The Mayor reported that she had had a memorable Mayoral term of office and had attended many events despite the challenges posed by Covid. The Mayor mentioned some of the highlights of her term of office.

The Mayor had raised over £25,000 for her chosen charitable causes and was proud to have awarded £20,000 to Dementia Carers Support, with the remainder allocated to further tree purchases.

The Mayor thanked her Mayoral Consort for his commitment and support . 

Finally, the Mayor thanked all those persons who had helped her during her Mayoral year. In particular, Alan Bostock for his photographic services and Katie Edmond (Mayoral Assistant) for her valuable support and organisational skills during the Mayoral Year and presented her with a framed painting of a Thorpe streetscene. The Mayor wished her successor all the best for their Mayoral term.

Many Councillors expressed their appreciation of the service and commitment given by the Mayor .

The Council, at its meeting on 3 March 2022, resolved that Councillor Margaret Harnden be nominated at the Annual Council Meeting for the office of Mayor for 2022/2023.

RESOLVED that –

Councillor Margaret Harnden be Mayor of Runnymede for the Municipal

Year 2022/23.

The statutory declaration of acceptance of office was made and signed by Councillor Harnden, who thanked the Council for her election.

In accordance with Standing Order 7, Council is asked to consider candidates for the office of Deputy Mayor for 2022/23 as Mark Adams who had been nominated for this office by Full Council at its meeting on 3 March 2022,was no longer a Member of the Council.

If there is more than one nomination, the selection of Deputy Mayor will be conducted by secret ballot.  In the event of an equality of votes on the nomination, the Mayor would exercise a casting or second vote.

(To resolve)

Background Papers

None

RESOLVED that –

Councillor Shannon Saise-Marshall be Deputy Mayor of Runnymede for

the Municipal Year 2022/23

The statutory declaration of acceptance of office was made and signed by Councillor Saise-Marshall, who thanked the Council for her appointment.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 28 April 2022 ,as circulated by email on 10 May 2022.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 28 April 2022 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Apologies were received from Councillors D Whyte and S Whyte.

Members are invited to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or other registrable and non-registrable interests in items on the agenda.

Cllr Balkan declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in items 12 (Appointment of Committees) and 15 (Appointment of Chairmen/Vice Chairmen of Committees) as he had been paid by Cllr Hulley for communication and administrative assistance ,solely for his duties as a Surrey County Councillor. Cllr Balkan withdrew from the room when these items were considered.

The Mayor thanked the Council for the honour of election to the office of Mayor and was looking forward to her Mayoral Year, where she would be proud to represent the Borough.  Her Consort would be Ian Patenall.

The Mayor welcomed Members, including the eight newly elected Members, and guests .

In accepting the office of Mayor, Cllr Harnden thanked all Members and expressed her appreciation of Cllr Gill for an outstanding term of office.

The Mayoral Charities would be:

Orchard Dementia Centre, Chertsey

Holme Farm Community Project

The Mayoral Chaplain for the year would be Fr Gerard Mee, Assistant Curate at St Mary’s Church,Thorpe.Fr Mee led the Council in a prayer.

No requests to speak or ask questions from Members had been registered by the deadline.

To receive any petitions from Members of the Council under Standing Order No 19.

No petitions had been submitted by Members of the Council under Standing Order No 19.

To note that the Constitution, approved at Council on 28 April 2022, will apply for the Municipal Year 2022/2023.

            (For information)

            Background papers- Constitution.

Council was informed that the Constitution, as agreed at the meeting of the Council on 28 April 2022, would apply for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

Following the Borough Election on 5 May 2022, to receive the report of the Corporate Head of Law and Governance, which will be circulated separately in due course, on appointment of Committees, the political composition thereof and the appointment of Members in political groups to such Committees

The Council considered the report of the Corporate Head of Law and Governance,

which set out the requirements of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. 

Members received information as to the wishes of the various Political Groups as to

Committee appointments. 

