The Deputy Chief Executive presented a report seeking approval for the appointment of the Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) to the role of Section 151 Officer until 31 March 2023 and for the reallocation of the wider non-section 151 functions of the Director of Finance and Commercial.

The decision:

That Council approves that:-

(1)       The Chief Executive is appointed as Section 151 Officer until 31 March 2023;

(2)       authority is delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive to commission independent external advice and support, in the event that the Chief Executive acting as Head of Paid Service and/or Section 151 Officer may be considered to have a conflict of interest on the basis described in this report; and

(3)       the Chief Executive is authorised to allocate any remaining services of the Director of Finance and Commercial amongst the senior management team.

The Chief Executive presented a report which provided details of the recalculation of political proportionality of the Council following recent changes to the Conservative Group, and the resulting amendments to the number of places on, and membership of, the Council’s committees for the remainder of the 2022-23 municipal year (i.e. up until the end of the Council on 31 March 2022).

The changes were required because Councillor David Hugill was no longer a member of the Conservative Group. Councill Hugill had not joined any other Group and therefore remained as an unaligned Member for the purposes of calculating political proportionality and the allocation of seats to Committees

The decision:

That:-

(1)       the changes to the membership of political groups on the Council and the subsequent recalculation of political proportionality on the Council’s Committees be noted;

(2)       Councillor C Dickinson be removed from the Investigations and Disciplinary Committee and Councillor D Hugill be allocated this seat; and

(3)       Councillor D Hugill remains on the Appeals Committee.

Note: Councillor D Hugill declared a personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting at 2.19pm prior to any discussion and voting on the above item.