Agenda and minutes

To elect a Member of the Council to be Mayor of the Borough. The newly elected Mayor will make a declaration of acceptance of office, take the chair and be free to address the Council.

Proposed by Councillor Gary Robinson and seconded by Councillor Alex Rennie, it was RESOLVED that Councillor Prad Bains be elected Mayor of the Borough of Havant for 2020/21.

The Mayor, Councillor Prad Bains in the Chair.

The Mayor announced that his Charity Appeal Fund for the forthcoming year would support Hannah’s Home Holiday Appeal. The Mayor also announced his Cadets for 2020/21, along with his Chaplain, Canon Tom Kennar.

Proposed by Councillor Satchwell and seconded by Councillor Bowerman it was RESOLVED that a vote of thanks be recorded to the past Mayor, Councillor Diana Patrick, for her service to the Council during her year of office.

Reply by the Retiring Mayor

The retiring Mayor, Councillor Diana Patrick, took the opportunity to outline the highlights of her term of office and thank all those who had supported her in carrying out her duties.

To appoint a Member of the Council to be Deputy Mayor, who will then make a declaration of acceptance of office.

Proposed by Councillor Turner and seconded by Councillor Crellin, it was RESOLVED that Councillor Rosy Raines be appointed as Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Havant for 2020/21.

To make discharges and appointments of Trustees of the Mayor of the Borough of Havant Appeal fund Charitable Trust following the election of Mayor.

Proposed by Councillor Wilson and seconded by Councillor Crellin, it was RESOLVED that Councillor Prad Bains be appointed Mayor Trustee of the Borough of Havant Appeal Fund Charitable Trust and that Councillor Diana Patrick be appointed further Trustee of the Mayor of the Borough of Havant Appeal Fund Charitable Trust.

To receive and record any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hart and Kennett.

To receive and record any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 26 February 2020 be taken as read and signed as a true record.

Proposed by Councillor and seconded by Councillor Branson, it was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 26 February 2020 be approved as a correct record.

Recommended that the Council:

(i)               Notes the political balance of the Council, as set out in Appendix A;

(ii)             Notes the appointments made to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council as set out in Part A of Appendix B (to be circulated separately);

(iii)            Receives notification from the Leader of the Council that unless and until the Leader of the Council otherwise directs, the Cabinet, being the body which will undertake the relevant functions and powers set out in Part 3 of the Constitution of Havant Borough Council, will undertake all those functions and powers by acting together, save that, where Cabinet functions have been delegated to individual members of the Cabinet in accordance with the Scheme of Delegations to Cabinet Leads set out in Part 3B of the Constitution and/or to officers in accordance with the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Part 3D of the Constitution, those delegations will continue to have effect.

(iv)            Reviews the representation of the different political groups on each of the Committees and Boards set out in Appendix B (to be circulated separately) and determines:

(a)         the allocation of seats on each of those bodies to each of the political groups into which the Council is divided and

(b)         the membership of those bodies in accordance with the wishes of those groups; and

(v)        Approves:

1            the appointment and functions of the various Committees and Boards

2            the appointment of Councillors to those Committees and Boards

3            the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs (as appropriate) to those Committees and Boards all as set out in Parts B and C of Appendix B;

4            All appointments at (v)(1) to (3) to remain in place until the next Annual meeting of the Council;

(vi)      Approves the sundry appointments set out in Part D of Appendix B, all such appointments to remain in place until the next Annual meeting of the Council.

Proposed by Councillor Wilson and seconded by Councillor Crellin, it was

RESOLVED that the Council

(i)               Notes the political balance of the Council, as set out in Appendix A;

(ii)             Notes the appointments made to the Cabinet by the Leader of the Council as set out in Part A of Appendix B (to be circulated separately);

(iii)            Receives notification from the Leader of the Council that unless and until the Leader of the Council otherwise directs, the Cabinet, being the body which will undertake the relevant functions and powers set out in Part 3 of the Constitution of Havant Borough Council, will undertake all those functions and powers by acting together, save that, where Cabinet functions have been delegated to individual members of the Cabinet in accordance with the Scheme of Delegations to Cabinet Leads set out in Part 3B of the Constitution and/or to officers in accordance with the Scheme of Delegations to Officers set out in Part 3D of the Constitution, those delegations will continue to have effect.

(iv)            Reviews the representation of the different political groups on each of the Committees and Boards set out in Appendix B (to be circulated separately) and determines:

(a)         the allocation of seats on each of those bodies to each of the political groups into which the Council is divided and

(b)         the membership of those bodies in accordance with the wishes of those groups; and

(v)        Approves:

1            the appointment and functions of the various Committees and Boards

2            the appointment of Councillors to those Committees and Boards

3            the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs (as appropriate) to those Committees and Boards all as set out in Parts B and C of Appendix B;

4            All appointments at (v)(1) to (3) to remain in place until the next Annual meeting of the Council;

(vi)      Approves the sundry appointments set out in Part D of Appendix B, all such appointments to remain in place until the next Annual meeting of the Council.

Proposed by Councillor Wilson and seconded by Councillor Bowerman, it was

RESOLVED that the Council

(i)            agrees that the cancellation of meetings and their gradual reintroduction in a remote form due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic is a valid reason for the failure of any member of Havant Borough Council to attend a meeting of the authority; and

(ii)          having regard to the circumstances of the potential absence of councillors from meetings of the authority, the requirements of Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972 be waived until May 2021.