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.

Councillor Marrilyn Smart OBE was nominated for the office of Chairman of

the Council.

RESOLVED that Councillor Marrilyn Smart OBE be appointed to the office of

Chairman of the Council for the 2010-11 civic year.

Cllr Smart thanked members, saying that it remained a privilege to serve the Council. It was the most stimulating, rewarding and at times emotionally exhausting role. She thanked her vice chairman for his support.

She then mentioned a few highlights from the previous year. It had been an honour and privilege to host the Freedom Parade for the local battalion 1 Rifles, paying tribute to the eight soldiers who had lost their lives in Afghanistan.

She had opened the new reception area in October, delivering on the Council’s commitment to provide a better service to its customers. 

She had welcomed a large number of school pupils to the Council and had taken part in a mock trial

In November the Council had held the third Pride of the Forest Awards ceremony linked to the Civic Dinner, where she heard about and met some of the great everyday champions in the district.

She had been proud to showcase the Council and the Forest by hosting a civic reception for the Coalfields Alliance national meeting. 

She was also really pleased that the Council’s overall improvement journey had continued to gain momentum, even when set against a backdrop of delivering more than a million pounds of efficiency savings.

Finally, she hoped that what united all members was the desire to achieve as much as possible for the people of the Forest of Dean.  She looked forward to working with all members over the coming year to achieve this goal.