Agenda item

The Council is asked to consider and approve the review of the political balance of the Council, the allocation of seats on Committees to each Political Group, appointment of Councillors to Committees and appointments to Outside bodies following Councillors Steve Baron, Daniel Butt, Judes Butt and Mohan Iyengar leaving the Conservative Group and subsequently establishing a new Political Group including Councillor Julie Bagwell.

The Monitoring Officer presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Council was asked to consider and approve the review of the political balance of the Council, the allocation of seats on Committees to each Political Group, appointment of Councillors to Committees and appointments to Outside bodies following Councillors Steve Baron, Daniel Butt, Judes Butt and Mohan Iyengar leaving the Conservative Group and subsequently establishing a new Political Group including Councillor Julie Bagwell.

Councillor Hilliard proposed an amendment to the recommendations, proposing that the allocations be awarded in accordance with what was discussed at the recent group leaders meeting.

This proposal was seconded by Councillor L Dedman.

The Monitoring Officer advised Council that the proposed amendment had a -1 allocation next to one of the parties meant that a unanimous vote would be required.

The Leader advised that as this amendment required unanimous support, he would ask that the vote be now put without further debate on the basis that the amendment would fall as he was not prepared to support it.

The Chairman requested that the vote be put. A recorded vote was taken on whether the vote be now put and was carried with voting as follows:

For – 35

Against – 26

Abstentions - 0

Following the vote Councillor Hilliard summed up the amendment expressing his disappointed.

The amendment did not receive unanimous support and therefore fell.

Following further debate on the substantive motion Councillor Hilliard proposed a further amendment that Christchurch Independents give up their seat on Licensing in exchange for one of the Conservative seats out of their six seats on Corporate and Community.

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Dedman.

The proposed amended allocation was circulated to Council electronically.

A recorded vote was taken on the amendment which fell with voting as follows:

For – 25

Against – 34

Abstentions – 2

Following the above vote Councillor Allison proposed an amendment which he advised was politically balanced and provided seats to every single group on each of the O&S Committees by increasing in size of the O&S Committees from 11 to 15 seats each. 

The proposed amended allocation was circulated to Council electronically.

Council comprehensively debated the amendment during which a point of order was raised by the Leader requesting that a member of the Council in accordance with Section 24:2 of the Council Procedural Rules be requested to leave the meeting.

The Chairman of the Council advised that the member of the Council could remain in the meeting providing that he returned to his seat.

Councillor Stribley left the meeting at 20:12.

Further debate took place on the proposed amendment following which Cllr Allison summed up the amendment.

A recorded vote was taken on the amendment which fell with voting as follows:

For – 26

Against – 34

Debate moved back to the substantive motion whereby a question was raised by Councillor Brown with regards to the membership of outside bodies and whether the proposed membership of the Stour Valley and Poole Partnership was in line with the requirements within the Constitution and whether it needed to be politically balanced.

In relation to this the Chairman advised that the understanding was that membership on the Stour Valley and Poole Partnership was not required to be politically balanced but that this would be investigated to ensure that was correct.

Councillor Allison proposed a point of order that the question now be put.

The Leader then summed up in relation to the original and substantive motion, during which Councillor Slade addressed to advise that the Unity Alliance was not a group.

RESOLVED that: -

(a)           the revised political balance of the Council, as set out in Table 1 of this report be approved;

(b)           the allocation of seats to each political group, as set out in Table 2 marked to follow in the report and circulated as a supplement, be approved;

(c)           the appointment of Councillors to Committees and Boards, taking account of the membership as detailed in Table 3 marked to follow in the report and circulated as a supplement, be approved;

(d)           the allocation of seats to each political group on the outside bodies as detailed in Table 4 marked to follow in the report and circulated as a supplement be approved;

(e)           the appointment of Councillors to the outside bodies, as detailed in Table 5 marked to follow in the report and circulated as a supplement be approved; and

(f)            Subject to (b) and (e) above the Council is requested to approve the appointment of unaligned Members to any Committees, Boards and Outside bodies.

Voting: 34:24 (2 abstentions)