Issue - meetings

Councillors noted that, in July and August 2021, Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils had considered options for collaboration and had agreed to put in place governance arrangements for the partnership, and to create a Joint Management Team (JMT) comprising Chief Executive, Directors and Heads of Service. A Joint Appointments Committee (JAC) of three councillors from each council was established and in November 2021, both councils appointed Tom Horwood as the Joint Chief Executive.  The next phase of the appointment process was being conducted in two stages, Directors and then Heads of Service. The JAC had carried out the first stage of the appointments and had completed a recruitment process to appoint three Joint Strategic Directors.

Although the JAC could undertake and determine all aspects of the process for the appointment of the Joint Directors on behalf of the councils, statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State under Section 40 of the Localism Act 2011, to which all councils must have regard required that any new senior appointment with a salary package of £100,000 or more required full Council approval.  In addition to this, any appointments to the statutory offices of Section 151 Officer or Monitoring Officer must be approved by the Full Councils of both authorities. Therefore, following the assessment process with candidates for the Joint Strategic Director roles the JAC, at its meeting held on 16 June 2022, had recommended the following appointments for confirmation by both councils:

(a)  Ian Doyle

(b)  Dawn Hudd

(c)  Annie Righton

The full Council could only make or approve the appointment where no well-founded objection had been made by the Leader on behalf of the Executive in accordance with the provisions of Part II of Schedule 1 of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001. The Leaders had confirmed that no such objection had been made.

Separate to the appointments process, this Council was required to appoint a Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer), in the light of the imminent departure of the current Director of Resources on 31 July. While the next phase of the Joint Management Team progressed, it was proposed that an interim joint appointment be agreed with the current Section 151 Officer within Waverley Borough Council, Graeme Clark to take effect from 1 August 2022.

The Council noted that, at its meeting on 19 July, Waverley Borough Council had also considered this matter and had resolved to appoint Ian Doyle, Dawn Hudd, and Annie Righton to the roles of Joint Strategic Directors.

Upon the motion of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Joss Bigmore, seconded by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Julia McShane, the Council

RESOLVED:

(1) To make the appointments of the three Joint Strategic Directors as follows:

(a)  Ian Doyle;

(b)  Dawn Hudd;

(c)  Annie Righton

(2)    To appoint Graeme Clark as Section 151 Officer from 1 August 2022.

Reasons for Recommendation:

(1)   To appoint permanent Joint Strategic Directors for Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils.

(2)  To appoint a Section 151 Officer as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39