Agenda and minutes

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey and seconded by Councillor Jonathan Taylor that Councillor David Skipp be elected Chairman of the Council until the next annual meeting of the Council. There being no other nominations, Councillor David Skipp was then declared elected as Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Council year.

The new Chairman of the Council moved a vote of thanks to the retiring Chairman.  Councillor Philip Circus spoke in support and it was resolved that the Council’s grateful thanks be extended to the retiring Chairman, Councillor Kate Rowbottom, for her service as Chairman of the Council during the Municipal Year 2022 to 2023.

It was moved by Councillor Chris Franke and seconded by Councillor Nick Grant that Councillor Nigel Emery be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council until the next annual meeting of the Council. There being no other nominations, Councillor Nigel Emery was declared appointed as Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing Council year.

There were no announcements.

To receive the report of the Returning Officer

Members were informed that the candidates elected on 4 May 2023 elections were as detailed in the report.

RESOLVED

That the Return of Members Elected be noted.

To receive the report of the Interim Monitoring Officer

The Interim Monitoring Officer advised Members that the political balance and allocation of seats on committees to political groups was as outlined in the report. Councillor Martin Boffey moved that the recommendations be approved. Councillor Philip Circus seconded the recommendations.

            RESOLVED:

(i)            That the membership of the political groups contained in paragraph 3.1 be noted;

(ii)           That the allocation of committee seats to each political group and the Independent Member as noted in paragraphs 3.2 – 3.6 be noted; and

(iii)          That the Employment Committee and the two Planning Committees are not politically balanced.

REASON:

To comply with the proportionality requirements contained in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Note:  The elected Leader will subsequently

·         Determine the number of Members to be appointed to their Cabinet

·         Appoint Members to the Cabinet

·         Appoint one of the Members of the Cabinet to be Deputy Leader

·         Determine the scope of the individual portfolios

·         Allocate the Cabinet Members to each portfolio

It was moved by Councillor Belinda Walters and seconded by Councillor Alexander Jeffery that Councillor Martin Boffey be elected Leader of the Council.

There being no other nominations, Councillor Boffey was declared elected as Leader of the Council. The Leader then advised the Council that his Cabinet would be as follows:

John Milne - Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning & Infrastructure

Mark Baynham - Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources

Colette Blackburn - Cabinet Member for Climate Action & Nature Recovery

Ruth Fletcher - Cabinet Member for Local Economy & Place

Jay Mercer - Cabinet Member for Environmental Health, Recycling & Waste

Jon Olson - Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture & Green Spaces

Sam Raby - Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities & Wellbeing

To appoint Members to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the year in accordance with the Political Balance report (15 Members)

Note:  The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has the functions set out in Article 6 of the Council’s Constitution

          Neither Cabinet Members nor the Chairman of the Council may be members of Overview and Scrutiny Committees

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That the membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee of the Council for the Municipal Year 2023/24 be as follows:

Note: Membership of the Planning and Employment Committees are constituted as set out in 10(a) and 10(b) below respectively rather than by political balance, in accordance with the Political Balance report

(i) Planning Committee (North) All Ward Members for the area of the Committee, namely: Horsham (unparished area) and the parishes of Broadbridge Heath, Colgate, Itchingfield, Lower Beeding, North Horsham, Nuthurst, Rudgwick, Rusper, Shipley, Slinfold, Southwater and Warnham together with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Development Management and the Chairman of the Planning Committee (South)

(ii) Planning Committee (South) All Ward Members for the area of the Committee, namely: the parishes of Amberley, Ashington, Ashurst, Billingshurst, Bramber, Coldwaltham, Cowfold, Henfield, Parham, Pulborough, Shermanbury, Steyning, Storrington & Sullington, Thakeham, Upper Beeding, Washington, West Chiltington, West Grinstead, Wiston and Woodmancote together with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Development Management and the Chairman of the Planning Committee (North)

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That the membership of the Planning Committee (North) of the Council for the Municipal Year 2023/24 be as follows:

Plus the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Development Management (Councillor John Milne) and the Chairman of Planning Committee (South)

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That the membership of the Planning Committee (South) of the Council for the Municipal Year 2023/24 be as follows:

Plus the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Development Management (Councillor John Milne) and the Chairman of Planning Committee (North)

The Chairman of the Council, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Minority Group (3 Members) plus a pool of six non-voting Member co-optees

