Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the proposal for the Mayor to continue to serve as a Director of Peaks and Plains Housing Trust.

The Chairman is of the opinion that this matter constitutes urgent business and may be dealt with at the meeting in accordance with Committee Procedure Rule 37.2.  The reason for urgency is:

“A decision is required to be made as soon as possible and cannot wait until the next meeting of the Civic Sub Committee.  The Constitution Committee as parent Committee of the Civic Sub Committee is able to determine this matter.”

The Chairman was of the opinion that this matter constituted urgent business and would be dealt with at the meeting in accordance with Committee Procedural Rule 37.2 and Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.  The reason for urgency was:

“A decision was required to be made as soon as possible and could not wait until the next meeting of the Civic Sub Committee.  The Constitution Committee as parent committee of the Civic Sub Committee was able to determine the matter.”

Under the Mayoral Code of Practice, the Mayor should not be appointed as Chairman or Vice Chairman of any Committee or Sub Committee of the Council.  They may accept ex officio positions with an outside organisation or body where their membership stems from their position as Mayor for the time being.  They may attend the annual meeting or other special meetings of an outside organisation or body and may accept the position of patron or president, but should not become actively involved during their term of office.

The Mayor, Councillor Roger West, had served as a Director of Cheshire Peaks and Plains Housing Trust since vesting day.  As a Director, both he and the Trust, had invested considerable time, effort and resources in ensuring that he had the necessary skills and capabilities to perform the role of Director.  However, under the Code of Practice the Mayor should consider resigning as a Director.

Cabinet in June had made a number of appointments to Category 1 Outside Organisations including the Board of the Peaks and Plains Housing Trust.  Cabinet resolved that the Civic Sub Committee be asked to consider their recommendation and endorse the Mayor’s appointment as a Director of Peaks and Plains Housing Trust.

The Committee concluded that when a Councillor took on the role of Mayor, they agreed to the conditions of the Mayoral Code of Practice which applied for their year of office and that there should be no variation of these rules.  Therefore the Committee agreed that it could not endorse the request that the Mayor be appointed as a Director of Peaks and Plains Housing Trust.

RESOLVED:

That the request for the Mayor to continue as a Director of Peaks and Plains Trust be declined.