Agenda and minutes

This meeting is to be webcast. Members are reminded of the need to activate their microphones before speaking. The Assistant Director of Governance and Performance Management will read the following announcement:

“The chairman would like to remind everyone present that this meeting will be broadcast live to the internet (or filmed) and will be capable of repeated viewing (or another use by such third parties).

If you are seated in the lower public seating area it is likely that the recording cameras will capture your image and this will result in the possibility that your image will become part of the broadcast.

This may infringe your human and data protection rights and if you wish to avoid this you should move to the upper public gallery.”

The Assistant Director of Governance and Performance Management reminded everyone present that the meeting would be broadcast live to the Internet, and that the Council had adopted a protocol for the webcasting of its meetings.

The Chairman of the Council asked Members to stand for a minutes silence to pay respect to the innocent victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester on Monday 22 May 2017.  

Councillor J Lea addressed the Council on her year of office. She thanked Members who attended functions with her and especially Councillors G Shiell and R Morgan. She had raised nearly £13,000 for her chosen charity, Essex and Herts Air Ambulance.

Councillors C Whitbread, C C Pond and the Chief Executive, G Chipp, expressed their appreciation for her hard work and dedication she had shown during her term of office.

To elect a Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2017/18.

The new Chairman will then make a declaration of acceptance of office.

The nomination of Councillor D Stallan for the Office of Chairman of the Council having been moved formally by Councillor A Grigg and seconded by Councillor C Whitbread it was;

            RESOLVED:

That Councillor D Stallan be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuring year.

Councillor D Stallan thereupon made a Declaration of Acceptance of Office of the Chairman of the Council and thanked the Council for the honour.

Councillor  D Stallan announced that he had chosen four charities for his term of office, which would be Diabetics UK, Royal Force Air Cadets (Epping and North Weald Branch), Norway House and Safer Places Epping Forest.

Councillor D Stallan In the Chair

The new Chairman presented Councillor J Lea with a past Chairman’s badge of office.

To appoint a member to be a Vice-Chairman of the Council for the municipal year 2017/18. Nominations received will be reported at the meeting.The new Vice-Chairman will then make a declaration of acceptance of office.

The nomination of Councillor R Bassett for the Vice-Chairman of the Council having been moved formally by Councillor M Sartin and seconded by Councillor J Knapman was;

            RESOLVED:

That Councillor R Bassett be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuring year.

Councillor R Bassett thereupon made a declaration of acceptance of Office of Vice-Chairman of the Council and thanked the Council for his appointment.

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2017 (attached) subject to an amendment to the Planning Application Reference (EPF/2550/16) – Woodview, Lambourne Road, Chigwell being corrected to  EPF/2473/16 under items 109 (Declarations of Interest) and 118 (Planning Application Woodview, Lambourne Road, Chigwell). This reference being the correct application number for this development.

            RESOLVED:

            That the minutes of the Council meeting on 17 February 2017 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record subject to the following amendments;

Planning Application EPF/2473/16 – Woodview, Lambourne Road, Chigwell (Minute 118.)The planning reference number being corrected to EPF/2473/16 under items 109 (Declarations of Interest) and 118 (Planning Application Woodview, Lambourne Road, Chigwell). This reference being the correct application number for this development;

Former Councillor Michael Tomkins (Minute 110.) to add to his service as a County Councillor for the Chigwell Ward from 1997-2005; and

Joint Arrangements and External Organisations (Minutes 122.) That a typographical error be corrected to ‘representatives’.

To declare interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest by members of the Council under this item.

(a)        Apologies for Absence

(b)       Chairman’s Announcements

(a)        Announcements by the Chairman of Council

(i)         Floral Display

The Chairman announced that he intended to send the flowers from tonight’s meeting to Cunningham House Care Home, North Weald.

Report to follow regarding:

(a)          Notice of Constitution of Political Groups, Group Leaders and Deputies;

(b)          Appointments made by the Leader to the Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Outside Organisations carrying out Executive Functions;

(c)          Membership, Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels (Non-Executive Bodies);

(d)          Appointments to Outside Organisations carrying out Council, regulatory or non-Cabinet Functions.

The Council will need to vote on (c) and (d) where the number of nominations exceeds the number of places available.

