18 05 2006 - Adjourned Annual

 

 

THE ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING of the COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF GOSPORT was held in the Council Chamber at the TOWN HALL, GOSPORT on THURSDAY, the EIGHTEENTH day of MAY 2006 at 6.00 PM.

 

The Mayor (Councillor Mrs Cully) (P) (in the Chair);

 

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Gill) (P);

 

Councillors Allen, Ms Ballard (P), Burgess (P), Carr (P), Carter (P), Mrs Champion (P), Champion (P), Chegwyn (P), Clinton (P), Cully (P), Davis (P), Dickson (P), Edgar (P), Farr (P), Foster (P), Foster-Reed (P), Hicks (P), Hook, Jacobs (P),  Kimber (P), Langdon (P), Mrs Mudie, Philpott (P), Redrup (P), Rigg (P), Mrs Salter (P), Smith (P), Taylor (P), Train (P), Ward (P), Mrs Wright (P) and Wright (P).

 

Also in attendance: Honorary Alderman O’Neill.

 

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Prior to the commencement of Council business Councillors were informed that unfortunately Councillor Hook would not be attending the meeting as his mother had died.  Councillors joined the Mayor in extending their sympathies to Councillor Hook and his family at this time.

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Apologies for inability to attend the meeting were submitted on behalf of Councillors Allen, Hook and Mrs Mudie and Honorary Alderman Foster.

 

 

 

The Mayor welcomed Councillor Foster-Reed to the meeting.

 

The Councillor replied briefly.

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RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Ordinary meeting of the Council held on 05 April 2006 be confirmed and signed.

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(A)       Question No 1 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on the lack of grass cutting in the Bridgemary and Rowner areas over a long period of time was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board /Leader of the Council.

 

(B)       Question No. 2 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on the longer length of grass in the Bridgemary and Rowner areas compared to other areas in the Borough was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board/Leader of the Council.

 

(C)       Question No 3 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on the lack of weeding or tendering of flower beds over many months in the Bridgemary and Rowner areas was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board/Leader of the Council.

 

(D)       Question No 4 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on complaints received from residents on poor standards of grass cutting was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board/Leader of the Council.

 

(E)       Question No 5 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on a request for Councillors to be provided with a schedule of grass cutting dates for their respective wards was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board/Leader of the Council.

 

(F)       Question No 6 standing in the name of Councillor Wright on a request for Councillors to be provided with a schedule of when flowerbeds in their respective areas would be tended to was put for an answer to the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board/Leader of the Council.

 

Councillor Kimber, former Vice-Chairman of the Community and Environment Board, acknowledged receipt of the above questions from Councillor Wright.  As the Chairman of the Community and Environment Board had not yet been elected for the forthcoming Municipal Year he gave an undertaking to pass the Questions to the newly elected Chairman for a formal written reply to Councillor Wright on his questions.

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The following report of the Returning Officer on the elections held on 04 May 2006 was received -

 

 

 

1.         I have to report that, whereas the number of Candidates validly nominated in the election of Councillors for each of the Alverstoke, Anglesey, Bridgemary North, Bridgemary South, Brockhurst, Christchurch, Elson, Forton, Grange, Hardway, Lee East, Lee West, Leesland, Peel Common, Privett, Rowner and Holbrook and Town Wards of the Borough exceeded the number of Councillors to be elected for the respective Wards, a poll was taken on the 04th day of May 2006, and the votes cast for the respective Candidates at each such election were as follows:-

 

 

2.         The undermentioned Candidates who received the greatest number of votes were therefore elected Councillors for a four-year period.

 

 

 

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The Mayor reported that a notice had been received requesting that Standing Order 4.15.1 be moved to enable the Borough Solicitor to present her report on Review of Council Boards, Sub-Boards and Committees and Determination of Allocation of Seats.

 

RESOLVED: That Standing Order 4.15.1 be moved to enable the Borough Solicitor to present her report on Review of Council Boards, Sub-Boards and Committees and Determination of Allocation of Seats.

 

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Members of the Council had before them a report of the Borough Solicitor (a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix “C1”) in connection with the above.

 

The report referred to the current arrangement of five Boards and eight Sub-Boards.  Sub-Boards of the Licensing Board were excluded from the above as they had to be drawn from members of the Licensing Board.  In July 2003 the Council reviewed its arrangements for scrutiny and agreed to two Scrutiny Committees broadly split between Policy and Services.

 

The report reminded members of the Proportionality Rules and the notices received from the three Political Groups.

 

It was reported that the Council had five Boards and two Overview and Scrutiny Committees and therefore 72 seats had to be allocated as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report.   However, it was not possible to allocate 72 seats in exact proportion as each Political Group had on the Council, as could be seen from the tables below.

 

 

 

It was proposed that the allocation of seats on Boards and Overview & Scrutiny Committees be as follows: