The Director of Law, HR and Asset Management, submitted the report of the Deputy Chief Executive concerning Interim Management Arrangements and the Cabinet’s decision (14/10/2010): 

“That Council be recommended to delegate to the Interim Chief Executive powers to appoint the Interim Head of Corporate Planning, Communications and Engagement and to make such other interim appointments (and to approve any interim terms and conditions) beneath Chief Officer level as he considers to be in the best interest of the Council and local people.”

In accordance with Standing Order 9 (Motions moved without notice), the Council agreed to suspend Standing Order 8 (Notices of motion in writing) to allow consideration of the following Notice of Motion:

It was moved by Councillor Foulkes and seconded by Councillor P Davies that:

1. This Council does not believe that the changes outlined under the Interim Management Arrangements report, which will yield less than a quarter of one senior salary in savings, are justified.

2.  Council is outraged that this decision to create new posts and increase senior salary levels should be announced at a time when ordinary Council staff are being asked to consider taking Voluntary Severance or Early Voluntary Retirement under threat of compulsory redundancies or reduced compensation if they do not.

3.  Council does not accept that there is any justification at this point for the creation of what is, in effect, a complete new Chief Executive’s department. Council believes this has nothing to do with improved services and everything to do with centralising control and improving news management at a time of serious cuts to services.

4.  Despite the change of title of the Director of Technical Services and the appointment of an Interim Head of Technical Services, at considerable extra cost, Cabinet at its meeting on the 14th October agreed additional cost to support the strategic change programme (£42,800) negating any savings arising from the changes in interim management arrangements. Council is concerned at the continual delays in delivery of the change programme.

5.  Council further believes that the way in which a decision as major as this has been handled is totally undemocratic. Once again we see the use of devices to avoid the normal Council Procedures, in this case the total bypassing of the Employment and Appointments committee by giving the Interim Chief Executive delegated powers to set up his Interim Chief Executive’s department with no elected member involvement in making appointments or in considering the salary levels, or investigating potential knock ons and the impact on other staff, or in considering the real financial and service costs of the exercise.

6.  Council should therefore not receive this Minute and agrees to refer this matter to Employment & Appointments Committee.

The Council divided as follows on the motion:

For the motion (23) - Councillors RL Abbey, JA Crabtree, G Davies, PL Davies, WJ Davies,  D Dodd, S Foulkes, P Glasman, AER Jones, B Kenny, A McCardle, A McLachlan, M McLaughlin, CM Meaden, D Realey, J Salter, H Smith, PA Smith, WW Smith,  JV Stapleton, S Whittingham, I Williams, KJ Williams.

Against the motion (38) – Councillors T Anderson, C Blakeley, A Bridson, A Brighouse, SL Clarke, W Clements, D Elderton, GJ Ellis, G Gardiner, PN Gilchrist, J Hale, T Harney, K Hayes, P Hayes, A Hodson, S Holbrook, PSC Johnson, M Johnston, P Kearney, J Keeley, S Kelly, D Knowles, I Lewis, D McCubbin, D Mitchell, RK Moon, SR Mountney, S Niblock, C Povall, , P Reisdorf, Mrs LA Rennie, SL Rowlands, S Taylor, GCJ Watt, R Wilkins, Mrs PM Williams, S Williams and Mrs K Wood.

Abstentions (1) Councillor AT Jennings.

The motion was put and lost.

It was moved by Councillor Holbrook and seconded by Councillor Rennie:

“That the Council delegate to the Interim Chief Executive powers to appoint the Interim Head of Corporate Planning, Communications and Engagement and to make such other interim appointments (and to approve any interim terms and conditions) beneath Chief Officer level as he considers to be in the best interest of the Council and local people.”

The motion was put and carried (38:23) (I abstention)

Resolved (38:23:1) - That the Council delegate to the Interim Chief Executive powers to appoint the Interim Head of Corporate Planning, Communications and Engagement and to make such other interim appointments (and to approve any interim terms and conditions) beneath Chief Officer level as he considers to be in the best interest of the Council and local people.