Agenda and draft minutes

CM 1/24       

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs A Blackman, R Cheadle and H Greenberry-Pullen

CM 2/24      

Cllr M Ewings moved the appointment of Cllr D Sellis as Mayor for the ensuing year and Cllr Jory subsequently seconded the motion.

No other nominations were received and, upon the motion being submitted to the meeting, it was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that Cllr D Sellis be appointed Mayor for the ensuing year”.

The retiring Mayor and newly elected Mayor left the Council Chamber so that Cllr Sellis could be invested with the civic regalia. 

Upon returning to the Council Chamber, the newly elected Mayor made the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, signed the Register and addressed the Council.

Cllr Sellis then chaired the remainder of the meeting.

Cllr M Renders proposed a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor.  The proposition was seconded by Cllr Jory.

Cllr D Sellis then invested Cllr L Daniel and Cllr M Calder with the Past Mayor’s and her Consort’s Medallions.

The retiring Mayor, Cllr L Daniel proceeded to address the meeting.

CM 3/24       

The Mayor called for nominations for the position of Deputy Mayor.

Cllr N Jory moved the appointment of Cllr P Vachon and Cllr M Ewings subsequently seconded the motion.

There being no other nominations, it was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that Cllr P Vachon be appointed as Deputy Mayor for the ensuing year”.

The Deputy Mayor then made the Declaration of Acceptance of Office, signed the register and proceeded to address the Council.

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, Members are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests and Non-Registerable Interests including the nature and extent of such interests they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting;

CM 4/24       

The Mayor invited Members to declare any interests in the items of business to be considered during the course of the meeting, but there were none made.

To approve and adopt as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 26 March 2024.

CM 5/24       

It was moved by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon the motion being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Council agree the Minutes of the 26 March 2024 meeting”.

CM 6/24       

a.       Leader

It was moved by Cllr N Jory, seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon the motion being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that Cllr M Ewings be appointed Leader of the Council for the ensuing year.”

b.       Deputy Leader

It was moved by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr N Jory and upon the motion being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that Cllr M Renders be appointed Deputy Leader of the Council for the ensuing year.

CM 7/24       

Members noted the schedule of officially appointed political groups as follows:

-        20 West Devon Alliance Group Members: and

-        11 Conservative Group Members.

Audit & Governance                                    7 Members

Hub                                                              9 Members (membership to include Leader and

Deputy Leader)

Overview & Scrutiny                                 15 Members

DM & Licensing                                         10 Members + Named Substitutes

Council Tax Setting Committee                  4 Members

Investment & Regeneration                        3 Members

with all of the Borough Council Member appointments to the above Committees and the Dartmoor National Park Authority being politically balanced and each Member of Council being appointed to serve on one of the Audit & Governance; Hub; or Overview & Scrutiny Committees.

CM 8/24     

It was moved by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr N Jory and upon the motion being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Committee structure be as follows for the coming year:

Audit & Governance                                                  7 Members;

Hub                                                                          9 Members;

Overview & Scrutiny                                                15 Members;

Development Management & Licensing                    10 Members;

Council Tax Setting                                                   4 Members;

Regeneration & Investment                                      3 Members: and

Dartmoor National Park Authority                             2 Members.

with all of the appointments to the above Committees being politically balanced and all Members serving on one of either the Audit & Governance Committee; the Hub Committee; or the Overview & Scrutiny Committee”.

To receive the appointments from the Political Groups of the Members they have selected to serve on the Committees.  To appoint (if any) the requisite number of Members from the Members of the Council who, at the date of this meeting, are not Members of a Political Group.

To follow

CM 9/24       

A list of nominations made to the Committees by the two political groups for the ensuing year had been circulated and were proposed by Cllr M Ewings and secondedby Cllr N Jory to be duly approved.

When put to the vote, the circulated list (as shown in Appendix A to these minutes) was declared to be CARRIED.

To follow

CM 10/24     

The following appointments were proposed by Cllr M Ewings and seconded by Cllr N Jory and when put to the vote were declared to be CARRIED:

To follow

CM 11/24    

Members proceeded to consider the appointment for the 2024/25 Municipal Year of the:-

a)       Devon Building Control Partnership;

b)       Discretionary Business Rates and Rate Relief Panel;

c)       Joint WD/SH/Plymouth Local Plan Steering Group;

d)       Member Development Steering Group;

e)       Tamar Valley National Landscapes Partnership Committee; and

f)        Waste Working Group

It was then proposed by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr Jory and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and ”RESOLVED that the number, size and appointment of the Governance Boards / Panels of the Council for the 2024/25 Municipal Year be approved, as shown in Appendix B to these minutes.”

