MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL 2007 COMMENCING AT 6.00 PM

Present :

Cllrs Charles Chapman (Chairman), Barry Abraham, Henry Adams, Wendy Arnold, John Bowker, George Brown, Ivan Bulwer, William Burt, George Cameron, Vanessa Churchman, Dawn Cousins, Mike Cunningham, John Effemey, Charles Hancock, John Hobart, Heather Humby, Tim Hunter-Henderson, Patrick Joyce, Gill Kennett, David Knowles, Geoff Lumley, Roger Mazillius, Win McRobert, Muriel Miller, Brian Mosdell, Erica Oulton, Lora Peacey-Wilcox, Lady Pigot, David Pugh, Susan Scoccia, Ian Stephens, Andy Sutton, Melanie Swan, Arthur Taylor, Diana Tuson, Ian Ward, Margaret Webster, Alan Wells, Colin West, David Whittaker, Julian Whittaker, David Williams, Jilly Wood

Apologies :

Cllrs Anne Bishop, Jonathan Fitzgerald-Bond, Barbara Foster, Deborah Gardiner, Garry Price,

1. INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

The Chairman welcomed all invited guests, Elected Members and members of the public to the Annual meeting of the Council. Canon Stephen Palmer was invited to lead the Chamber in prayers.

2. SUSPENSION OF PROCEDURE RULES 15(4) AND 18 (4)

A motion to formally suspend Procedure Rules 15(4) and 18 (4), relating to the time limits of speeches and voting procedures for appointments, was proposed and seconded. Members were advised that this would enable them to speak without time limit and to vote by a show of hands instead of secret ballot. Following a vote it was

RESOLVED:

THAT Procedure Rules 15(4) and 18 (4) be suspended for the duration of the meeting.

3. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN

Cllr Roger Mazillius was duly proposed and seconded as Chairman of the Council. There being no other nominations it was

RESOLVED :

THAT Cllr Roger Mazillius be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Council year.

The Council adjourned to enable the Chain of Office to be passed to the new Chairman. Following the re-commencement of the meeting Cllr Mazillius took the Chair and formally declared his acceptance of the office of Chairman and thanked Members for their support. Canon Stephen Palmer was appointed Council’s Chaplain, with the Reverend Lyn McRostie being appointed Honorary Chaplain. The Chairman’s appointed charities for the year were the Macmillan Nurses based at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice and the Island Youth Water Activity Centre.

Tributes were paid to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr Charles Chapman, who responded accordingly. A cheque for £5,892.42 was presented to Mr Derek Cheek for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

4. ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRMAN

Cllr Arthur Taylor was proposed and seconded as Vice Chairman of the Council. There being no other nominations it was

RESOLVED :

THAT Cllr Arthur Taylor be elected Vice Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Council year.

The Vice Chairman formally declared his acceptance of the office of Vice Chairman and thanked Members for their support.

5. MINUTES

RESOLVED :

THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 21 March 2007 be confirmed.

6. TO RECEIVE ANY OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND/OR HEAD OF PAID SERVICE

The Chairman advised that on behalf of the Council he had written to the Isle of Wight County in Virginia, USA, in the light of the recent tragedy there. Members were reminded about the Extraordinary Meeting of the Council scheduled for 23 April 2007.

7. ELECTION OF THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL, WHO WOULD ALSO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE CABINET

Cllr Andy Sutton was proposed and seconded as Leader of the Council. There being no other nominations it was

RESOLVED:

THAT Cllr Andy Sutton be elected Leader of the Council and Chairman of the Cabinet for the ensuing Council year.

Following his election, Cllr Sutton thanked the Council and announced his appointments for the revised Cabinet, which included two new Members and a reduction of one Cabinet Secretary.

8. APPOINTMENTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Members were advised that, in accordance with the Constitution, Council was required to reaffirm a number of issues at the Annual Council meeting and considered a report from the Interim Director of Legal and Democratic Services. An amended list of recommendations were proposed, seconded and circulated to Members and following a brief debate it was

RESOLVED :

THAT:

(a) A Planning Committee, Licensing Committee and General Purposes Committee be established with the terms of reference as set out in Appendix 1 to the report

(b) There shall be 15 members of the Planning Committee and 10 members each of the Licensing and General Purposes Committee

(c) The terms of reference for the membership of the Scrutiny Committee to ensure that the representative from Island Town and Parish Councils is a member of the Executive Committee of the Isle of Wight Association of Town and Parish Councils, as appointed by his or her representative town or parish council to sit on that body.

