Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Nils Christiansen, Murray Grubb Jnr., David Reeve, and Pauline Searle, and from Honorary Aldermen K Childs, Mrs C F Cobley, Mrs S Creedy, Mrs C F P Griffin, Mrs M Lloyd-Jones, J Marks, B Parke, and L Strudwick.

To receive and note any disclosable pecuniary interests from councillors. In accordance with the revised 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.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To confirm the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 3 May 2017 (to follow).

The Council confirmed, as a correct record, the minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 3 May 2017. The Mayor signed the minutes.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Mayor.

The Mayor thanked councillors for their support at both the Annual Meeting on 3 May and the Civic Service on Sunday 7 May 2017. 

The Mayor reminded councillors that there would be an extraordinary meeting of the Council on 16 May 2017 at which the Council would be asked to approve the draft Local Plan documents for a targeted Regulation 19 public consultation.

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

(a)     Surrey County Council Elections

The Leader congratulated Councillors Graham Ellwood, Matt Furniss, Angela Goodwin, David Goodwin, and Marsha Moseley on their recent election to Surrey County Council.

(b)     Changes to the Executive

The Leader announced the following changes to the Executive:

(1)   The Leader thanked Councillor Tony Rooth for his time on the Executive and announced the appointment of Councillor Philip Brooker as Lead Councillor for Housing and Environment.

(2)   Changes to existing Lead Councillors’ portfolio titles, which are now as follows:

·        Councillor David Bilbé - Lead Councillor for Economic Development and Tourism

·        Councillor Iseult Roche - Lead Councillor for Project Aspire, Health, Safeguarding, and Sport

·        Councillor Nikki Nelson-Smith - Lead Councillor for Social Welfare, Heritage and the Arts

(3)   A number of changes to individual lead councillor portfolio responsibilities, details of which had been circulated to councillors before the meeting.

(c)     New Executive working groups (Boards)

The Leader announced the establishment of three new executive working groups as follows:

·        Transformation Board – to be chaired by Councillor Murray Grubb Jnr.

·        Innovation Board – to be chaired by Councillor Gordon Jackson

·        Housing Board – to be chaired by Councillor Tony Rooth

.

To receive questions or statements from the public.

No questions or requests to speak had been received from the public.

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

No questions had been received from councillors.

The Council considered a report on the appointment of councillors to committees for the municipal year 2017-18.  Details of the proposed committees and their respective size and terms of reference were set out in the report submitted to the Council, together with details of the draft numerical allocation of seats on the committees to the political groups.  Each political group’s nominations to fill those seats (and substitutes where appropriate), in accordance with the numerical allocation, together with nominations for election of committee and sub-committee chairmen and vice-chairmen, were set out on the Order Paper circulated at the meeting.

Upon the motion of the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Matt Furniss, seconded by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Spooner, the Council

RESOLVED:

(1)     That, for the municipal year 2017-18, the Council agrees to appoint the committees referred to in the table set out in paragraph 3.1 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 submitted to the Council.

(2)         That the Licensing Committee shall be politically balanced.

(3)         That the following sub-committees need not be politically balanced:

·        Licensing Sub-Committee

·        Licensing Regulatory Sub-Committee

(4)         That the Council approves the numerical allocation of seats to each political group on the Council, as shown on the schedule set out in Appendix 2 to the report submitted to the Council.

(5)         That the membership, including substitute membership (where applicable) of the committees, including the Guildford Local Committee, for the 2017-18 municipal year, as shown in the schedule set out in the Appendix to these minutes, be approved.

(6)         That the nominations for election of committee chairmen and vice-chairmen for the 2017-18 municipal year, as shown in the schedule set out in the Appendix to these minutes, be approved.

(7)         That the Council nominates the Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Planning and Regeneration for appointment as Vice-Chairman of the Guildford Local Committee for the 2017-18 municipal year, subject to Surrey County Council confirming that it wishes to continue with the arrangement.

(8)         That the Council appoints councillor Champions for 2017-18 as follows:

·        Armed Forces Champion: Councillor David Elms

·        Historic Environment and Design Champion: Councillor Paul Spooner

·        Older Persons Champion: Councillor Sheila Kirkland

(9)         That the Council agrees in principle to add the task of ex-officio trustee to the Sea Cadets (Guildford Unit) to the Armed Forces Champion’s role, subject to the outcome of the work being undertaken by the Appointments to External Organisations Working Group.

