Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Mayor, Cllr Greta Goatley asked the outgoing Chaplain, Reverend Chris Stone to say a prayer for the meeting.  

 

Before the start of formal proceedings, the Chief Executive stated that the council had instituted award schemes to recognise and honour individual and collective contributions to community life.

 

Awards were presented by the Mayor to the under-mentioned persons who have “gone the extra mile” within the community for the benefit of others:-

 

Andrew Martin

Courtney Trimming

Chris Norris and Linda Norris

Derek Lewis

Mary Walker

Kelly Hall

 

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Gurdip Ram Bungar and Cllr John Cubitt and.

 

The Mayor took the opportunity to welcome two new Councillors:

 

Cllr Conrad Broadley

 

Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox

 

No declarations of interest were made.

 

3.1       The Mayor will call for nominations.

 

3.2       Members will vote by a show of hands on nominations.

            (Note: Candidates may vote).

 

3.3       The incoming Mayor will come forward and stand to the right of

            the Mayor.

 

3.4       The incoming Mayor will be asked by the Chief Executive to read

            aloud the Declaration of Acceptance of Office required by Section

            83 of the Local Government Act 1972. The Mayor will then sign

            the declaration and the Chief Executive will announce the fact to

            the Council.

 

3.5       The outgoing Mayor will shake the hand of the incoming Mayor

            and vacate the Mayoral Chair.

 

3.6       The entire company will rise and the National Anthem will be

            played.

 

3.7       The company remain standing; the incoming Mayor will retire

            together with the outgoing Mayor and the platform party.

 

3.8       There will be an interval during the robing of the new Mayor.

 

3.9       The Mayor's return will be announced and the company asked to

            rise. The Mayor will return. The company will remain standing

            while the outgoing Mayor is conducted to her seat.

 

3.10     The Mayor's installation speech.

 

3.11     At the conclusion, the Mayor will move "that the best thanks of the

            Council be accorded to Greta Goatley for the manner in which

            she has carried out the office of Mayor during the past municipal

            year".

 

3.12     The Leader of the Executive will second the motion.

 

3.13     The outgoing Mayor will reply.

It was moved by Councillor David Turner and seconded by Councillor Leslie Hills that:-

 

Cllr Harold Craske be elected Mayor of the Borough for the municipal year 2017/2018.

 

Tribute was paid to Cllr Harold Craske for the steadfast service and support he had given to the Council in the years since first being elected and in his work with Higham residents.  

 

On being put to the vote it was resolved unanimouslythat Cllr Harold Craske, be duly elected Mayor of the borough for the municipal year 2017/18.  Cllr Harold Craske made the Declaration of Acceptance of office required by Section 93 of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

The Mayor, in giving his acceptance speech stated that his charities for 2017/18 would be the House of Mercy, The Salvation Army, Ellenor Hospice and Beams.  At the conclusion of his term of office, the amount raised would be shared equally amongst them.

 

It was moved by Cllr Harold Craske and seconded by Cllr David Turner that:-

 

the best thanks of the Council be accorded to Cllr Greta Goatley for the manner in which she carried out the office of Mayor for the past municipal year.

 

Cllr Greta Goatley suitably replied and in doing so offered thanks to those who had assisted her during her year in office and highlighted a number of events she had attended during her mayoral year.

 

4.1       The Mayor will announce that a past Mayor's Badge will be

            presented to the outgoing Mayor.

 

4.2       The Mayor will then present the past Mayor's Badge to the

            outgoing Mayor.

The Worshipful the Mayor presented Cllr Greta Goatley with a Past Mayor’s Badge.

 

5.1       The Mayor will announce that a past Mayoress’s Badge will be

            presented to the outgoing Mayoress.

 

5.2       The Mayor will then present the past Mayoress’s Badge to the

            outgoing Mayoress.

Victoria Bance was presented with a Past Mayoress’s Badge.

 

6.1       The Mayor will announce the Mayoress for the ensuing municipal

            year.

 

6.2       The Mayor will present the Mayoress with the Mayoress’s Chain.

The Mayor stated that his Mayoress for the forthcoming year 2017/18 would be his wife Veronica Craske and invested her with the Mayoress's Chain.

 

The Mayor will announce the Civic Chaplain and invest the incumbent

with the Civic Cross.

The worshipful the Mayor stated that the Civic Chaplain would be the Father James Southward and invested him with the Chaplain’s cross.

 

8.1       The Mayor will call for nominations.

 

8.2       Members will vote by a show of hands on nominations.

            (Note: Candidates may vote).

