Agenda item

(Report by the Monitoring Officer)

The Deputy Chief Executive (Place) introduced the report which related to appointments for the remainder of the 2020/21 Municipal Year with respect to Membership of Committees, appointment of Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and appointments to external organisations.

The Deputy Chief Executive pointed out that a small number of positions were oversubscribed. In addition, the resignation of Colin Woodcock that day, as announced by the Chief Executive at the beginning of the meeting, would result in changes to the political proportionality of committee Membership. This would be recalculated and the Chief Executive would use his delegated authority to make any subsequent changes to appointments as soon as was reasonable and practicable.  Group Leaders would then be notified.

The Leader, Councillor Paul Skinner, MOVED that

1.    The membership of the Committees and arrangements for substitutes as set out in Appendix A be approved. Such appointees to hold office whilst they remain Members of the Council, until the next Annual Meeting of the Council, or until the appointment of their successors;

2.    The nominations for appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees set out at Appendix B which are not oversubscribed be approved, with the addition that Councillor George Cornah and Councillor Deborah Evans be appointed as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Corporate and Community Committee. Such appointees to hold office whilst they remain Members of the Council, until the next Annual Meeting of the Council, or until the appointment of their successors;

3.    The appointment of Members to serve as the Council’s representatives on those external organisations where the Council is the appointing body which are not oversubscribed, as set out in Appendix C be approved, to hold office whilst they remain Members of the Council, until the next Annual Meeting of the Council, or until the appointment of their successors.

This was seconded by the Deputy Leader, Councillor Nigel Welton.

An amendment was then proposed by Councillor Alison Austin and seconded by Councillor Judith Welbourn that the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen be delegated to the individual Committees to appoint them at their first meetings.  Some Members agreed with this proposal on the grounds that it was not appropriate for the majority group to chair committees and the view was also expressed that unaligned Members should be given a role on committees.

However, when this amendment was put to the vote it fell with the Mayor’s casting vote.

A second amendment was then proposed by Councillor Paul Goodale that Councillor Dorrian be appointed Chairman of the Environment and Performance Committee, Councillor Stephen Woodliffe be appointed Chairman of Corporate and Community Committee, and Councillor Peter Bedford be appointed the Chairman of the Planning Committee. This amendment was seconded by Councillor Alan Bell.

There were further comments regarding the rationale behind the political proportionality calculations and the view that unaligned Members should be represented. The view was reiterated that it was not correct for Members of the majority party to chair committees, in particular, Scrutiny and Audit and Governance Committees.  In addition, it was asserted that representation on the internal drainage boards should include a Member from the Boston Town Area Committee.

However, when this second amendment was put to the vote it fell.

It was then proposed and seconded and carried by the requisite number of Councillors that the question be now put.

[Councillor Richard Austin and Councillor Viven Edge had lost connection to the meeting at this point.]

The original proposal was then put to the vote and it was –

Members discussed how to consider the remaining business, i.e. the appointment of two chairmen and representatives on an internal drainage board, which were oversubscribed. Extension of the meeting was considered, but the consensus of the meeting was that this business be carried forward to the next meeting of Full Council on 23 November 2020.