To elect the Mayor who will be Chair of Council for the ensuing year and receive notification of the appointment of the Consort.

It was proposed, seconded, supported and

        RESOLVED: That Councillor Dolores O’Sullivan be and is hereby elected Mayor of the Borough of Trafford for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

The retiring Mayor invested the Mayor with the Chain and Badge of Office and presented her with a bouquet of flowers before Councillor O’Sullivan took the Chair.

THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR

(COUNCILLOR DOLORES O’SULLIVAN) IN THE CHAIR

The Mayor returned thanks to the Council for her election and announced that Father Mullarkey of St. John Henry Newman Parish would act as her Chaplain for her mayoral year.

To appoint the Deputy Mayor who will be Vice-Chair of Council for the ensuing year and receive notification of the appointment of the Consort.

It was proposed, seconded, supported and

        RESOLVED:  That Councillor Amy Whyte be and is hereby appointed Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Trafford for the ensuing Municipal Year.

The Mayor invested Councillor Whyte with the Chain and Badge of Office and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

The Mayor announced that Mrs. Joan Smith, would act as her Consort during the ensuing year.

The retiring Mayoress invested the Consort with the Chain and Badge of Office and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

The Deputy Mayor informed the Council that Sarah Hooks, would act as her Deputy Consort during the ensuing year.

The Consort invested the Deputy Consort with the Chain and Badge of Office and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

A vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor and Mayoress.

It was proposed, seconded, supported and

        RESOLVED:  That the Council hereby place on record their appreciation for the manner in which Councillor Chris Boyes has carried out his duties as Mayor of the Borough of Trafford during his period of office and tender to him their best thanks in that connection. They also express their gratitude to his wife, Mrs. Pamela Boyes for the manner in which she has acted as his Mayoress.

The Mayor presented the retiring Mayor with a replica of the Badge of Office and a framed photograph.

The Mayoress presented the retiring Mayoress with a replica of the Badge of Office and a bouquet of flowers.

The retiring Mayor then responded to the vote of thanks.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 15 March 2023 for signature by the Mayor as Chair of the Council.

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 15 March 2023, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive a report of the Returning Officer on the results of the Poll held on 4 May 2023 for the respective wards of the Borough.

The Returning Officer submitted a report on the results of the Poll held on 4 May 2023 for the respective wards of the Borough.

The Mayor congratulated all those who were successfully elected and welcomed Councillors Bilal Babar, Olly Baskerville, Kaushik Chakraborty, Zak Deakin, Phil Eckersley, Emma Hirst, Simon Lepori, Eve Parker, Rupali Paul, Hannah Spencer, Owain Sutton and Michael Taylor to their first Council Meeting and Councillors Mike Cordingley and Nathan Evans who were returning to the Council having served as Members in the past.

RESOLVED:  That the list of newly elected Members and their Terms of Office be noted.

To elect the Leader of the Council and note that the Leader will appoint the membership of the Cabinet and a Deputy Leader. The Council is also asked to note any Shadow Executive arrangements.

The Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer submitted a report concerning the election of the Leader of the Council and advising on the appointment of the Executive and a Deputy Leader and also the shadow arrangements that the main opposition group was entitled to.

        RESOLVED –

(1)       That Councillor Tom Ross be elected Leader of the Council for a fixed term of office from this date of election to the first Annual Meeting of the Council after his normal day of retirement as a councillor in 2024.

(2)       That the Council notes that the Leader of Council determines that the Executive shall comprise himself plus 9 Councillors.

(3)       That the Council notes that the Leader of the Council appoints the membership of the Executive and a Deputy Leader for the 2023/24 municipal year, as follows:

(4)       That That the membership of the Shadow Executive for the 2023/24 Municipal Year, as set out below, be noted:

(5)       That the Corporate Director of Governance and Community Strategy be authorised to make the necessary amendments to the Constitution arising as a result of these arrangements.

To receive a report on the Committees of the Council, their composition, membership and terms of reference for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report inviting the Council to agree the Committees of the Council, their size, political composition, membership and terms of reference for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

In accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, the Chief Executive had been notified of the following political groups on the Council:

Labour Group                           -   41 Members

Conservative Group                  -   10 Members

Liberal Democrats Group          -    6 Members

Green Party Group                    -    6 Members

The regulations provided for the composition of Committees to be in accordance with the political balance of the 63 Members of the Council.