 

8.3       The incoming Deputy Mayor will come forward and stand to the

            right of the Mayor.

 

8.4       The incoming Deputy Mayor will be asked by the Chief Executive

            to read aloud the Declaration of Acceptance of Office required by

            Section 83 of the Local Government Act 1972. The Deputy Mayor

            will then sign the declaration and the Chief Executive will

            announce the fact to the Council.

 

8.5       The Mayor will place the Chain of Office on the incoming Deputy

            Mayor and shake his hand.

It was moved by Cllr Leslie Hills and seconded by Cllr Jordan Meade that:-

 

Cllr David Hurley be appointed Deputy Mayor of the Borough for the municipal year 2017/18.

 

On being put to the vote it was resolved unanimouslythat Cllr David Hurley be appointed Deputy Mayor of the Borough for the Municipal year 2017/18.   Cllr David Hurley then made the Declaration of Acceptance of Office required by Section 83 of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

The incoming Mayoress, the outgoing Mayor and the outgoing Mayoress will be presented with bouquets.

Bouquets were presented to the Mayoress, the outgoing Mayor and the outgoing Mayoress.

 

The Mayor, having received the approval of the Council, will sign the

minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 18 April 2017.

The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 18 April 2017 were signed by the Mayor.

 

11.1     The Leader will decide upon the size of the Cabinet (subject to a

            maximum of ten, including the Leader and Deputy Leader) and

            will appoint Cabinet members from among the serving

            Councillors;

 

11.2     The Leader will appoint the Deputy Leader from among the

            Cabinet members.

Council noted the arrangements put in place for the Cabinet and the names of the members that would comprise the Cabinet as detailed below:

 

Cllr David Turner (Leader)

Cllr Leslie Hills (Deputy Leader)

Cllr Gurjit Bains

Cllr Julia Burgoyne

Cllr Sandra Garside

Cllr Samir Jassal

Cllr John Knight

Cllr Jordan Meade

Cllr Anthony Pritchard

Cllr Alan Ridgers

 

12.1     To review the representation of the political groups on the

            following:-

 

            Regulatory Board

            Licensing Committee

            Finance and Audit Committee

            Overview Scrutiny Committee

            Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee

            Appointments Board

            Standards Committee

 

12.2     Subject to the review, to determine the allocation of seats thereon

            to the Political Groups.

 

12.3     Subject to the Assistant Director (Communities) receiving

            notification of each group’s wishes in relation to the appointment

            of members to those seats, to appoint the Council’s Committees

            as identified in 13.1 above.

It was moved by Cllr David Turner and seconded by Cllr Leslie Hills that:-

 

1.         Having reviewed the representation of the political groups on Council Committees and Boards, that the allocation of seats thereon to the political groups be determined as follows:-

 

            Regulatory Board                                                     9 Members

 

                        Conservative Group   5 seats

                        Labour Group              4 seats

 

Licensing Committee                                               15 Members

 

            Conservative Group   8 seats

            Labour Group              7 seats

 

Finance and Audit Committee                                9 Members

 

            Conservative Group   5 seats

            Labour Group              4 seats

 

            Overview Scrutiny Committee                                9 Members                             

                        Conservative Group   5 seats

                        Labour Group              4 seats

           

           Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee               10 Members

 

                        Conservative Group   5 seats

                         Labour Group             5 seats

 

Appointments Board                                                12 Members

 

                        Conservative Group   7 seats                        

                        Labour Group              5 seats

 

Standards Committee                                              9 Members

 

                        Conservative Group   5 seats

            Labour Group              4 seats

 

 

2.    That each political group may appoint substitute Members for all of the above Committees and Boards, except the Standards Committee and the Appointments Board, in accordance with Procedural Rule 7.

 

            To appoint Members and Substitutes together with the Chairs and Vice-

            Chairs (where required) to the following Committees and Boards:-

 

            Regulatory Board

            Licensing Committee

            Finance and Audit Committee

            Overview Scrutiny Committee

            Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee

            Appointments Board

            Standards Committee

           

            Joint Arrangements with other Local Authorities:-

 

            Joint Transportation Board

            (Note: the Chair of the Board will be appointed by Gravesham Brough       Council).

 

            Gravesham Area Board

            (Note: the Leader of the Council will be the Chair of the Board).

 

            South Thames Gateway Building Control Joint Committee

 

            Dartford, Gravesham & Swanley Health & Wellbeing Board

It was moved by Cllr David Turner and seconded by Cllr Leslie Hills:

 

1.         That the Committees and Boards of the Council be appointed as set out below so as to give effect to the wishes of the political groups as notified to the Assistant Director (Communities) and that the Chairs and Vice-Chairs be as shown.

