To receive the Mayor's announcements and any apologies for absence.

The Mayor reported regretfully, that due to sickness, Maria Stebbing, Deputy Poet Laureate, was unable to attend the meeting to read a Christmas Poem.

The members of the Council are invited to consider whether they have a personal or prejudicial interest in connection with any matter to be debated or determined at this meeting and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest.

The members of the Council were invited to consider whether they had a personal or prejudicial interest in connection with any matter to be debated or determined at this meeting and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest. No such declarations were made.

Report seeking final resolution concerning the Council’s new governance arrangements.

Further to minute 70 (1) (e) (14 December 2009), which passed a resolution to approve the proposals for the new style ‘Leader and Cabinet’ model of governance, the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management reported that the Council’s decision, and the main features of the proposals, had been duly published with full details made available for inspection by the public. He provided a brief summary of the Executive Models and confirmed that in approving the New Style Leader and Cabinet Executive, the Council had retained the power to remove the Leader by resolution. The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 required the Council to review its governance arrangements within the ‘permitted resolution period’, namely before 31 December 2009, and he confirmed that under the Act, the Council could only change its governance arrangements at a meeting of the Council specially convened for that purpose. Accordingly, he sought a final resolution concerning the new governance arrangements.

The Council also considered views expressed by some Members in relation to alternative governance arrangements that did not fall within the remit of the 2007 Act.

Proposed by Councillor Foulkes

Seconded by Councillor Holbrook

(1)  That Council, in pursuance of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, adopts the Leader and Cabinet Executive (England) model of governance.

(2)  That Council approves and adopts the proposals relating to the Leader and Cabinet Executive (England) model of governance set out at Appendix 1 to the report of the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management.

The motion was put to the vote and carried with the Council dividing as follows:

For the amendment (36) – Councillors RL Abbey, A Bridson, IO Coates, J Crabtree, G Davies, PL Davies, F Doyle, S Foulkes, G Gardiner, J George, PN Gilchrist, T Harney, S Holbrook, A Jennings, AER Jones, SE Kelly, BM Kenny, ARC McLachlan, M McLaughlin, Mrs CM Meaden, GD Mitchell, SAM Niblock, J Quinn, M Redfern, PTC Reisdorf, DE Roberts, JJ Salter, H Smith, PA Smith, WW Smith, PM Southwood, JV Stapleton, A Taylor, R Wilkins, KJ Williams and Mrs P Williams.

Against the amendment (24) – Councillors C Blakeley, Mrs SL Clarke, WA Duffey, DM Elderton, GJ Ellis, Mrs L Fraser, JE Green, J Hale, K Hayes, P Hayes, AC Hodson, PSC Johnson, J Keeley, DT Knowles, I Lewis, SR Mountney, C Povall, A Pritchard, Mrs LA Rennie, SL Rowlands, S Taylor, GCJ Watt, S Williams and Mrs K Wood.

Resolved – That the motion be approved.