal interest would automatically be recorded for all Council Members present.

In opening the meeting, the Chair welcomed Councillor David Healey who had been elected as the local Member for the Caergwrle ward on 7 May.

The Chair said it had been a great honour to be appointed Chairman of the Council which had provided her with the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, all of whom had been particularly kind and supportive whilst she was undergoing treatment for cancer.  She had done her best to be a good ambassador for the County, particularly in the diverse and dynamic employment opportunities offered, most recently with the Deeside Enterprise Zone.

She commented on the range of opportunities she had been able to be a part of which included the North Wales Armed Forces Day, the White Ribbon Campaign, the visit by Prince Charles to the Airbus factory and the exchange students that had visited County Hall, including children from Chernobyl.

She paid particular thanks to Reverend Marjorie Quinn who had been her Chaplain for the year and she expressed her gratitude to the Vice-Chair, Councillor Ray Hughes and his Consort for their support, together with that from the Chief Executive and senior officers.  She also relayed her thanks to the Civic & Member Services team and the recently retired Arwel Jones for their excellent support throughout the year.  In closing, she announced that she had raised £20,350 for her chosen charities, the British Heart Foundation and Prostate Cancer.

On behalf of their respective groups, Councillors Aaron Shotton, Neville Phillips, Mike Peers, Clive Carver and Tony Sharps all paid tribute to the enthusiasm and commitment of the Chair during the year, especially as the role was a demanding one which had been undertaken with determination, particularly during a personally difficult year when she had been unwell.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Ray Hughes be elected Chair of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

Councillor Hughes was invested with the Chain of Office by the retiring Chair and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Chief Executive.

(From this point, Councillor Ray Hughes chaired the remainder of the meeting.)

The Chair then presented Councillor Glenys Diskin with her retiring Chair’s Badge of Office and her Consort’s retiring Badge of Office.

Councillors Aaron Shotton, Robin Guest, Clive Carver, Mike Peers and Tony Sharps congratulated Councillor Ray Hughes on his appointment and paid tribute to the out-going Chair for the inspirational manner in which she had carried out her role.

In responding, Councillor Ray Hughes thanked Members for electing him as Chair for the year ahead and paid tribute to the out-going Chair for the manner in which she and her Consort had acted as model ambassadors for the Council.  He provided details of his chosen charities for the year, which were the Leeswood branch of Nightingale Hospice, Clwyd Riding School for the Disabled and Guide Dogs for the Blind.  He went on to thank his Consort, Mrs Gwenda Hughes and his Chaplain for the coming year, Reverend Trevor Pratt.

On behalf of the officers, the Chief Executive congratulated the Chair and thanked the out-going Chair, Vice-Chair and their Consorts.

It was proposed by Councillor Aaron Shotton and seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge that Councillor Ray Hughes be elected Chair of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16 and on being put to the vote, was carried. 

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Ray Hughes be elected Chair of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

Councillor Hughes was invested with the Chain of Office by the retiring Chair and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Chief Executive.

(From this point, Councillor Ray Hughes chaired the remainder of the meeting.)

The Chair then presented Councillor Glenys Diskin with her retiring Chair’s Badge of Office and her Consort’s retiring Badge of Office.

Councillors Aaron Shotton, Robin Guest, Clive Carver, Mike Peers and Tony Sharps congratulated Councillor Ray Hughes on his appointment and paid tribute to the out-going Chair for the inspirational manner in which she had carried out her role.

In responding, Councillor Ray Hughes thanked Members for electing him as Chair for the year ahead and paid tribute to the out-going Chair for the manner in which she and her Consort had acted as model ambassadors for the Council.  He provided details of his chosen charities for the year, which were the Leeswood branch of Nightingale Hospice, Clwyd Riding School for the Disabled and Guide Dogs for the Blind.  He went on to thank his Consort, Mrs Gwenda Hughes and his Chaplain for the coming year, Reverend Trevor Pratt.

On behalf of the officers, the Chief Executive congratulated the Chair and thanked the out-going Chair, Vice-Chair and their Consorts.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Peter Curtis be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

Councillor Curtis was invested with the Chain of Office by the Chair and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Chief Executive.

The Vice-Chair thanked Members for electing him as Vice-Chair for the year ahead for which he felt honoured.  He offered his congratulations to the Chair and his Consort and offered his support whenever needed.

It was proposed by Councillor Aaron Shotton and seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge that Councillor Peter Curtis be appointed Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2015/16 and on being put to the vote, was carried. 

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Peter Curtis be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

Councillor Curtis was invested with the Chain of Office by the Chair and signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office in the presence of the Chief Executive.

