If Members have an interest in an item, please complete a member interest form and email it to Democratic.Services@runnymede.gov.uk by 5pm on the day of the meeting. Members are advised to contact the Corporate Head of Law and Governance prior to the meeting if they wish to seek advice on a potential interest.

The Council, at its meeting on 29 February 2024, resolved that Councillor Elaine Gill be nominated at the annual meeting of the Council for the office of Mayor for the 2024/25 municipal year.

Recommendation:

To elect a Mayor for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The newly elected Mayor will announce their consort.

The newly elected Mayor will announce their Chaplain (if any).

The Council, at its meeting on 25 April 2024, resolved that Councillor Margaret Harnden be nominated at the Annual Council Meeting for the office of Deputy Mayor for the 2024/25 municipal year.

Recommendation:

To appoint a Deputy Mayor for the 2024/25 municipal year.

The newly appointed Deputy Mayor will announce their consort.

1.    To note that the Constitution, approved at Council on 25 April 2024, will apply for the 2024/25 municipal year (subject to any in-year amendments).

2.    To consider any further amendments to the Constitution.

To appoint a Leader of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 6.

To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 25 April 2024.

In pursuance of Standing Order 12.1, public questions or speaking is not permitted at this meeting.

To receive any petitions from members of the Council under Standing Order 19.

In pursuance of Standing Order 13.1 v), questions from members of the Council are not permitted at this meeting.

To establish committees and sub-committees, for the 2024/25 municipal year, in accordance with the provisions set out in the Council’s Constitution.

Notes:

·       No further sub-committees can be created without the express approval of Council, unless referred to in the Constitution (in accordance with Standing Order 22.2).

·       Notwithstanding the Standing Appointments Sub-Committee listed above, the only other "standing" sub-committees currently approved are Licensing Sub-Committees, and Standards and Audit Sub-Committees which meet as and when required.

·       The Standing Council Tax Setting Committee meets as and when required, in accordance with its terms of reference.

Recommendation:

To establish the committees and sub-committees in accordance with the Constitutional arrangements set out above.

Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 sets out how ordinary Committees must be constituted when the authority is divided into one or more political groups. The authority is to give effect, as far as reasonably practicable, to the following four principles when constituting its committees or sub-committees:

a)    that not all the seats on the committee or sub-committee are allocated to the same political group;

b)    that the majority of the seats on the committee or sub-committee are allocated to a particular political group if the number of persons belonging to that group is a majority of the authority's membership;

c)     subject to paragraphs (a) and (b) above, that the number of seats on the ordinary committees of a relevant authority which are allocated to each political group bears the same proportion to the total of all the seats on the ordinary committees of that Authority as is borne by the number of members of that group to the membership of the authority; and

d)    subject to paragraphs (a) to (c) above, that the number of the seats on the committee or sub-committee which are allocated to each political group bears the same proportion to the number of all the seats on that body as is borne by the number of members of that group to the membership of the Authority.

It is important to note that the commonly accepted definition of a “political group” is a grouping of two or more members.  Independent councillors therefore do not have an entitlement to a seat on a committee, although the Council is at liberty to allocate seats to independent councillors, should it so wish.

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 is constituted with consideration for proportionality arrangements. The Licensing Committee is therefore included in the wider calculations.

Further information on the calculated entitlement to seats on committees, and recommendations on the proposed allocation of seats to political groups, are to follow after discussions between group leaders.

To appoint members to serve on the above-mentioned committees and sub-committees, in accordance with the arrangements set out in the Council’s Constitution and the wishes of political groups.

Members are reminded that should the need for a change in membership arise during the year, under Standing Order 22.8 the Chief Executive, Corporate Head of Law and Governance, or Democratic Services Manager, are authorised to make and change appointments to committees and sub-committees in accordance with the wishes of the relevant political group.

The following provisions, with regard to membership of certain committees and sub-committees, apply:

·         The membership of the Crime and Disorder Committee is that of the Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee

·         The membership of the Regulatory Committee is drawn from the membership of the Licensing Committee

·         The membership of Licensing Sub-Committees are drawn from the Licensing Committee, as and when required

·         The membership of Standards and Audit Sub-Committees are drawn from the Standards and Audit Committee, as and when required

·         The membership of the Standing Council Tax Setting Committee is that of the Corporate Management Committee

To seek to avoid any legal difficulties in making substitute appointments during the year, the Council is asked to agree what Members other than those originally appointed should be eligible for membership of Committees or Sub-Committees. It is suggested that any other Member of the Council from the political groups be eligible, so as to maximise flexibility.

