Agenda and minutes

The following Members, lately elected to be of the Common Council, for the Wards mentioned, were introduced to the Court and having, previously made the declaration prescribed by the Promissory Oaths Act, 1868, took their seats, viz:

Pursuant to the decision of the Court of 12 October 2017, the Lord Mayor invited John George Stewart Scott, J.P., to take up the office of Chief Commoner for the ensuing year.

Resolved unanimously – That this Honourable Court wishes to extend to

Wendy Mead, O.B.E.

Its sincere gratitude for the manner in which she has undertaken the role of Chief Commoner over the past year.

Wendy’s abiding interest over a civic career exceeding 21 years has been the health and wellbeing not only of the Members of this Honourable Court but also of all those who live, work or play in the City and its surrounding boroughs. Our Open Spaces form a key part of this strategy and Wendy has been diligent in promoting their work through the many Committees on which she has served.

The work of the Chief Commoner is never ending and Wendy has been attentive in representing Members’ interests during her year with patience, sound judgement and, above all, approachability.  In all this endeavour she has been ably supported by Robert Tipping, her consort during her year, to whom our sincere thanks are due.

Wendy also promoted the role of the City of London and of the Chief Commoner far beyond our boundaries and there are many in Chengdu who cherish an eternal memory of her contribution to the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Fair held there last year in her capacity as Chief Peasant.

In taking leave of the Chief Commoner and in thanking her formally and sincerely, her colleagues wish to express their appreciation not only for her resourcefulness and hospitality during the past year, but also for her patience, consideration and courtesy and they wish her continued good health and fulfilment as a senior member of this Honourable Court for many decades in the future.

The apologies of those Members unable to attend this meeting of the Court were noted.

There were none.

To agree the minutes of the meeting of the Court of Common Council held on 8 March 2018.

Resolved - That the Minutes of the last Court are correctly recorded.

There were none.

The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor to report on his recent overseas visits.

The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor reported on his recent visits to Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the World Economic Forum at Davos, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal, China, and Hong Kong. Honourable Members were also informed that the Lord Mayor, together with the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, would be hosting a Members’ Briefing Breakfast in due course to provide a more detailed update on their programmes of international engagement.

The Lord Mayor also took the opportunity to thank all Members and Officers involved with the recent Commonwealth Business Forum, which had been highly successful.

To receive a statement from the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee.

There was no statement.

There were no docquets to be sealed.

To consider a circulated list of applications for the Freedom of the City.

The Chamberlain, in pursuance of the Order of this Court, presented a list of the under-mentioned, persons who had made applications to be admitted to the Freedom of the City by Redemption:-

To receive a report setting out measures introduced into Parliament which may have an effect on the services provided by the City Corporation.

The Court received a report on measures introduced by Parliament which might have an effect on the services provided by the City Corporation as follows:-

To appoint the Committees until the first meeting of the Court in April 2019 and to agree the terms of reference and constitution for each Committee.

(A list of the proposed appointments, terms of reference including proposed

amendments, and constitutions has been separately circulated).

(Unless otherwise stated the requirement for certain Committees to have a Member with fewer than five or ten years’ service on the Court, at the time of their appointment, is fulfilled by the existing membership).

(Supporting statements in respect of the contested vacancies outlined below are set out immediately following the White Paper, at pages 43 to 92).

Nominations received for vacancies of varying terms:-

Where appropriate:-

* denotes a Member standing for re-appointment;

^ Denotes a Member who currently serves on the Committee in either an ex-officio capacity or as a representative of another Committee with appointment rights.

To consider the following appointments:

a)    Policy and Resources Committee (five vacancies).

(Contest)

Nominations received:-

*John Alfred Bennett, Deputy

David John Bradshaw, Deputy

Tijs Broeke

Peter Gerard Dunphy

Anne Helen Fairweather

Stuart John Fraser, C.B.E.

*Wendy Marilyn Hyde, Deputy

^Jamie Ingham Clark, Deputy

Vivienne Littlechild, J.P.

*^Jeremy Paul Mayhew

^Andrew Stratton McMurtrie, J.P.

*Wendy Mead, O.B.E.