The Vice-Chair thanked Members for electing him as Vice-Chair for the year ahead for which he felt honoured.  He offered his congratulations to the Chair and his Consort and offered his support whenever needed.

To appoint a Leader of the Council for 2015/16

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Aaron Shotton be appointed Leader of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

It was proposed by Councillor Alex Aldridge and seconded by Councillor Tony Sharps that Councillor Aaron Shotton be appointed Leader of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16 and on being put to the vote, it was carried.

In support of his proposal, Councillor Aldridge praised Councillor Shotton for his work over the previous year as Leader of the Council where he was held in high regard.  He commented on the significant challenges ahead including financial and the shaping of local government for the future, both of which required a Member at the highest level to represent Flintshire. 

In response, Councillor Aaron Shotton thanked everybody for their support over the past year, he said that the Council faced enormous budget challenges and he was pleased to lead the Council during this time.  He added that he would continue to campaign for fiscal devolution to Councils in Wales.  In closing, he said he was committed to protecting the most vulnerable people in the county alongside Flintshire remaining an ambitious Council.

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Aaron Shotton be appointed Leader of the Council for the municipal year 2015/16.

To receive and note the Leader of the Council’s choice of Deputy Leader and other Councillors to serve on the Cabinet

RESOLVED:

That the choice of Councillors to serve on the Cabinet and their portfolios detailed below, be noted.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Aaron Shotton, reported on his choice of Councillors to serve on the Cabinet which was to remain unchanged from the previous year. 

RESOLVED:

That the choice of Councillors to serve on the Cabinet and their portfolios detailed below, be noted.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee structure shown in Appendix 1 be adopted with immediate effect; and

(b)       That the terms of reference shown in Appendix 2 be approved.

The Chief Officer (Governance) introduced the report and explained that at the Annual Meeting the previous year it had been resolved that there was a need for a review of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

                        A politically balanced working group had been established and had met on 4 March and identified a preferred model for which terms of reference were then prepared by officers.  A report was then submitted to the Constitution Committee on 15 April which outlined the preferred model and the draft terms of reference for each Committee.

                        Councillor Robin Guest, as Chair of the Constitution Committee, formally moved approval of the recommendation, which was seconded by Councillor Neville Phillips.  Councillor Guest said the proposed structure had been supported unanimously at the Constitution Committee and he thanked the working group and officers for the work undertaken. 

                        Councillor Aaron Shotton said the new Organisational Change Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be a critical Committee due to the challenges faced by the Council and suggested that when nominations were considered by political groups for membership of this Committee, that the Members selected had an interest in change, efficiency and modernisation.

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee structure shown in Appendix 1 be adopted with immediate effect; and

            (b)       That the terms of reference shown in Appendix 2 be approved.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council confirm the appointment of the Committees as outlined in section 2 of the report and above.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council confirm the size of the Committees as outlined above and in section 3.01 of the report.

RESOLVED:

That the terms of reference for each Committee in Part 2 of the Constitution, including the terms of reference for the new Overview and Scrutiny Committees, be approved.

RESOLVED:

That the allocation of seats and political balance for each Committee be agreed as Appendices 1 and 2 respectively.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the following Members be appointed Chair of the Standing Committees as indicated below:-

Constitution Committee - Councillor Robin Guest

Clwyd Pension Fund Committee - Councillor Alan Diskin

Democratic Services Committee - Councillor Robin Guest

Licensing Committee - Councillor Tony Sharps

Planning & Development Control Committee - Councillor David Wisinger

(b)       That the Chairs of the Overview & Scrutiny Committees be allocated to the following groups:

Community and Enterprise            Labour/Independent

Education and Youth                      Labour/Independent

Social and Health                            Labour/Independent

Organisational Change                  New Independents

Environment                                     Independent Alliance

Corporate Resources                      Conservative

RESOLVED:

That the existing Local Choice Issues be confirmed.

RESOLVED:

That the appointment of an Appointments Committee, as detailed in section 8.01 of the report, be agreed.

RESOLVED:

That the appointment of outside bodies be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with Group Leaders and non-aligned Members.

RESOLVED:

That the three County Councillors on the Standards Committee be noted.

The Chief Officer (Governance) introduced the report which dealt with matters requiring decisions at the Annual Meeting of the County Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 1.1 (vii) – (xiv).  Those matters were set out in separate sections of the report.

(A)       Appointment of Committees

The Chief Officer (Governance) explained the requirement within Council Procedure Rules for certain committees to be appointed at the Annual Meeting, which were:

·         Audit

·         Clwyd Pension Fund

·         Constitution

·         Democratic Services

·         Licensing

·         Planning and Development

·         Standards

  In addition, there were six Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Councillor Tony Sharps moved approval that the County Council confirm the appointment of the Committees as outlined in the report.  This was seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge and on being put to the vote, was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council confirm the appointment of the Committees as outlined in section 2 of the report and above.

