To elect the Chairman of the Council for the 2011-2012 civic year.

The retiring Chairman of the Council, Marrilyn Smart OBE, to request nominations.

Following the election, the chairman will make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and address the Council.

Councillor Norman Stephens was nominated for the office of Chairman of

the Council.

RESOLVED that Councillor Norman Stephens be appointed to the office of

Chairman of the Council for the 2011-12 civic year.

The chairman made his declaration of acceptance of office and thanked members for electing him. He commented that Cllr Smart was a hard act to follow. He would be happy if he could try to measure up to how she and others such as George Read MBE and Bill Hobman had conducted themselves. He said that some people readily criticised the council, but he believed that all councillors were dedicated people and he was thankful for a democratic society. This council in common with many now had no group with an overall majority and he urged all members to work together for the betterment of the community.

He hoped that group leaders would continue to look for consensus, and while recognising that there would be differences that relations would be good-natured. Members could put aside those differences and socialise together.

He was sure that all members would do their best for the district in the difficult and exciting times ahead.

To appoint the Vice Chairman of the Council for the 2011-12 civic year.

Following the appointment, the vice chairman will make the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and address the Council.

Councillor Jane Horne was nominated for the office of Vice-chairman of

the Council.

RESOLVED that Councillor Jane Horne be appointed to the office of

Vice-chairman of the Council for the 2011-12 civic year.

The Vice-chairman made her declaration of acceptance of office and thanked members for electing her.

She looked forward to serving the people of the district in this new role, vowing to work hard and support the chairman. She hoped that she would be able to fulfil her duties and what would be expected of her.

To elect the Leader of the Council for a four-year term of office from the Annual Meeting May 2011 to the Annual Meeting May 2015.

It is proposed that the leader will represent the Council on the following bodies:

Forest of Dean Local Strategic Partnership

Leadership Gloucestershire

LGA General Assembly

South West Councils

RESOLVED that Councillor Patrick Molyneux be appointed to the office of

Leader of the Council for a four-year term of office from the Annual Meeting May 2011 to the Annual Meeting May 2015.

He will represent the council on the following bodies:

Forest of Dean Local Strategic Partnership

Leadership Gloucestershire

LGA General Assembly

South West Councils

Cllr Molyneux thanked members for their support and expressed his keenness to be an inclusive leader, working together as a council. The cabinet would be more open and involve more members in its work. He would allow questions from members at cabinet meetings.

The most important thing to keep in mind was what happens for the people of the district. He would do his best to achieve everything he could for the community. He hoped that all members would be behind him in the sentiment if not always the voting to drive the district forward.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllr Hogan.

Cllr Martin informed members that Cllr Hogan had suffered from a slight stroke, but that he was now recovering at home. The chairman said that he would write to Councillor Hogan from the council and would also include Cllr Hogan’s wife in sending best wishes.

To confirm the minutes of the Full Council meeting held on 14 April 2011.

The minutes of the last full Council meeting on the 14 April 2011 were confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

The chairman to identify any items of urgent business.

The chairman accepted one question from Cllr O’Neill for the Leader of the Council to answer.

Cllr O’Neill asked the following question

“Does the Leader of the Council, (and do other members), agree that the decision of the cabinet of the County Council to close and sell off the ‘Wilderness Centre’ in Mitcheldean is a retrograde step, which will further diminish the educational provision for thousands of young people in the District and the County, and would the leader write to Councillor Mark Hawthorn, Leader of the County Council, condemning the closure and sale, and urging that, should the closure go ahead, they look for alternatives to a sale, as they have done at South Cerney, so that this fantastic facility is not lost forever?

Response from Cllr Molyneux, Leader of the Council

He thanked Cllr O’Neill for the question, expressing regret for the loss of any service, particularly if it was for children. He understood the concern, but pointed out that the decision had been made in February as part of the county council’s budget savings proposals. There had been full consultation, representations had been made and all county councillors had been considered the matter. The decision could have been called in, but had no call-in had been made. The county council had to reduce debt and to retain the facility would cost at least £1 million in refurbishment costs.

Cllr O’Neill was right that the facility had been used by many young people from across the county and indeed other parts of the country. However the decision would not prevent other organisations fro taking over the Wilderness Centre.

He repeated his regret at the loss of any children’s service and agreed to write to Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, expressing concern and requesting him to look carefully for any alternative options.