*Hugh Fenton Morris

James Richard Tumbridge

Mark Raymond Peter Henry Delano Wheatley

b)   Hospitality Working Party of the Policy and Resources Committee (one vacancy).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

*Charles Edward Lord, O.B.E., J.P., Deputy

c)    Members’ Privileges Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee (one vacancy).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

*Jeremy Lewis Simons

d)   Investment Committee (three vacancies).

(Contest)

Nominations received:-

^Alexander Robertson Martin Barr

*Michael John Cassidy, C.B.E., Deputy

*John Douglas Chapman

Tom Hoffman, Deputy

*Ian Christopher Norman Seaton

e)    Audit and Risk Management Committee (four vacancies).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

John Garbutt, Alderman

*Ian David Luder, J.P, Alderman

John Petrie

The Court proceeded to make the annual appointment of Committees. Members received an addendum to the report, highlighting those amendments required to the White Paper since its publication with the agenda.

Resolved – That the several Committees as set out in the White Paper be appointed until the first meeting of the Court in April 2019, and that the terms of reference and constitutions be also approved, subject to the circulated amendments to the Community & Children’s Services and Standards Committees.

The Court subsequently proceeded to make the following appointments, in respect of which the Town Clerk reported that the following nominations had been received:-

Nominations received for vacancies of varying terms:-

Where appropriate:-

* denotes a Member standing for re-appointment;

^ Denotes a Member who currently serves on the Committee in either an ex-officio capacity or as a representative of another Committee with appointment rights.

To consider the following appointments:

a)    Policy and Resources Committee (five vacancies).

(Contest)

Nominations received:-

*John Alfred Bennett, Deputy

David John Bradshaw, Deputy

Tijs Broeke

Peter Gerard Dunphy

Anne Helen Fairweather

Stuart John Fraser, C.B.E.

*Wendy Marilyn Hyde, Deputy

^Jamie Ingham Clark, Deputy

Vivienne Littlechild, J.P.

*^Jeremy Paul Mayhew

^Andrew Stratton McMurtrie, J.P.

*Wendy Mead, O.B.E.

*Hugh Fenton Morris

James Richard Tumbridge

Mark Raymond Peter Henry Delano Wheatley

Read.

b)   Hospitality Working Party of the Policy and Resources Committee (one vacancy).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

*Charles Edward Lord, O.B.E., J.P., Deputy

            Read.

Whereupon the Lord Mayor declaredDeputy Edward Lordto be appointed to the Hospitality Working Party.

c)    Members’ Privileges Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee (one vacancy).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

*Jeremy Lewis Simons

Read.

Whereupon the Lord Mayor declaredJeremy Simonsto be appointed to the Members’ Privileges Sub-Committee.

d)   Investment Committee (three vacancies).

(Contest)

Nominations received:-

^Alexander Robertson Martin Barr

*Michael

To appoint vacancies on Ward Committees (where not all places on Ward Committees are filled by Wards, vacancies can be filled by Members of the Court),

viz.:-

a)    Markets Committee (two vacancies).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

Wendy Mead, O.B.E.

Joyce Carruthers Nash, O.B.E., Deputy

b)   Community & Children’s Services (eleven vacancies).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

Munsur Ali

Joan Mary Durcan

David Andrew Graves, Alderman

Catherine McGuinness, Deputy

Barbara Patricia Newman, C.B.E.

The Court proceeded to consider appointments to vacancies on Ward Committees.

a) Markets Committee (two vacancies).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

Wendy Mead, O.B.E.

Joyce Carruthers Nash, O.B.E., Deputy

Read.

Whereupon the Lord Mayor declared Wendy Mead and Deputy Joyce Nash to be appointed to the Markets Committee.

b) Community & Children’s Services (eleven vacancies).

(No contest)

Nominations received:-

Munsur Ali

Joan Mary Durcan

David Andrew Graves, Alderman

Catherine McGuinness, Deputy

Barbara Patricia Newman, C.B.E.

Read.

Whereupon the Lord Mayor declared Munsur Ali, Mary Durcan, Alderman David Graves, Deputy Catherine McGuinness, and Barbara Newman to be appointed to the Community & Children’s Services Committee.

Blackfriars Bridge

Andrew McMurtrie asked a question of the Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee regarding Blackfriars Bridge.