(d) The committee structure as set out in the constitution, subject to the amendment in (a) above be re-affirmed

(e) The size and terms of reference for all committees (subject to amendments in (a) to (c) above and to the report on Scrutiny elsewhere on this agenda) be re-affirmed

(f) Seats on the Committees be allocated to political groups in accordance with the proportionality rules

(g) Seats on the Licensing Committee be allocated in proportion to the representation of political groups on the Council

(h) The Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Council’s committees be appointed as follows:

Scrutiny Committee Chairman – Cllr Geoff Lumley

(Vice Chairman – to be appointed by the Scrutiny Committee)

Audit and Performance Chairman – Cllr Anne Bishop

Standards Committee Chairman – Mr Mark Southwell

Planning Committee Chairman – Cllr Ivan Bulwer

Planning Committee Vice Chairman – Cllr Susan Scoccia

Licensing Committee Chairman – Cllr Susan Scoccia

General Purposes Committee Chairman – Cllr Lady Sarah Pigot

Investment Panel Chairman – Cllr Colin West

Investigatory and Disciplinary Committee Chairman – Cllr George Brown

Policy Commissioners:

Safer Communities – Cllr David Williams

Children and School Results – Cllr Gillian Kennett

Economy, Tourism, Regeneration and Transport –

Cllr Jonathan Fitzgerald-Bond

Care, Health and Housing - Cllr Erica Oulton

(i) The Chairmen of the three new Committees receive Special Responsibility Allowances as set out in paragraph 4.6 of the report

(j) Nominations for each Committee be provided to the Interim Director of Legal and Democratic Services within a week of this meeting

(k) The membership and Terms of Reference of the Investigatory and Disciplinary Committee remain unchanged

(l) A sub committee of Licensing and a sub committee of General Purposes Committee be established with the terms of reference as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, appointments to those sub committees to be made at the first meeting of the main committees

(m) The Council’s scheme of delegation be re-confirmed

(n) Amendments be made to Article 8 of the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1 to the report

(o) The Interim Director of Legal and Democratic Services be delegated authority to make the necessary consequential drafting amendments to the Constitution

(p) Champions be appointed as set out in paragraph 10 of the report with the roles as set out in Appendix 3 to the report and the payment to them of a Special Responsibility Allowance

(q) Two Appointment Committees (Appointment Committee for the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and the Appointment Committee for the Director of Customer Services) be established with a membership of 5 to be allocated in accordance with political proportionality to 4 members of the Conservative Group and one member from other groups on the Council

(r) The existing appointments to outside bodies be confirmed but that Council reserves the option to review these during the year.

9. SCRUTINY COMMITTEE AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH BILL

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee introduced the report and explained that changes to the Constitution were necessary to enable the Scrutiny Committee’s Terms of Reference to accommodate the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill and the Police and Justice Act of 2006. The proposal was seconded and following the vote it was

RESOLVED:

(a) THAT Article 5 of the Council’s Constitution be amended to include the changes necessary to incorporate the implications of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill and the Police and Justice Act of 2006 as detailed in the appendix to the report (attached).

(b) THAT a procedure be developed for individual councillors to raise issues with the Scrutiny Committee, in accordance with the spirit of the provisions currently contained in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill.

(c) THAT the Scrutiny Committee’s work programme be amended to include the scrutiny of partner authorities, as defined in the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill.

(d) THAT the Scrutiny Committee sit periodically as the ‘Crime and Disorder Committee’ and to discharge the Council’s duties under section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 when this is enacted.

10. DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL

A schedule of dates for the Council meetings for the ensuing year were proposed and seconded. Members noted that there were no meetings scheduled for August or December 2007.

RESOLVED :

THAT the dates of future meetings of the Council be approved as follows:

Wednesday, 16 May 2007

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

Wednesday, 18 July 2007

Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Wednesday, 17 October 2007

Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Wednesday, 23 January 2008

Wednesday, 20 February 2008

Wednesday, 19 March 2008

Wednesday, 16 April 2008 (Annual Council)

All meetings to commence at 6.00 pm and to be held in the Council Chamber at County Hall, Newport

CHAIRMAN