        RESOLVED –

(1)       That the Standing Committees and their composition, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

(2)       That the Terms of Reference for each Committee, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

(3)       That Council approves the membership of Committees for the 2023/24 Municipal Year, as set out below, including the appointment of each Committee Chair (CH) and Vice-Chair (V-CH) and notes the nominated Opposition Spokesperson (OS), where appropriate:

ACCOUNTS AND AUDIT COMMITTEE

NON-VOTING CO-OPTEE (1) – Mrs. Jeannie Platt

EMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE

LICENSING COMMITTEE

PLANNING DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE

STANDARDS COMMITTEE

Non-Voting Co-optees (5)

2 Parish Representatives:    Mr. A. Rudden and 1 vacancy

3 Independent Members:      Mr. D. Goodman, Mr. C. Griffiths and

                                               Mr. R. Brown

Independent Persons of the Hearing Panel (2)

(under Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011):       Ms. N. Jackson and

                                                                                Mr. M. Whiting

SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

To receive a report on Council appointments to outside and independent bodies for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report detailing the proposed appointment of representatives to outside and independent bodies relating to the service areas and functions of the Council for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The report also requested the Council to note the representatives on those outside and independent bodies whose activities relate to Executive functions which had been confirmed by the Leader of the Council. 

        RESOLVED –

(1)       That approval be given to the appointment of representatives to those outside and independent bodies set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)       That the Council notes the representatives appointed by the Leader of the Council to those outside, independent and Executive bodies set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

(3)       That the Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant Group Leader(s), be delegated authority to appoint members to any outside body vacancy that remains or arises after this Annual Meeting and to any other bodies to which the Council is required to make appointments (and when such appointments specifically relate to Council functions, to report back to Council on any changes or new appointments so made).

(4)       That the persons named in Appendix 3, to the report, be authorised to sit on the Statutory School Appeals Committee for the 2023/24 Municipal Year and that the Director of Legal and Governance be delegated authority to make changes to this list and to set up School Admission Appeals Committees including the appointment of Chairs.

To approve a timetable of meetings for 2023/24.

The Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report presenting for adoption a timetable of Council and Committee meetings for the ensuing Municipal Year.

RESOLVED: That the timetable of Council and Committee meetings for the 2023/24 Municipal Year be approved.

To approve the following arrangements for dealing with delegated decisions and urgent action:

(a) Delegated Decisions

That where, under the approved scheme of delegation, decisions may be taken by Officers in consultation with non-Executive Members then in the absence of any specific arrangements having been made, the Officer shall consult the appropriate Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson.

(b) Urgent Action

That, in situations which require emergency action the Chief Executive or the appropriate Officer, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee concerned and the Opposition Spokesperson where appropriate (or their respective nominees), be authorised to deal from this date until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2024, with any matters of urgency or any other matter that cannot conveniently be deferred to the next ordinary meeting of the Committee, subject to later report for information, to the Committee in question.

RESOLVED –

(1)    That where, under the approved Scheme of Delegation, decisions may be taken by officers in consultation with non-Executive Members, then in the absence of any specific arrangements having been made, the officer shall consult the appropriate Chair, Vice-Chair and Opposition Spokesperson.

(2)    That, in situations which require emergency action, the Chief Executive or the appropriate officer, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee concerned and the Opposition Spokesperson where appropriate (or their respective nominees), be authorised to deal from this date until the Annual Meeting of the Council in 2024, with any matters of urgency or any other matter that cannot conveniently be deferred to the next ordinary meeting of the Committee, subject to later report, for information, to the Committee in question.

To receive a report of the Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer:

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report confirming the arrangements for the delegation of Council (non-Executive) and Executive functions and to obtain Council’s agreement to amend the Constitution of the Council to incorporate these arrangements and those others identified in the report deemed to be necessary.

RESOLVED –

(1)       That Council notes that Executive functions not covered by the Officers’ Scheme of Delegation are delegated by the Leader of the Council as follows:

(a)       functions are delegated to all individual Executive Members in accordance with the Executive Members’ Scheme of Delegation, set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

(b)       all other functions are delegated to the Executive.

(2)       That the Scheme of Delegation to Officers, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

(3)       That the Director of Legal and Governance be authorised to amend the Constitution of the Council in accordance with and as a consequence of this report and other decisions made by Council at this Annual Meeting.

(4)       That Council notes that further changes may be required to the Officer Scheme of Delegation during the year and that the Director of Legal and Governance be authorised to amend the Constitution following consultation with the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive.

To consider a report of the Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report detailing Executive Key Decisions which had been taken under Special Urgency provisions set out in Regulation 11, since the previous Annual Meeting held on 25 May 2022.

RESOLVED: That the content of the report be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Legal and Governance Monitoring Officer.

The Monitoring Officer and Director of Legal and Governance submitted a report seeking to amend the Council’s Constitution with a proposed new formal protocol for Amendments to Motions at Council meetings.

RESOLVED: That the proposed formal protocol for Amendments to Motions, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved and that the Director of Legal and Governance be authorised, to amend the Constitution of the Council to incorporate the agreed changes.

To consider a report of the Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer and the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Director of Legal and Governance and the Monitoring Officer submitted a report advising the Council of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations in respect of the allowances paid to Members and requesting the Council to determine any changes to the Scheme in the light of the recommendations.

RESOLVED –

(1)       That the Council accepts the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel in full, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)       That the Governance Manger be authorised to make the necessary amendments to the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme.

(3)       That the Council’s thanks be conveyed to the Panel Members for the work undertaken and report produced.