Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Christopher Barrass, Richard Billington, Andrew Gomm, Liz Hogger, Deborah Seabrook, Pauline Searle, James Steel, and Keith Witham, and also from Honorary Aldermen Catherine Cobley, Jayne Marks, Tony Phillips, and Lynda Strudwick.

To receive and note any disclosable pecuniary interests from councillors. In accordance with the local Code of Conduct, a councillor is required to disclose at the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) that they may have in respect of any matter for consideration on this agenda.  Any councillor with a DPI must not participate in any discussion or vote regarding that matter and they must also withdraw from the meeting immediately before consideration of the matter.

If that DPI has not been registered, the councillor must notify the Monitoring Officer of the details of the DPI within 28 days of the date of the meeting.

Councillors are further invited to disclose any non-pecuniary interest which may be relevant to any matter on this agenda, in the interests of transparency, and to confirm that it will not affect their objectivity in relation to that matter.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

Councillors Tim Anderson, Guida Esteves, Angela Goodwin, and Cait Taylor each declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of Item 8 on the agenda – Appointment of Committees: 2022-23 and Other Appointments (see Minute No. CO15 below), and specifically the proposed appointments to the board of North Downs Housing Limited. 

To confirm the minutes of the ordinary meeting of the Council held on 5 April 2022 (attached) and the Annual Meeting held on 11 May (to follow).

The Council confirmed, as a correct record, the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 5 April 2022, and the Annual Meeting held on 11 May 2022. The Mayor signed the minutes.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Mayor.

The Mayor thanked everyone who attended both the Annual Meeting and the Civic Service.

The Mayor reported that, on 13 May 2022, he had been interviewed on Freeview Channel 7 TV, where had had the opportunity of highlighting his plans for the mayoral year, including support for the mayoral charities and various events planned to support those charities, the first of which was a Charity Concert - An Audience with Jonathan Veira – to be held on 24 June 2022 in support of Challengers, details of which would be circulated shortly.

The Mayor had also attended his first function as Mayor when he attended the Mole Valley Chairman’s Civic Dinner on 13 May 2022.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council.

The Leader of the Council reported that information from the Home Office had indicated that there were just over a thousand Surrey sponsor households matched with nearly 3,000 Ukrainian refugees, with Guildford having 165 sponsor families matched with nearly 400 refugees, with just under half of those having arrived already in the borough.  The Leader indicated that the Council would ensure that the necessary support was given to sponsor families and their guests.

The Leader was pleased to report that the Council would be leaving over 300 hectares of our parks and countryside unmown as part of ‘No Mow May’, which was being supported to provide habitats for insects and to promote biodiversity.  The Council would be leaving these areas unmown for most of the summer not just during May to ensure we have the biggest impact on biodiversity.

The Leader also reported that it was now one year since the Council launched ‘My Guildford’, the online Residents’ Portal.   He was pleased to note that 38,000 people had signed up in the first year, which was significantly ahead of the predicted take-up. As part of the ongoing work to improve Council services, residents would be asked for their help in improving the website.  The Council’s digital team would be running website test sessions in Guildford Library every Tuesday morning between 9.30am and 1.30pm until July.  This would allow us to watch users engage with the website in real life situations and to observe any navigational difficulties and to see what worked well and where we could improve.  The Leader encouraged all Councillors to join one of the sessions and to see first-hand the work being undertaken to make the website function most effectively for residents.

In response to a question as to whether the Council would obtain a breakdown by ward of sponsoring families and Ukrainian guests to ensure that support was given where it was needed, the Leader confirmed that this information had been requested.

In response to a further question regarding deploying staff who would otherwise have been engaged in mowing on other activities to promote biodiversity, the Leader indicated that he would take up the matter with the Parks and Countryside Development Lead.

To receive questions or statements from the public.

No members of the public had indicated a wish to ask a question or make a statement to the Council.

To hear questions (if any) from councillors of which due notice has been given.

There were no questions from Councillors.

The Council considered a report on the appointment of councillors to committees, and the election of chairmen and vice-chairmen of those committee for the municipal year 2022-23, together with a number of other appointments including the appointment of Councillor Champions for 2022-23.

Details of the proposed committees and their respective size and terms of reference were set out in the report submitted to the Council, including details of the numerical allocation of seats on the committees to the political groups.  The report included details of each group’s nominations to fill those seats (and substitutes where appropriate), together with the nominations for election of committee and sub-committee chairmen and vice-chairmen.  The Council was invited to vote on the contested elections in respect of the Chairmen of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee (Councillors Manning and Potter having been nominated) and Planning Committee (Councillors Moseley and White having been nominated).

The report also included details of the proposed appointment of councillors and officers to the boards of Guildford Borough Council Holdings Limited, North Downs Housing Limited and Elevate Guildford Limited.

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

RESOLVED:

(1)     That, for the 2022-23 municipal year, the Council agrees to appoint the committees referred to in the table set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report submitted to the Council, and agrees their respective size referred to therein and the proposed terms of reference, as indicated in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)        That the following numerical allocation of seats on committees to each political group on the Council, be approved for the 2022-23 municipal year:

(3)        That the nominations for membership and (where applicable) substitute membership of the committees, Executive Advisory Boards, and the joint committees, for the 2022-23 municipal year, be approved as shown in Appendix 3 to the report and as set out below:

Corporate Governance and Standards Committee

To receive and note the attached minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 22 March 2022.

The Council received and noted the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 22 March 2022. 

To order the Common Seal to be affixed to any document to give effect to any decision taken by the Council at this meeting.

The Council

RESOLVED: That the Common Seal of the Council be affixed to any documents to give effect to any decisions taken by the Council at this meeting.