Mover: Councillor C Whitbread, (Chairman of the Panel and Leader of the Council)

Councillor C Whitbread reported on the appointments which he had made to the Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Outside Organisations carrying out executive Functions.

Councillor C Whitbread also reported the recommendations of the Appointment Panel in relation to the membership, chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels (non-executive bodies) and to Outside Organisations carrying out Council, regulatory or non Cabinet Functions. Councillor C Whitbread also advised of the changes made to the nominations since the Panel had met.

The Council voted on appointments where the number of nominations exceeded the number of places available.

            RESOLVED:

            (1)        That, in accordance with Regulation 8 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, the constitution of political groups as set out in Appendix 1,, to these minutes be noted;

(2)        That details of appointments made by the Leader of the Council to the Cabinet and Cabinet Sub-Committees carrying out Executive functions as set out on Appendix 2, to these minutes be noted;

(3)        That the Membership, Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels (non-Executive bodies) as set out at Appendix 3 to these minutes be approved;

(4)        That the group representatives for the purposes of notifying substitute members for meetings be approved as follows:

(a)          Conservative Group:

Councillor C. Whitbread (Leader);

Councillor S. Stavrou (Deputy Leader);

Councillor S. Kane; and

Councillor G. Waller;

(b)          Green Party Group:

Councillor S. Neville (Leader); and

Councillor S. Heap (Deputy Leader);

(c)          Liberal Democrat Group:

Councillor J. M. Whitehouse (Leader); and

Councillor J. H. Whitehouse (Deputy Leader); and

(d)          Loughton Residents Association Group:

Councillor C. P. Pond (Leader); and

Councillor D. Wixley (Deputy Leader);

(5)        That Group Leaders confirmed nominations to the Proper Officer for the Overview and Scrutiny Select Committees for 2017/18 by 24 May 2017;

(6)        That the appointments to Outside Organisations carrying out Council Regulatory or non-Cabinet functions, as set out at Appendix 4 to these minutes be noted ; and

(7)        That the appointments made by the Leader of the Council to Outside Organisations carrying out Executive Functions, as set out at Appendix 5, to these minutes be noted.

(Chairman of Overview & Scrutiny) To consider the attached report.

Mover: Councillor M Sartin (Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny)

Councillor M Sartin reported that the Communities Select Committee had agreed that it would like to invite a representative of the Youth Council to be co-opted to attend it’s meetings from the 2017/18 municipal year. The appointment of a non-voting co-opted member to a select committee required the agreement of the Council in accordance with Paragraph 6 of Article 6 (Overview and Scrutiny) of the Constitution.

RESOLVED:

(1)    That a non-voting co-opted Epping Forest Youth Council representative be appointed to the Communities Select Committee for the 2017/18 Municipal Year; and

(2)    That the representative be either one person or a rotating representative, as agreed by the Youth Council.

            Recommendation:

To note the scheme of delegation which are the responsibility of the Council to determine.

The Constitution requires that the scheme of delegation should be agreed at the Annual meeting. No new delegations have been made . Details of the delegations can be found contained within the Constitution.

The Council’s Constitution required that the scheme of delegations be agreed at the Annual Council. The current scheme had received no further additions or amendments since the last annual meeting.

            RESOLVED:

That the Scheme of delegations – Delegated by or on behalf of the Council be noted.      

            Recommendation:

That during 2017/18 ordinary meetings of the Council be held on the following dates;

27 July 2017;

26 September 2017;

2 November 2017;

21 December 2017;

22 February 2018;

24 April 2018; and

24 May 2018.

It is a requirement of the Constitution that a programme of ordinary meetings of the Council be approved at the annual meeting of the Council.

On 20 December 2016, the Council had adopted a calendar of meetings for the period of May 2017 to May 2018, which had included the ordinary meetings of the Council. The Council’s Constitution required that a programme of ordinary meetings of the Council were approved at the annual meeting. The Council also noted the change of date for the July 2017 meeting.

            RESOLVED:

(1)           That during 2017/18 ordinary meetings of the Council be held on the following dates:

27 July 2017;

26 September 2017;

2 November 2017;

21 December 2017;

22 February 2018;

24 April 2018; and

24 May 2018.