Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bilal Akhtar, Phil Bellamy, David Bilbé, Ruth Brothwell, Yves de Contades, Angela Goodwin, Steven Lee, Patrick Oven, George Potter, Merel Rehorst-Smith, and Catherine Young; and from Honorary Aldermen Catherine Cobley, Jayne Marks, Tony Phillips, Lynda Strudwick, and Jenny Wicks.

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 disclosures of interest.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Mayor.

The Mayor had no communications to convey to the Council.

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

The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:

Rural England Prosperity Fund grants

Grants of up to £50,000 were now available, which were funded by DEFRA, as part of the `Levelling up’ agenda. The grants were available to fund projects that would have a positive impact on small businesses and communities in the rural areas of Guildford, Waverley and Tandridge.

Small businesses in any of those areas could apply for grants of up to 50% of their project’s capital costs. The programme aimed to strengthen the local rural economy by:

• supporting rural development
• job creation
• growth and community enterprise

More information about the Rural England prosperity fund grant was available on Surrey County Council’s website.

Guildford House Open exhibition and art prize winner

An art exhibition from national artists, shortlisted through a competition in partnership with Parker Harris Contemporary Visual Arts Specialists, was currently open until 6 January.

Christmas/New Year office closing dates and emergency numbers

Over the Christmas period and New Year, the Council offices would be closed:

• from 4.30pm on Friday 22 December until Thursday 28 December 2023
• Monday 1 January 2024

The Hive would be closed from 1pm on 22 December until 2 January 2024. Emergency information was available on the Council’s website.

Christmas/New Year bin collections

Details of changes to bin collection days over the Christmas/New Year period were set out on the Council’s website.  There would be no garden waste collections for two weeks between Monday 25 December and Saturday 6 January.

The Leader wished local residents, businesses, officers and councillors a merry Christmas and happy New Year.

To receive questions or statements from the public in relation only to the business for which this extraordinary meeting has been called.

No members of the public had registered to speak or ask a question at the meeting.

To hear questions from councillors of which due notice has been given in relation only to the business for which this extraordinary meeting has been called.

There were no questions from councillors.

Following the announcement by Tom Horwood of his resignation as Joint Chief Executive/Head of Paid Service, the search for a permanent appointment of Mr Horwood’s successor had been carried out in conjunction with Penna.

The report to the Council had set out details of the recruitment campaign, and selection process, including the outcome of a stakeholder panel which led to the shortlisting of five candidates for final interviews by the Joint Appointments Committee (JAC).  

Following the withdrawal of one of the candidates from the process, the JAC, at its meeting held on 14 December 2023, had interviewed the remaining four shortlisted candidates and took into account the technical and psychometric assessments and feedback received from the stakeholder panel in respect of each candidate.  The JAC had unanimously agreed to recommend to both councils that confirmation of a formal offer of appointment to the post of Joint Chief Executive, and designation as Head of Paid Service, be made to Pedro Wrobel, who was currently Executive Director, Innovation and Change at Westminster City Council.

That confirmation was subject to the usual HR clearances and to no material or well-founded objection being made by either of the two Council Leaders on behalf of their respective Executives, in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 5 of Part II of Schedule 1 to the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001.

At the meeting, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that no such objection had been received.

Upon the motion of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Julia McShane seconded by the Lead Councillor for Finance and Property, Councillor Richard Lucas, the Council:

RESOLVED: That the formal appointment of Pedro Wrobel to the post of Joint Chief Executive and designation as Head of Paid Service for both Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils be confirmed at a salary of £165,000 p.a., subject to the usual HR clearances.

Reasons:

·      To appoint a Joint Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, as part of the agreed collaboration arrangements between Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils.

·      To comply with the requirements of Section 4 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989