To receive any declarations of interest in any matter to be discussed at the meeting, Members and officers are requested to identify the nature of the interest and indicate whether it is personal or prejudicial.

There were none on this occasion.

One minute’s silence

The chairman invited members, officers and the public to join him in observing one minute’s silence as a mark of respect for ColourSerjeant Kevin Fortuna, from Beachley based battalion 1 Rifles who was killed by an improvised explosive device when on patrol in the Helmand Province on Monday 23 May 2011.

Independent Forestry Panel

The chairman advised members that the national Independent Panel on Forestry, established by central government to advise on the future direction of forestry and woodland policy in England, has announced that it would be making three site visits as part of their work.  The first of these would be to the Forest of Dean and would take place on Monday 13 June.  At the last Council meeting on 14 April Full Council agreed to establish an advisory group to prepare evidence to present to the panel in support of protecting and maintaining the heritage and small commercial woodlands in the Forest of Dean and surrounding areas.  The proposed membership for this advisory group is included in annex A to report 11.1 on the agenda and the terms of reference are at Appendix 4 to the minutes.

Development Control Procedures Training

The chairman announced that the afternoon session had been changed at the request of members and would now be 6pm – 8pm.  The morning session would still take place 11am – 1pm.

The chairman to present a commemorative badge to Marrilyn Smart OBE, the retiring Chairman of the Council, in recognition of her service to the council and the local community. The outgoing chairman to address the council.

The chairman commented that Cllr Smart had at times been endured difficult situations in the chamber, but had always chaired meetings with great dignity.

She had been instrumental in setting up the Pride of the Forest Awards, which had now been running for four years celebrating unsung heroes across the district.

She had raised significant funds for two local charities: Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) and the Great Oaks Hospice

In support of this, last year she had changed the Chairman’s Civic Dinner into the Chairman’s Charity Dinner so that the dinner and the Pride of the Forest awards ceremony were cost neutral to the council and also raised funds for Cllr Smart’s chosen charities.

She had been tireless in her support of the local battalion 1 Rifles and their families – perhaps the main highlight being the Freedom of the District Parade and family fun day in June 2009. She had been the driving force behind the event.

She had undertaken a wide range and high number of civic engagements and always gave 100 per cent in all her duties as Chairman of the Council, acting as an excellent advocate for the council and the district.

He ended by saying that it gave him great pleasure to present Cllr Smart OBE with a past chairman’s badge.

Cllr Smart thanked the chairman for the commemorative badge, which she would always treasure, and for his kind comments.  Hers had been an interesting term of office and, despite some difficult meetings, she would not have missed it for the world. 

She thanked all members and officers, past and present for their support and friendship and to Vice-chairman Dr Richard Long who has now retired from the council. She wished him well for the future.

She thanked in particular Sue Pangbourne, Peter Hibberd, Julie Jones and all in Democratic Services for their help and support and at times, their patience. She also thanked her original team of Simon Harper, Tony Wisdom and Marsha Llewellyn, and latterly Rachael Orchard, Karen Williams and Linda Macdonald.

She said that it had been a huge honour to be civic head of the district, following a family tradition of public service.

She paid tribute to the late Cllr George Read MBE, missing his sensible and wise counsel.  She added that the magnificent seat erected on Plump Hill was a wonderful tribute to his service to the community.

She hoped that she had conducted fair debate with a little humour and given everyone in this chamber an opportunity to speak, whatever their political persuasion.  She thanked members for the support given to 1 Rifles and their families, particularly during their deployment to Afghanistan in 2008 and again today in 2011.  She would always remember with great pride Armed Forces Day, 27 June 2009, when the council bestowed the Freedom of the District on 1 Rifles.  She hoped that Pride of the Forest Awards and chairman’s charity dinner would continue as an opportunity to hand something back to the community  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.1

Following the district election on 5 May, the chairman to welcome 18 new members of the council and to welcome back re-elected members.

Following the district election on 5 May, the chairman welcomed 18 new members of the council and welcomed back re-elected members. He hoped that all would gain great satisfaction from their ward work, commenting that being a councillor was not all about meetings. He also took time to thank unsuccessful candidates without whom there would be no proper democracy.