Reasons for Decision:

·        To comply with Council Procedure Rules 23 and 29 of the Constitution in respect of the appointment of committees and election of chairmen and vice-chairmen

·        To enable the Council to comply with its obligations under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 in respect of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO15

The Council considered a report on a proposed new rural economic strategy, which had been shaped by events and policies since the 2016 EU Brexit vote, and followed analysis and review of available statistics, research and sample surveys of companies to identify the predominant business sectors represented in the rural west Surrey wards of Guildford, Waverley and Woking Boroughs. Hampshire County Council’s Research and Intelligence Unit had been commissioned to conduct the rural mapping exercise, which included an online survey of local business needs across the three Boroughs.

The rural mapping exercise and business survey led to the early identification of the five policy priorities that were at the heart of this five-year strategy for the local rural economy:

·        Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities

·        Infrastructure for Enterprise

·        Landscape Management and Countryside Vision

·        Green Space, Health and Wellbeing for Better Quality of Life

·        Energy Policy, Generation and Supply

Sitting under these priorities were ten specific actions to be delivered during the two-year negotiation following the triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the mechanism by which the UK would exit from the European Union as a result of the June 2016 Referendum vote. The report noted that there could be major implications for parts of the rural economy that had relied heavily on European subsidy and other kinds of regenerative support through grant funding. On top of this economic upheaval, issues such as affordable housing, climate change, increased risk of seasonal flooding, energy needs, food production, land use and transport were all potentially disruptive drivers of political and economic change at national or local level in future.

At its meeting on 14 November 2016, the Borough, Economy, and Infrastructure Executive Advisory Board advised the Executive that affordable housing should be the top rural economic priority. The Rural Economic Strategy complemented Guildford’s new Draft Local Plan and was designed to support local communities in their important role of shaping the future of their towns and villages as sustainable places that offered affordable housing, new employment and enterprise opportunities and better local infrastructure whilst preserving the borough’s special landscapes and environmental qualities.

As a consequence of the Brexit timetable, delivery of the Strategy would be set against a constantly moving background of related UK Government policy developments. Current public consultations were under way at DEFRA (two Green Papers on Environment, and Food and Farming), DCMS (Housing White Paper Fixing our broken housing market) and DBEIS (Green Paper Building our Industrial Strategy).Although looking ahead only five years at this stage, the draft Strategy would be sufficiently flexible to adapt to post-Brexit developments at national, regional or local level.

At its meeting on 18 April 2017, the Executive had considered this report and had endorsed the recommendation to adopt the strategy.

The Lead Councillor for Rural Economy, Countryside, Parks and Leisure, Councillor Richard Billington proposed, and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Spooner, seconded the following motion:

“That the Rural Economic Strategy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO16

The Council noted that preparations for the Parliamentary election in Guildford on 8 June 2017 had already commenced with Sue Sturgeon discharging her duties as Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Acting Returning Officer (ARO).  Unless the Council agreed otherwise, following Sue Sturgeon’s retirement on 31 May 2017, James Whiteman would assume the responsibilities of ERO and ARO with effect from 1 June 2017 when he formally takes up the Managing Director appointment.

In the interests of continuity and, following discussions with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, it was felt that Sue Sturgeon should continue as the ERO and ARO until after the declaration of the result of the election in the Guildford Constituency on Friday 9 June 2017.  James Whiteman would take up the Managing Director role on 1 June 2017, as previously agreed.

The ERO must be an officer of the Council and in order to safeguard the situation Sue Sturgeon would be re-employed by the Council on a zero hours contract for the period between 1 and 9 June 2017.  As ARO, Sue Sturgeon would be remunerated for the work undertaken in that capacity, such sum being paid from central government funds in the form of a scale fee.

Following the declaration of the result on 9 June 2017, Sue Sturgeon’s employment with the Council would be terminated and James Whiteman would assume the role of ERO (and RO) with immediate effect. 

Upon the motion of The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Matt Furniss, seconded by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Paul Spooner, the Council

RESOLVED:

(1)         That, for the period 1 June to 9 June 2017 inclusive, Sue Sturgeon be re-appointed as an officer of the Council specifically to undertake the role of Electoral Registration Officer, to enable her to continue to fulfil the duties of Acting Returning Officer for the Parliamentary elections scheduled for 8 June 2017.

(2)         That, following 9 June 2017, the role of Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer shall revert back to the Managing Director in accordance with arrangements approved by the Council on 26 October 2016.

Reason for Decision:

To facilitate the continuous appointment of Sue Sturgeon as Acting Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections scheduled for 8 June 2017.

To receive the attached minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 April 2017.

The Council received and noted the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 April 2017. 

To order the Common Seal to be affixed to any documents to give effect to any of the decisions 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.