 

Regulatory Board
Conservative Group (5 seats)		Labour Group (4 seats)
Cllrs:	Mick Wenban (Chair)	Cllrs:	John Burden
	William Lambert (Vice-Chair)		Lee Croxton
	John Knight		Brian Sangha
	Bronwen McGarrity		Lauren Sullivan
	Robin Theobald
Licensing Committee
Conservative Group (8 seats)		Labour Group (7 seats)
Cllrs:	Lesley Boycott (Chair)	Cllrs:	Gurdip Bungar
	Karen Hurdle (Vice-Chair)		Brian Francis
	Gurjit Bains		John Loughlin
	Greta Goatley		Lyn Milner
	Sara Langdale		Peter Scollard
	Jordan Meade		Steve Thompson
	Lelsie Pearton		Jenny Wallace
	Mick Wenban

 

Finance and Audit Committee
Conservative Group (5 seats)			Labour Group (4 seats)
Cllrs:	Derek Shelbrooke (Chair)		Cllrs:	John Burden
	Karen Hurdle (Vice-Chair)			Colin Caller
	Lesley Boycott			Peter Rayner
	William Lambert			Lenny Rolles
	Robin Theobald
Overview Scrutiny Committee
Conservative Group (5 seats)		Labour Group (4 seats)
Cllrs:	David Hurley (Vice-Chair)	Cllrs:		John Burden (Chair)
	William Lambert			John Caller
	Sara Langdale			Lee Croxton
	Derek Shelbrooke			Makhan Singh
	Mick Wenban
Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee
Conservative Group (5 seats)			Labour Group (5 seats)
Cllrs:	John Knight (Chair)		Cllrs:	Gurdip Bungar
	Sara Langdale (Vice-Chair)			Brian Francis
	Karen Hurdle			Robert Halpin
	David Hurley			Lyn Milner
	Samir Jassal			Shane Mochrie-Cox
Appointments Board (no substitutes)
Conservative Group (7 seats)			Labour Group (5 seats)
Cllrs:	David Turner (Chair)		Cllrs:	John Burden
	Leslie Hills (Vice-Chair)			Colin Caller
	Julia Burgoyne			Makhan Singh
	John Cubitt Sara Langdale Anthony Pritchard Robin Theobald			Lauren Sullivan Jenny Wallace
Standards Committee (no substitutes)
Conservative Group (5 seats)			Labour Group (4 seats)
Cllrs:	David Turner (Chair)		Cllrs:	Val Ashenden
	John Cubitt Vice-Chair)			John Caller
	Lesley Boycott			Makhan Singh
	Leslie Hills			Narinderjit Thandi
	Mick Wenban
Joint Arrangements with other Local Authorities
Joint Transportation Board (no substitutes)
Conservative Group (3 seats)			Labour Group (2 seats)
Cllrs:	Lesley Boycott (Chair)		Cllrs:	Colin Caller
	Alan Ridgers			Peter Scollard
	Robin Theobald
Gravesham Area Board (no substitutes)
Conservative Group (3 seats)			Labour Group (2 seats)
Cllrs:	David Turner (Chair)		Cllrs:	John Burden
	Samir Jassal			Brian Sangha
	Mick Wenban
South Thames Gateway Building Control Joint Committee
Conservative Group (1 seat)			Labour Group (0 seats)
Cllr:	Julia Burgoyne
Substitute:	David Turner
Dartford, Gravesham & Swanley Health & Wellbeing Board
Conservative Group (1 seat)			Labour Group (0 seats)
Cllr:	David Turner
Substitute:	Jordan Meade

 

To make appointments to outside bodies.

It was moved by Cllr David Turner and seconded by Cllr Leslie Hills that the following appointments be made to outside bodies –

 

Action with Communities in Rural Kent

John Burden, Julia Burgoyne

 

Alpha Foundation

John Burden, David Turner

 

Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Services

Bronwen McGarrity

 

Charity of Knight’s Almshouses (4 year Term)

Ronald Bowman, Makhan Singh

 

Choices (formerly North Kent Womens Aid)

Bronwen McGarrity

 

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)

Lesley Boycott

 

CCTV – Lay Panel of Visitors

Lesley Boycott, John Knight, Lyn Milner. 