RESOLVED that –

i)          The named Committees be established and that the number of seats be confirmed as set out in para 12.3 of the report;

ii)         the allocation of seats on the Committees shown in attached Appendix ‘A’ be as set out therein.

iii)       the allocation of Committee seats to Members of Political Groups as at commencement of the Municipal Year 2022/23, as requested by those Groups and as laid before Council, be approved;

iv)       any other Member of the Council from the six political groups be eligible for appointment to any Committee or Sub-Committee, subject to receipt of appropriate training, where applicable; and

v)         the Chair of the RCRA be appointed as a non-voting member of the Housing Committee for the Municipal Year 2022/23

The Licensing Committee is separately constituted under the Licensing Act 2003.  There is no statutory requirement for political balance but it has been the practice of the Authority to ensure that this Committee includes the different political groupings.  In addition, the Members of the Regulatory Committee, which must be politically balanced, will also be Members of the Licensing Committee in accordance with Runnymede's Constitution.  This assists consideration of common issues and shared training.  Substitution on Licensing Committee at the behest of political groups will not be possible.

            RECOMMENDATION:

            To appoint eleven Councillors to the Licensing Committee.

            (To resolve)

            Background papers-none

RESOLVED that –

the Members of the Licensing Committee for the Municipal Year 2022/2023 be Councillors:  Broadhead, Burton, Clarke, Cotty, Cunningham, Furey,  Gill, A King,  Olorenshaw, Saise-Marshall and Wilson.

The lease provides that the Members of the Committee are to be the Mayor, DeputyMayor, and the Councillors representing the two Englefield Green Wards, together with ‘two other persons to be selected by the lessees [i.e. the Council] from amongst the occupying tenants of the several houses from round the Green set out in the Schedule hereto and of such other houses (if any) around the Green as may from time to time be fixed or appointed by the lessor [i.e. the Crown Estate] but in making such selections the lessees shall have regard to the wishes of the general body of such occupying tenants which may be conveyed to the lessees in writing or be ascertained by the lessees in such way as they may consider expedient’.

If elected Member representation is entirely local, the political balance requirements will not apply to the Committee in 2022/2023.  However, if either the Mayor or Deputy Mayor is not an Englefield Green Member it will be necessary for them to stand down from the Committee to avoid conflict with the Act in line with established practice.

As regards the residents representatives, for many years the Council’s practice has been to write to all the ‘qualifying tenants’ identifying whether the existing appointees are willing to continue to serve and inviting any other nominations.  The process for ascertaining residents’ wishes is not a vote.  If ‘the general body’ of qualifying residents expresses wishes, the Council must take those wishes into account.  This means that it must fairly and properly consider the wishes.  Having done so, it must use its judgment to make its own decision.

The existing appointees are Mr S Brisby and Mr N Bromilow who have allowed their names to go forward for consideration. There have been no other nominations.

            RECOMMENDATION:

To appoint the Englefield Green Committee with Englefield Green East and West Ward Members and two local residents' representatives.

            (To resolve)

            Background papers - Crown Lease for Englefield Green

At the request of a Member, a separate vote was taken on the appointment of the

Residents’ Representatives.

RESOLVED that –

the Englefield Green Committee (as required by the Crown Lease) for

the year 2022/23 be established and constituted as follows:

i)       Councillors Berardi, Heath, A. King, N. King and  Prescot; and

ii)      Two representatives appointed from the qualifying householders, namely Mr S Brisby and Mr N Bromilow.

The Council may appoint a Chairman and one or more Vice-Chairmen to each Committee (Standing Order 31.7).  The Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen must be Members of the Committees they serve.  It has been the previous practice for Englefield Green Committee to appoint its Chairman and Vice-Chairman at its June meeting so it is not included in the list below.

The Council can, if it so wishes, appoint all the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen in a single resolution.

            RECOMMENDATION:

            To appoint a Chairman and one or more Vice-Chairmen for each of the

following Committees:

            Corporate Management Committee

            Environment and Sustainability Committee

            Housing Committee

            Community Services Committee

            Planning Committee

            Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee/Crime and Disorder Committee

            Licensing Committee

            Regulatory Committee

            Standards and Audit Committee.

            (To resolve)

            Background papers - none

Nominations for Chairmen and Vice- Chairmen were moved and seconded as tabled.

With regard to the Chairmanship of Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee, Cllr Gillham commented that in order to provide constructive challenge to the majority group, it would be more appropriate for the Chairmanship of the Committee to be held by a member of the minority groups in line with the practice at some other Councils. Another Member suggested that the matter be reviewed by the Constitution MWP.