Responding, the Chairman noted that Blackfriars Bridge was overdue for re-painting as the City had been investigating problems with the parapet, an issue responsible for the majority of the rust-staining that was evident. These investigations had taken some time due to access restrictions caused by a combination of Thameslink, Cycle Superhighway, and Thames Tideway activities. However, he was pleased to report that the investigations were now complete and that a solution to the parapet issues had been identified. It was expected that works would commence in April 2019 and last two to three years. This was a consequence of the need to co-ordinate works with Thames Tideway and the Port of London Authority, to programme safe navigation and working for span closures, as well as with TfL for highway space and access.

In relation to costs, the Chairman noted that this would be dependent on the various options selected by Members and the outcome of procurement exercises. However, he was happy to provide any interested Member with a copy of the relevant committee report, which provided some detail about potential costings.

Idling Vehicles

Alderman William Russell asked a question of the Chairman of the Port Health and Environmental Services Committee concerning idling vehicles.

Replying, the Chairman outlined the significant activity currently undertaken in respect of idling vehicles, noting that the primary focus was to drive behavioural change to prevent idling from occurring in the first instance. This included, as well as enforcement action, publicity campaigns, leafleting, an on-street presence, and “idling vehicle action days”. Work carried out to prevent vehicle idling also included responding to specific complaints of idling vehicles, placing signs in hotspot areas, writing directly to companies whose drivers

There were no motions.

There was no report.

To consider several applications relating to the provision of hospitality.

HOSPITALITY WORKING PARTY OF THE POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

(Wendy Mead, O.B.E.)

13 March 2018

Applications for Hospitality

(a)      Early evening reception at the Museum of London to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage

2018 marked the 100^th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which enabled all men and some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time.

A number of activities had been planned by the City Corporation to mark the occasion under the umbrella programme ‘Women: work and power’.  These activities were largely aimed at engaging members of the public. In addition, the London Metropolitan Archives, Barbican Centre and Museum of London would be running their own programme of events throughout the year. 

It was therefore proposed that the City Corporation host an early evening reception jointly with the Museum of London. This occasion would provide the City Corporation with an opportunity to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage and celebrate women’s role in culture and the arts. It would also provide an opportunity to invite Members and senior representatives from cultural and creative industries, City businesses and political figures from central and local government and enable further engagement with opinion formers about the City Corporation’s Culture Mile initiative.

It was therefore recommended that hospitality be granted for an early evening reception, with arrangements made under the auspices of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee; the costs to be met from City’s Cash and within the approved parameters.

This would be a full Court event.

Resolved – That hospitality be granted for an early evening reception, with arrangements made under the auspices of the Culture, Heritage and Libraries Committee; the costs to be met from City’s Cash and within the approved parameters.

(b)      Armed Forces Flag Day 2018

The

To consider the appointment of a Verderer.

Epping Forest and Commons Committee

(Philip John Woodhouse, Deputy)

12 March 2018

Appointment of an interim Verderer of Epping Forest

The Epping Forest and Commons Committee is made up of 12 Common Councilmen and 4 Verderers of Epping Forest, as specified by the Epping Forest Act (1878).

Following the recent resignation of Richard Morris OBE, who had served as a Verderer of Epping Forest since 1998, the Epping Forest and Commons Committee had appointed a Working Party to recruit to this position, in accordance with the terms of the Act (the provisions of which provided for an interim Verderer to be appointed where vacancies occur between elections). The recruitment process was now complete, and the Epping Forest and Commons Committee recommended to the Court that Melissa Murphy be appointed as an interim Epping Forest Verderer (North of the Forest), until the all-out Election of Verderers in 2020.

The Chairman spoke to introduce the report and to express the Court’s sympathies and respects with regard to Verderer Peter Adams MBE, who had sadly passed away in early April. An additional recruitment exercise would now be undertaken for an additional interim Verderer to replace him.

Resolved – Thatthe appointment of Melissa Murphy as an interim Verderer of Epping Forest be endorsed.

That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Resolved – that the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Summary of exempt items considered whilst the public were excluded:-

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting of the Court held on 8 March 2018.

Resolved – that the non-public Minutes of the last Court are correctly recorded.

To consider the annual pay award for Museum of London staff.

Finance Committee

The Court approved the annual pay award to Museum of London staff.

To receive a report advising of action taken under urgency procedures in relation to

the disposal of a long-term leasehold.

Property Investment Board

The Court noted action taken under urgency procedures in relation to the disposal of a long-term leasehold.