Issue - meetings

The Leader announced the allocation of Portfolio Holders as attached as Appendix A to the minutes.

As announced above, it was not proposed to re-establish the former Cabinet Committees for 2019/20.  Major decisions on housing would be considered by the Business and Housing Scrutiny Committee and then onto Cabinet.  With regard to the Local Plan, it was proposed that a task and finish group be established.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillor Horrill expressed disappointment at this change of start time of future Cabinet meetings from 4.30pm as she believed it was less open and transparent and would prevent a number of people, including Councillors with jobs, from attending.  She also expressed concern at the decision at Council on 15 May to appoint a member of the administration as Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee as under the previous Constitution it was custom for the Audit Committee Chair to be held by a member of the opposition group.  She believed this was important to ensure proper governance.

As former Chair of the Audit Committee, Councillor Cutler stated that he had raised the question of chairmanship of the new Audit and Governance Committee a number of times during discussion of the new Constitution and the view had been taken that the role should be filled by best Councillor for the job, regardless of political group. 

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.         That the following appointments to Fora and other informal consultative groups be made for the 2019/20 Municipal Year:

(i)            East Hampshire and Winchester Joint Environmental Services Committee – Councillors Thompson, Murphy and Leader (Deputy: Porter)

(ii)          Strategic Asset Purchase Scheme Board

Leader and Portfolio Holders with responsibility for Finance; Estates; and Business (Councillors Thompson, Cutler, Learney and Weir)

(iii)         Treasury Investment Group

Portfolio Holder for Finance (Councillor Cutler) and Councillor Prince (from Cabinet).  Councillor Power (Chair of Audit & Governance Committee), Councillor Gottlieb (member of Audit & Governance Committee) and Councillor Miller (Shadow Portfolio Holder).

(iv)         Kings Barton Forum

Councillors: Prince, Learney, Rutter, Porter, Godfrey, Horrill, Cunningham and Griffiths (Deputies: Hutchison and Mather).

(v)          West of Waterlooville Forum –

Councillors: Clear, Cutler, Read and Brook (Deputies: Evans and Weston)

(vi)         North Whiteley Development Forum –

Councillors: Achwal, Bentote, Evans, Lumby, Gemmell and Miller (Deputies: Fern and Pearson)

2.         That the following bodies not be re-appointed for 2019/20:

(i)            Cabinet (Housing) Committee;

(ii)          Cabinet (Local Plan) Committee;

(iii)         Cabinet (Leisure Centre) Committee;

(iv)         Cabinet (Station Approach) Committee;

(v)          Cabinet (Central Winchester Regeneration) Committee;

(vi)         Cabinet (Traffic and Parking) Committee;

(vii)        River Park Area Informal Policy Group.