Decision details

The Council considered the report of the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance, circulated prior to the meeting, seeking Members’ consideration of the appointment of representatives to serve on Local Government and Outside Bodies for the remainder of the municipal year.

 

The Leader of the Council presented the report, highlighting how she and the Opposition Leader had discussed the proposed appointments and agreed on all but four which were set out in the report.  The Chairman advised that these therefore required nomination and appointment by the Council.

 

Councillor Mrs P A Channer raised concern regarding recommendation (iii) and advised that the Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group was an Essex County Council run Group to which a Member of this Council was appointed.  She explained that Minutes from this Group were confidential and was concerned that this Council (through recommendation (iii)) was suggesting that the Minutes be shared with all Maldon District Council (MDC) Councillors.

 

Members discussed the four bodies to which the Council was asked to determine representatives.  Both the Leader of the Council and Leader of Opposition outlined their nominations and reasons behind these.

 

Stow Maries Aerodrome Consultative Committee

Members were advised that this had been set up to consult with neighbours and the benefit of having a Ward Member on this Committee was highlighted.  Councillor C Swain advised in light of this he felt the representative should be Councillor Miss S White (a Ward Member) and not himself.  It was therefore agreed, by assent, that the Council’s representatives on the Stow Maries Aerodrome Consultative Committee would be Councillors S P Nunn and Miss S White.

 

Bradwell Local Community Liaison Council (LCLC)

The Leader of the Council proposed that Councillors E L Bamford, K M H Lagan, C Mayes and N Skeens be appointed to the Bradwell LCLC.  This proposal was duly seconded.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 13 (3) the Leader of the Council requested a recorded vote.  This was duly seconded.

 

The Chairman then put the proposal that Councillors Bamford, Lagan, Mayes and Skeens be appointed to the Bradwell LCLC for the remainder of the municipal year.  The voting was as follows:

 

For the recommendation:

Councillors M G Bassenger, B S Beale, V Bell, M R Edwards, M S Heard, K W Jarvis, K M H Lagan, C Mayes, C Morris, S P Nunn, N G F Shaughnessy, R H Siddall, N J Skeens, W Stamp and Mrs J C Stilts.

 

Against the recommendation:

Councillors E L Bamford, Miss A M Beale, Mrs P A Channer, M F L Durham, Mrs J L Fleming, M W Helm, A L Hull, J V Keyes, C P Morley, Mrs M E Thompson and Miss S White.

 

Abstention:

Councillor C Swain.

 

The Chairman declared that the proposal was therefore agreed.

 

Local Area Highways Panel

Councillor E L Bamford proposed that Councillor Mrs J L Fleming be appointed onto this Panel.

 

Councillor M F L Durham explained that he was the current Chairman of this Panel, as an Essex County Councillor and MDC appointed three representatives, one from each of the Area Planning Committees. 

 

The Leader of the Council proposed that Councillors M R Edwards, R H Siddall and W Stamp be appointed to the Local Area Highways Panel.  This proposal was duly seconded.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 13 (3) Councillor C Mayes requested a recorded vote. 

 

The Chairman then put to the Council the proposal that Councillors Edwards, Sidall and Stamp be appointed to the Local Area Highways Panel for the remainder of the municipal year.  The voting was as follows:

 

For the recommendation:

Councillors M G Bassenger, B S Beale, V Bell, M R Edwards, M S Heard, K W Jarvis, K M H Lagan, C Mayes, C Morris, S P Nunn, N G F Shaughnessy, R H Siddall, N J Skeens, W Stamp, Mrs J C Stilts and C Swain.

 

Against the recommendation:

Councillors E L Bamford, Miss A M Beale, Mrs P A Channer, M F L Durham, Mrs J L Fleming, M W Helm, A L Hull, J V Keyes, C P Morley, Mrs M E Thompson and Miss S White.

 

Abstention:

There were none.

 

The Chairman declared that the proposal was therefore agreed.

 

Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group

The Leader of the Council proposed that Councillor V J Bell be appointed to the Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group.  The Leader referred to outstanding requested information regarding whether there was a time limit on this Group.  The proposal was duly seconded.

 

In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 13 (3) Councillor C Mayes requested a recorded vote.  This was duly seconded.

 

Councillor Mrs Channer, who was Chairman of this Group as a Member of Essex County Council (ECC), again expressed her earlier concern and explained how it was an ECC body and ECC commissioned the service, agreed the Terms of Reference, make-up etc. 

 

A debate ensued.  In response to questions raised regarding this body and whether the appointment to it was for a set period of time, the Lead Legal Specialist and Monitoring Officer suggested that appointment to the Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group be deferred to allow discussion between Officers and ECC.  Councillor M F L Durham agreed with the deferment and advised he believed the Group to be one where a Member was appointed for a set period of time.

 

In response to the suggested deferment, Councillor Mrs Channer advised that she was happy to speak to the relevant bodies to see if they would consider two Members of Maldon District Council coming onto the Group.  The Chairman thanked Councillor Channer for this.

 

It was duly agreed (by assent) that appointment to the Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group would be deferred pending further clarification.

 

Taking into consideration the appointments agreed above, the Leader of the Council proposed that the recommendations as set out in the report be agreed.

 

There was some discussion and concerns raised regarding recommendation (iii) and the Director of Strategy, Performance and Governance clarified where papers were not private and confidential and not subject to agreement by the relevant body it was proposed that they be made available for all Members. 

 

Following further debate the Chairman put recommendations (i) and (ii) to the Council and these were agreed by assent.  In respect of recommendation (iii) a vote was taken on this and duly agreed.

 

RESOLVED

 

(i)              That the appointment of representatives to Local Government and Outside Bodies, as detailed in APPENDIX 2 to these Minutes, with the exception of those Bodies detailed in (ii) and (iii) below, be agreed for the remainder of the Municipal Year;

 

(ii)            That the following appointments be agreed for the remainder of the Municipal Year:

 

Bradwell Local Community Liaison Council	Councillors E L Bamford, K M H Lagan, N Skeens and W Stamp
Local Area Highways Panel:	Councillors M R Edwards, R H Siddall and W Stamp
Stow Maries Aerodrome Consultative Committee.	Councillors S P Nunn and Miss S White

 

(iii)          That appointment to the Maldon and District Youth Strategy Group be deferred pending clarification on the term of this appointment;

 

(iv)          That Members appointed as representatives to Local Government and Outside Bodies are responsible for sharing minutes of meetings attended to be stored centrally on the Modern.Gov library as per the details in section 3.4 of the report;

 

Councillors M W Helm and Miss S White left the meeting during this item of business and did not return.