It should be noted that substitution arrangements do not apply to the Licensing Committee and that substitutes for the Planning Committee will be required to have undertaken appropriate training.

Proposed appointments to committees will follow, at the conclusion of discussions between group leaders.

The lease with the Crown Estate provides that the members of the committee are to be the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, 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 2024/2025. 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.

In relation to residents’ representatives, for many years the Council’s practice has been to write to all the ‘qualifying tenants’ to seek 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.

Three nominations from qualifying tenants have been received:

1.    Nigel Bromilow

2.    Richard McGregor-Johnson

3.    James Saunders

Curriculum vitaes for the nominees above are attached as exempt appendices.

Recommendation:

1.    To appoint the councillors representing the wards of Englefield Green East and West Ward Members to the Englefield Green Committee

2.    To appoint two local residents' representatives.

Background papers - Crown Lease for Englefield Green

To appoint chairs and vice-chairs to the following committees:

·       Corporate Management Committee

·       Environment and Sustainability Committee

·       Housing Committee

·       Community Services Committee

·       Planning Committee

·       Licensing Committee

·       Regulatory Committee

·       Overview and Scrutiny Select Committee

·       Crime and Disorder Committee

·       Standards and Audit Committee

·       Englefield Green Committee

Unlisted committees and sub-committees may elect chairs and vice-chairs, as and when required, in accordance with existing custom and practice.

Recommendation:

That the Council appoint a chair and vice-chair to the committees above.

Consideration of this item will only be required if there is no single group with a majority of the seats on the Council.

The Council’s Constitution provides the following provision for designating minority groups, for the purposes of consideration of minority group business in accordance with Standing Order 23:

“a political group which is not the majority group, if there is a majority group. If there is no majority group, the Council may designate any political group or groups as a minority group for the purposes of Standing Orders”.

The Council is invited to consider which groups it wishes to designate as minority groups for the purposes of Standing Order 23.  This item may be subject to reconsideration, should there be any changes in the political groups represented on the Council.

Officer’s recommendation:

That the Council agree which groups on the Council be formally designated as “minority groups” for the purposes of Standing Order 23.

Councillor L Gillham was the Council’s representative in 2023/24.

Recommendation:

The Council is asked to agree its representative on the Surrey Environment Partnership for 2024/25.

Following the decision of former Councillor Nick Prescot, who was appointed to the Surrey Police and Crime Panel in 2023 for a four year term, to not stand at the election on 2 May 2024, a vacancy has arisen on the Panel.  Runnymede Borough Council is invited to appoint a representative to the Panel, in accordance with the Panel’s Constitution, for a term of office to be agreed by the Council.

Further details about the work of the Surrey Police and Crime Panel can be found on the Surrey County Council website.

Officers consider an appropriate term of office to be one year.  Should members agree to a one year appointment, this item will feature on the summons of future annual meetings of the Council, along with other relevant appointments.

Recommendations:

The Council is asked to:

1.    Agree its appointment to the Surrey Police and Crime Panel.

2.    Agree a term of office of one year for the appointed individual.

To consider nominations to the SLG for possible appointment to the following bodies for a period of three years to June 2027.  Any members wishing to have their nomination considered by the SLG are required to have completed and returned a nomination form to democratic.services@runnymede.gov.uk by the end of Monday 29 May 2024.  Democratic Services will issue nomination forms after the annual meeting of the Council.

Recommendations:

That the Council agree its nominations to each available position, subject to nominees providing their completed nomination form to the Democratic Services by the end of Monday 27 May 2024 i.e. nomination forms not received by this time will invalidate the nomination.

Representatives may not be members of the Corporate Management Committee.

One position available.

One position available.

One position available.

One position available.

One position available.

No motions have been received under Standing Order 15.

No minority group business has been received in accordance with Standing Order 23.

To consider any items so resolved at the meeting.