To follow

CM 12/24    

Members proceeded to consider the appointment for the 2024/25 Municipal Year of the Outside Bodies as circulated to the meeting.

It was then proposed by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr Jory and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and ”RESOLVED that the number and appointment of the Outside Bodies as circulated to the meeting for the 2024/25 Municipal Year be approved, as shown in Appendix C to these minutes.”

CM 13/24     

Following the recently undertaken Corporate Peer Challenge, the Council gave consideration to a report advising of the intention to review the current Terms of Reference and Membership lists of the Council’s Hub Advisory Groups.

In discussion, there was support expressed for the recommended way forward and it was then proposed by Cllr M Ewings seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and ”RESOLVED that it be noted that, as part of the consideration by the Hub Committee of the ‘Local Government Association (LGA) Corporate Peer Challenge Feedback Report’ (23 July 2024 Committee Meeting), and the recommendations arising from that, the Hub Committee will consider the Terms of Reference for Advisory Groups (and membership lists).”

CM 14/24     

Members considered a report which sought approval for the re-appointment of the Independent Persons – Standards and, through the delegation of authority to the Section 151 Officer and Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee, the appointment of an Independent Person to sit on the Audit & Governance Committee.

With there being no debate, it was then proposed by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that, for the remainder of the 2023/27 Council administration:

1.       the following persons be re-appointed as ‘Independent Persons’ to assist in the discharge of the Council’s arrangements for dealing with standards complaints:

-         George Barnicott;

-         Peter Boreham;

-         Martin Gleed;

-         Trevor Kirkin; and

-         Victoria Spence; and

2.       authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Audit & Governance Committee, to appoint the ‘Independent Person’ to serve on the Audit & Governance Committee.”

To receive the Minutes of the following Committees, to note the delegated decisions and to consider the adoption of those Minutes which require approval:

CM 15/24     

(a) Development Management & Licensing Committee – 27 February 2024 and 16 April 2024

It was moved by Cllr T Southcott seconded by Cllr N Jory and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meetings of 27 February 2024 and 16 April 2024 be received and noted”.

(b) Audit & Governance Committee – 19 March 2024

It was moved by Cllr G Dexter seconded by Cllr A Cunningham and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 19 March 2024 meeting be received and noted”.

 (c) Hub Committee – 9 April 2024

It was moved by Cllr M Ewings, seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 9 April 2024 meeting be received and noted”.

(d) Overview & Scrutiny Committee - 23 April 2024

It was moved by Cllr P Kimber, seconded by Cllr A Johnson and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and “RESOLVED that the Minutes of the 23 April 2024 meeting be received and noted”.

CM 16/24     

The Council gave consideration to a report that presented the Council Constitution and the changes made to it by the Monitoring Officer under delegated powers. The changes were set out in Appendix A of the presented report.

In introducing the report, the Deputy Monitoring Officer advised that, in light of discussions held with some Members prior to this meeting, it was her hope that an alternative parts 2, 3 and 4 of the recommendation could be PROPOSED and SECONDED that read as follows:

2.       agrees the proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution as set out in Appendix A to the report in so far as they relate to administrative and legislative changes and those relating to changes made throughout the past year;

3.       adopts the Constitution as amended in so far as specified in part 2 (above); and

4.       requests that the remainder of the proposed changes in Appendix A, not specified in part 2 (above) to be referred to the Audit & Governance Committee for consideration and recommendation to Council.

In debate, the alternative wording was supported by a number of Members and it was then proposed by Cllr M Ewings and seconded by Cllr M Renders and upon being submitted to the Meeting was declared to be CARRIED and ”RESOLVED

1.       that a co-opted independent member to the Audit and Governance Committee be appointed; 

2.       that the proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution (as set out in Appendix A of the presented agenda report) be agreed, in so far as they relate to administrative and legislative changes and those relating to changes throughout the past year;

3.       that the Constitution as amended in so far as  specified in part 2 (above) be adopted; and

4.       that the remainder of the proposed changes presented in Appendix A of the published agenda report, not specified in part 2 (above), be considered by the Audit & Governance Committee and recommended to Council accordingly.”

CM 17/24       

In closing the meeting, the Mayor thanked the membership for its support in electing her as Mayor for the 2024/25Municipal Year and wished the Council a productive and successful year.