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That the membership of the Employment Committee of the Council for the Municipal Year 2023/24 be as follows:

Chairman of the Council, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Minority Group.  Plus a pool of six additional substitute Members: 

Cllr Colette Blackburn, Cllr Mike Croker, Cllr Tony Hogben, Cllr Colin Minto, Cllr Roger Noel, Cllr John Trollope

To appoint the following ordinary Committees of the Council, and the Members to those Committees, for the year in accordance with the Political Balance report

(a) Audit Committee (7 Members)

(b) Governance Committee (to include the Chairman of the Council, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and one Member of the Cabinet) (9 Members)

(c) Licensing Committee (15 Members)

(d) Standards Committee (7 Members plus two Parish Council Representatives nominated by the Horsham Association of Local Councils (HALC) and two independent persons already co-opted) 

Note: One Parish Representative has already been co-opted, one to be nominated by HALC for recommendation to Council in September

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That the membership of the ordinary committees of the Council for the Municipal Year 2023/24 be as follows:

AUDIT COMMITTEE:

Cllr Anthony Frankland, Cllr Tony Hogben, Cllr Richard Landeryou, Cllr Len Ellis-Brown, Cllr Dennis Livingstone, Cllr Belinda Walters, Cllr Mike Wood 

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE:

Cllr James Brookes, Cllr Tony Bevis, Cllr Paul Clarke, Cllr Jon Campbell, Cllr Mike Croker, Cllr Jay Mercer, Cllr Roger Noel, Cllr David Skipp, Cllr Belinda Walters 

LICENSING COMMITTEE:

Cllr Emma Beard, Cllr Tony Bevis, Cllr Ruth Fletcher, Cllr Nick Grant, Cllr Joan Grech, Cllr Kasia Greenwood, Cllr Lynn Lambert, Cllr Richard Landeryou, Cllr Dennis Livingstone, Cllr Jay Mercer, Cllr John Milne, Cllr Jon Olson, Cllr Lynn Lambert, Cllr Clive Trott

STANDARDS COMMITTEE:

Cllr Mark Baynham, Cllr Tony Bevis, Cllr Joan Grech, Cllr Roger Noel, Cllr David Skipp, Cllr Belinda Walters, Cllr Tricia Youtan

Plus two Parish Council Representatives nominated by the Horsham Association of Local Councils (HALC) and two independent persons already co-opted). Note: One Parish Representative has already been co-opted, one to be nominated by HALC for recommendation to Council in September

To appoint two Members for the Henfield Ward and one Member for the Bramber, Upper Beeding & Woodmancote Ward

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED

That Members be appointed to the Henfield Commons Joint Committee for the Municipal Year 2022/23 be as follows:  

Councillor Malcolm Eastwood

Councillor Roger Noel 

Councillor Josh Potts

To note that Cabinet Members’ Policy Development Advisory Groups will be appointed after the Leader of the Council has confirmed their Cabinet and the scope of each portfolio

It was noted that Cabinet Members’ Policy Development Advisory Groups would be appointed and reported to the next meeting of the Council.

To note that details of the appointment of representatives to outside bodies will be undertaken by the Leader of the Council, as set out under Part Three, paragraph three 3.3.2 (k) of the Constitution.  The appointments will be noted at a future meeting of the Council.

It was noted that the Leader would appoint representatives to outside bodies, as set out under Part Three, paragraph three 3.3.2 (k) of the Constitution and would be reported to the next meeting of the Council.

(a)   To confirm the programme of ordinary meetings of the Council for the year, as follows:

Wednesday 21 June 2023

Wednesday 6 September 2023

Wednesday 11 October 2023

Wednesday 13 December 2023

Wednesday 21 February 2024

Wednesday 24 April 2024

Wednesday 29 May 2024 (Annual Meeting)

(b)   To agree the time of ordinary meetings of the Council for the year

It was moved by Councillor Martin Boffey, seconded by Councillor Philip Circus and RESOLVED  

(i)            That the dates of ordinary meetings of the council during the municipal year 2023/24 be on the following Wednesdays:  

Wednesday 21 June 2023

Wednesday 6 September 2023

Wednesday 11 October 2023

Wednesday 13 December 2023

Wednesday 21 February 2024

Wednesday 24 April 2024

Wednesday 29 May 2024 (Annual Meeting)

(ii)           That ordinary meetings of the Council during the municipal year 2023/24 commence at 6.00pm