(B)       Determination of the size of Committees

The Chief Officer (Governance) reported that the Annual Meeting must decide upon the size of each of the Committees it had appointed.  The Constitution made provision for the size of the Committees which were:

Councillor Aaron Shotton moved approval that the County Council confirm the size of the Committees as detailed above which was seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge and on being put to the vote, was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the County Council confirm the size of the Committees as outlined above and in section 3.01 of the report.

(C)       Terms of Reference of Committees and Pension Delegations

The Chief Officer (Governance) reported that the Annual Meeting was required to decide the Terms of Reference of the Committees that it had appointed and that these were set out in Part 2 of the Constitution.  The terms of reference for the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, considered earlier in the meeting as part of the Overview and Committee Structure item, would take immediate effect and be incorporated into the Constitution.

Councillor Aaron Shotton moved approval that the County Council confirm the current Terms of Reference of the Committees This was seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge and on being put to the vote, was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the terms of reference for each Committee in Part 2 of the Constitution, including the terms of reference for the new Overview and Scrutiny Committees, be approved.

(D)       Political Balance

The Chief Officer (Governance) reported that at, or as soon as practicable after the Annual Meeting, Members were required to decide the allocation of seats to political groups in accordance with the Political Balance Rules contained in the Local Government & Housing Act 1989 and the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 as amended. 

It was a statutory requirement that Committee seats should be allocated to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That band (b) be the agreed payment to the Council Chair and Vice-Chair;

(b)       That the schedule of Member remuneration shown in Appendix 2 be updated to apply to 2015/16; and

(c)        That further reports be submitted to Democratic Services Committee in relation to the details provided in paragraphs 3.03 and 3.04 of the report

The Chief Officer (Governance) presented the report to seek approval of the Council’s proposed Schedule of Member Remuneration for 2015/16. 

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) had decided that for 2015/16 there should be no changes to any of the amounts paid, with the basic allowance payable to all elected Members remaining at £13,300 p.a.  Appendix 1 to the report provided details of the amounts payable to those Members who had additional responsibilities resulting from posts they held.

On payments to the Civic Head and Deputy the IRPW gave local choice to Councils as to which of the three bands outlined in the report it wished to apply. 

A proforma had recently been issued by the IRPW for use when drafting schedules of Member remuneration and although not mandatory, Councils were encouraged to use the proforma to suit the authority’s particular circumstances. It was recommended that the Council approve the existing format of the schedule of Member remuneration, amending the year to which it related, with a report being submitted to the Democratic Services Committee in July on the IRPW’s suggested proforma adapted to suit Flintshire’s particular circumstances.

Councillor Aaron Shotton proposed that the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Council receive the payments in band (b).  He also moved that the schedule of Member remuneration shown in Appendix 2 be updated to apply to 2015/16, and that further reports be submitted to Democratic Services Committee in relation to the details provided in paragraphs 3.03 and 3.04 of the report.  This was seconded by Councillor Bernie Attridge and on being put to the vote, was carried.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That band (b) be the agreed payment to the Council Chair and Vice-Chair;

(b)       That the schedule of Member remuneration shown in Appendix 2 be updated to apply to 2015/16; and

(c)        That further reports be submitted to Democratic Services Committee in relation to the details provided in paragraphs 3.03 and 3.04 of the report.

RESOLVED:

            That the new format of the Constitution as recommended by the Constitution Committee be agreed and adopted.

The Chief Officer (Governance) presented the new model Constitution which was considered at the Constitution Committee on 15 April 2015.

                        A copy of the new model Constitution had been placed in Members’ Services and if approved, would be made available on the Infonet and website.

                        Councillor Robin Guest, as Chair of the Constitution Committee, moved approval of the new model Constitution which was seconded.  He thanked the working group and officers for their work on this.

            RESOLVED:

            That the new format of the Constitution as recommended by the Constitution Committee be agreed and adopted.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the meeting of Flintshire County Council on 12 July being removed, the draft Diary of Meetings for 2015/16 be approved.

The Chief Executive presented the draft Diary of Meetings for 2015/16 which included the newly named Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings.

Councillor Bernie Attridge moved approval of the draft Diary of Meetings 2015/16 which was seconded by Councillor Chris Bithell.

Councillor Neville Phillips said that the meeting of County Council scheduled for 12 July would clash with the 160^th Buckley Jubilee so it was agreed that the meeting be removed from the draft dairy.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the meeting of Flintshire County Council on 12 July being removed, the draft Diary of Meetings for 2015/16 be approved.

There was one member of the press and 16 members of the public present.