            RESOLVED that –

the following Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen be appointed for the Committees specified: -

            Corporate Management Committee

            Chairman:                 Councillor T Gracey

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Howorth

            Environment and Sustainability Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor N King

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Coen

            Housing Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor J Gracey

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Hulley

            Community Services Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Howorth

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Walsh

            Planning Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Willingale

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Snow

Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee / Crime and Disorder Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Furey

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Lewis

            Licensing Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Wilson

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Gill

            Regulatory Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Wilson

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Gill

            Standards and Audit Committee

            Chairman:                  Councillor Nuti

            Vice-Chairman:         Councillor Broadhead

No Sub-Committees are to be created without the express approval of Council, unless referred to in the Constitution (Standing Order 22.2).  The only "standing" Sub-Committees currently approved are the Licensing Sub-Committees of the Licensing Committee and the Hearings Sub-Committee of the Standards and Audit Committee.These sub - committees only meet as and when required and the memberships are drawn from the Licensing Committee and Standards and Audit Committee respectively.

The Sub-Committees will elect Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen at their next meetings,if and when arranged, in accordance with previous practice.

            (For information)

            Background papers-- none

Council noted that Members appointed  to Licensing and Hearings Sub-Committees would be drawn from members of the respective parent Committees.

Meetings of this Joint Committee will be held in July and November 2022, and March 2023.

The offices of Chairman and Vice- Chairman alternate between Runnymede and Surrey County Councils every year, with the Borough Council required to provide the Chairman in 2022/23. The Vice-Chairman will be appointed by Surrey CC.

RECOMMENDATION:

To appoint 6 Members of the Council, one of whom to be Chairman in 2022/23, to the Runnymede Joint Committee for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

(To resolve)

Background papers – Constitution of Runnymede Joint Committee.

RESOLVED that –

Councillors Balkan, Cressey, Gill, T Gracey, Prescot (Chairman), and

Wilson be appointed as the Council’s Members on the Runnymede Joint

Committee.

(The nominations of Councillors Cressey  and A King for one of the minority group seats were put to the vote and Councillor Cressey received the greater number of votes and was duly appointed)

To make the following appointment to the Surrey Environment Partnership and nominations to SLG:

a)           Surrey Environment Partnership 2022/23

Councillor N King was the Council's representative in 2021/22, with Councillor Gillham attending in an observer capacity.

RECOMMENDATION:

To appoint one Member to represent the Council on the Surrey Environment Partnership for 2022/23.

(To resolve)

            Nomination to the SLG for possible appointment to the following bodies - Three Year Appointments to June 2025.Details of the positions have been circulated separately with this Summons.Any Members nominated by Annual Council will be required to complete a nomination form for submission to SLG who will then consider all nominations received and make appointments.

b)        ADULTS AND HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE                                        

            TWO appointments available- must not be a member of Corporate

             Management Committee

c)         SOUTH EAST RESERVE FORCES’ AND CADETS’ ASSOCIATION

            ONE appointment available

d)        SURREY CIVILIAN MILITARY PARTNERSHIP BOARD

            ONE appointment available

e)         INTEGRATED CARE PARTNERSHIP BOARD

            ONE appointment available

f)         SCC PENSION FUND – INVESTMENT ADVISORS GROUP

            ONE appointment available

RECOMMENDATION:

One nomination each  be made to SLG for possible appointment to the bodies

in b),c),d) e) and f) above.

(To resolve)

Background papers - Email from SLG dated 11 April 2022.

RESOLVED that –

i)             Councillor Gillham be the Council's representative to serve on the Surrey Environment Partnership for 2022/23.

ii)            Councillors Cunningham and A King be nominated to the Adults and Health Select Committee;

iii)           Councillor Saise-Marshall be nominated to South East Reserve

 Forces’ and Cadets’ Assoc 

(Councillor Davies was also nominated to the Assoc.  The nominations of Councillors Davies and Saise-Marshall were put to the vote and Councillor Saise-Marshall received the greater number of votes and was duly nominated)

iv)    Councillor Walsh be nominated to the Surrey Civilian Military Partnership;

v)         Councillor Cunningham be nominated to the Integrated Care Partnership Board;

(Councillor R King was also nominated to the Board.  The nominations of Councillors Cunningham and R King were put to the vote and Councillor Cunningham received the greater number of votes and was duly nominated)

vi)        Councillor R King be nominated to the SCC Pension Fund -Investment

Advisors Group

To receive and consider any Notices of Motion from Members of the Council under Standing Order 15.  Any Motions received will be circulated separately with this Summons.

No Notices of Motion had been submitted by Members of the Council under Standing Order 15.

To consider any item of Minority Group Priority business registered under Standing Order 23. Any item of such business will be circulated separately with this Summons.

No items of Minority Group Priority Business had been registered under Standing Order 23.