Agenda item

The Town Clerk to be heard.

The Chairman stated that it was disappointing to note the error that had been made in terms of the appointment of Members to the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee subsequent to the last meeting.

He went on to state that the total number of Members appointed to each Sub Committee was set out constitutionally for efficiency reasons. He added that his own view was that there must be an optimum size for each Sub Committee and that, whilst he had no wish to prevent Members who were not appointed to specific Sub Committee’s providing adequate notice to the Chair and Deputy Chairman that they would be attending specific meetings and wishing to make specific points, he would not encourage this to be regular practice.

The Deputy Chairman stated that he fully endorsed this view and wished to move that the Committee’s resolution that the membership of the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee be expanded to incorporate eight Members from the grand Committee be rescinded and the number revert to seven, with the re-ballot therefore being for one remaining place between those three Members who had tied in the original ballot. The motion was seconded and put immediately to the vote.

Votes on the Motion were cast as follows:    

·         In favour– 18 Members

·         Opposed – 0 Members

·         Abstentions – 1 Member

Members therefore proceeded to ballot for one remaining place on the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee between those three Members who had tied in the original ballot – Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark, Marianne Fredericks and William Upton QC. Members were content to allow the votes to be counted as the meeting proceeded with the Assistant Town Clerk acting as scrutineer. Members requested that the votes for each candidate be read out in full.

The Town Clerk delivered the result as follows:

·         Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark – 11 votes

·         Marianne Fredericks – 8 votes

·         William Upton QC – 1 vote

The Town Clerk therefore declared Deputy Jamie Ingham Clark to also be appointed to the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee for the ensuing year.