The chairman to announce that Armed Forces Day will be on 25 June 2011.  The council will once again be flying the Armed Services Day flag and the chairman to invite members to attend the flag raising ceremony on Monday, 20 June 2011 at 10:00am

The chairman announced that Armed Forces Day would be on 25 June 2011.  The council would once again be flying the Armed Services Day flag and the chairman invited members to attend the flag raising ceremony on Monday, 20 June 2011 at 10:00am

To receive report LD.350 from the Returning Officer, relating to the District Council Elections and the National Referendum held on 5 May 2011.

Referring to report LD.350, the Head of Paid Service reported that the council had received all declarations of acceptance of office.

The vice-chairman expressed her appreciation to the Returning Officer , Marie Rosenthal and her team for the hard work in preparing for the election and the smoothly run and well organised count. The chairman added his thanks and believed that members would agree.

Full Council noted the report.

The Head of Paid Service to present report LD.351 setting out the notifications received under Regulation 8 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

The Head of Paid Service confirmed that there were no changes to the composition of political groups as at annex A to report LD.351.

Full Council noted the report.

To consider report LD.348 and allocate committee seats to political groups and determine appointments to committees and other council bodies.

Please note that the council may be asked under this item to approve alternative arrangements to strict political proportionality for appointments to committees and other bodies in accordance with Regulation 20 of the Local Government (Committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990.

The Head of Paid Service to convene the first meeting of each committee to elect its chairman and vice chairman.

The chairman explained that members would consider and vote on each report recommendation one at a time. He invited Cllr Molyneux to present information regarding recommendation a).

Cllr Molyneux explained that the tabled spreadsheet (attached) detailed the allocated seats on each committee for each political group on a proportional basis.

Cllr Molyneux proposed and Cllr Robinson seconded the recommendation a) at the agenda, using the spreadsheet

Cllr Martin, deputy leader of the Labour group, referred to the spreadsheet totals, which stated that the theoretical entitlement for the Labour group was 25.1 committee seats overall. She claimed that it was unfair that the actual allocation of seats to the Labour group was 24. In contrast, while the theoretical entitlement for the Conservative group was 28.1, the actual allocation was 29. Similarly the Independent group had been allocated 14 seats when its theoretical entitlement had been 13.1.

She argued that the extra seat due should therefore be allocated to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, since the Labour group was the main opposition group. Scrutiny looked carefully at the work of the cabinet and addressed issues of public concern in the community. As an inclusive council she urged members to redress the balance.

Cllr Martin proposed and Cllr Sterry seconded the following amendment.

That there should be six seats allocated to the Labour group and five seats allocated to the Conservative group on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

In support of the amendment Cllr Bill Evans welcomed Cllr Molyneux’s comments about working together. He believed that scrutiny was the most important role within the council, since scrutiny took the cabinet to task over whether it was delivering what it said it would. He urged the leader to reconsider the allocation, arguing that the leading group should not scrutinise itself.

Cllr Molyneux insisted that the council would be inclusive and that the spreadsheet was fair, in that the figures had been arrived at following the 1989 Act’s emphasis on proportionality by committee. As a gesture of goodwill, he had offered a seat on one of the other committees to the Labour group, which had declined the offer. He agreed that scrutiny was vital in looking at the work of the council and every non-executive member of the council should be involved. For that reason many members of his group had been keen to be on the scrutiny committee. He reminded members that the new scrutiny regime would involve sub-committees that would scrutinise the work of cabinet members, thus widening out member involvement.

He believed that the figures on the spreadsheet had been arrived at following the principles of the 1989 Act and he would be voting against the amendment.

Cllr Hiett could not see how Cllr Molyneux’s intransigence could be seen as inclusive. He reminded members that part of the reason for the difficulties of the previous council, as mentioned by the outgoing and current chairman, was the way in which the ruling group had run the executive. This new council now had the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.1

To consider report LD.349 to determine appointments to community organisations, partnerships and local authority bodies.

Members considered report LD.349. Appointments were made as detailed at appendix 3 to these minutes.

Councillor Molyneux proposed and Councillor Thomson seconded the motion.

RESOLVED to approve the appointments to outside bodies detailed at

appendix 3 to the minutes for the four-year term of the council 2011 – 2015.

Thursday 14 July 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 6 October 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 15 December 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 26 April 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 24 May 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 14 July 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 6 October 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 15 December 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 26 April 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 24 May 2012 at 7pm