Substitutes: Jenny Wallace, David Hurley, Michael Wenban

 

Cyclopark

Alan Ridgers

 

Dartford and Gravesham Council for Voluntary Service Management Committee

Alan Ridgers

 

Dartford and Gravesham Community Safety Partnership

David Turner, John Knight (substitute)

 

Dartford and Gravesham District Partnership Group

John Burden

 

DGSM Your Choice

William Lambert

 

Gravesend & District Mencap Society

Lee Croxton, David Hurley

 

Gravesend Regatta Committee

Shane Mochrie Cox, Jordan Meade, Harold Craske

 

Gravesham Access Group

Bronwen McGarrity

 

Gravesham Arts Council and Executive Committee

Robert Halpin, Sara Langdale, Jordan Meade

 

Gravesham Community Leisure Limited

Sandra Garside, Sara Langdale

 

Gravesham Rights of Way Committee

Lee Croxton, Alan Ridgers, Robin Theobald

 

Groundwork South

Samir Jassal

 

Kent County Playing Fields Association

Sandra Garside

 

Kent Crime Panel

John Knight

 

Kent Crime & Safety Partnership

John Knight

 

Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Robin Theobald

 

Local Government Association

David Turner

 

Local Government Information Unit

David Turner

 

Meopham Community Sports and Leisure Association Management Committee

John Caller, Derek Shelbrooke

 

North Kent Crime Prevention Panel

John Knight

 

North Kent Marshes Drainage Board

Harold Craske, Leslie Hills, Robin Theobald

 

North Kent Relate

Karen Hurdle

 

North West Kent Volunteer Centre

Alan Ridgers

 

Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS)

Harold Craske

 

South East Employers

John Knight

Substitute: David Turner

 

The Grand Community Interest Company

John Burden, Jordan Meade

 

Town Twinning Association

Julia Burgoyne, Lyn Milner

 

            To re-affirm the scheme of delegation relating to the Council's functions

            other than Cabinet functions.

 

            An electronic link to Annex 1 of the Constitution herewith:-

            http://bit.ly/1hrKDpd

 

The scheme of delegation relating to the Council’s functions other than Cabinet functions contained within Annexes 1.2, 1.3, 1.13, 1.14 and 1.15 of the Constitution were re-affirmed.

 

To approve the timetable of meetings for the forthcoming municipal year.

It was moved by Cllr David Turner and seconded by Cllr Leslie Hills that –

 

            The timetable of meetings for the 2017/18 municipal year be adopted.

 

The motion was put to the meeting and declared to be carried.

 

To consider any questions submitted under the Council Procedure Rules

from members of the public (rule 13) or Members of the Council (rule 14).

No questions had been received.

At an Extraordinary meeting of the Council held on 21 February 2017, it

was agreed that in recognition of their eminent service to the Borough of

Gravesham, the following persons be admitted as an Honorary Freeman

of the Borough pursuant to Section 249 (5) of the Local Government Act

1972:-

 

Makhan Singh

David Harold Winston Turner

 

The Council will present scrolls to each in turn.

At an Extraordinary meeting of the Council held on 21 February 2017, it was unanimously agreed that in recognition of their eminent service to the Borough of Gravesham, the persons shown in Minutes 61 (1) and (2) be admitted an Honorary Freemen of the Borough pursuant to Section 249 (5) of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

The Worshipful the Mayor signed the Roll of Honorary Freemen admitting Makhan Singh as an Honorary Freeman.

 

Makhan Singh then made the following declaration:

 

“I, Makhan Singh do solemnly and sincerely declare that I will, at all times, use my best endeavours to preserve the peace of Our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second and that I will continue to do all in my power to serve the best interests of the people of Gravesham.”

 

Makhan Singh signed the Roll of Honorary Freemen witnessed by the Chief Executive.

 

The Worshipful the Mayor, on behalf of the Council, presented Makhan Singh with a Scroll and a Freeman’s Badge to mark the occasion.

 

The Honorary Freeman returned thanks to the Council for the honour accorded him.

The Worshipful the Mayor signed the Roll of Honorary Freemen admitting David Harold Winston Turner as an Honorary Freeman.

 

David Harold Winston Turner then made the following declaration:

 

“I, David Harold Winston Turner do solemnly and sincerely declare that I will, at all times, use my best endeavours to preserve the peace of Our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth the Second and that I will continue to do all in my power to serve the best interests of the people of Gravesham.”

 

David Harold Winston Turner signed the Roll of Honorary Freemen witnessed by the Chief Executive.

 

The Worshipful the Mayor, on behalf of the Council, presented David Harold Winston Turner with a Scroll and a Freeman’s Badge to mark the occasion.

 

The Honorary Freeman returned thanks to the Council for the honour accorded him.