Issue - meetings

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

The Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth, Councillor Edyvean presented the report of the Chief Executive, updating Council on the Upper Saxondale Community Governance Review.

Councillor Edyvean reminded Council that a petition had been received from the residents of Upper Saxondale at the December meeting of Council, which had subsequently been validated and accepted.  This report set out the next steps to undertake a Community Governance Review of Upper Saxondale, to address the petition request that the area become parished in its own right and elect its own parish council in May 2023.  Councillor Edyvean asked Council to support the establishment of a Member Task and Finish Group to oversee the Community Governance Review and report back to Council in September.

Councillor Brennan seconded the recommendations and reserved the right to speak.

Councillors J Walker, Jones, R Mallender and Thomas all expressed their intention to support the recommendations and Councillor Upton, who represented the ward where Upper Saxondale currently sat, also expressed his support after describing to Council how Upper Saxondale was a distinct and separate area of his ward.

Councillors Brennan and Edyvean both thanked Councillors for their support.

Before moving to the vote, the Monitoring Officer asked Councillors Barney and Purdue-Horan to abstain from voting as they had missed a substantial amount of debate on this item.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)       the process involved for the delivery of a Community Governance Review and the proposed timetable be noted;

b)       the Terms of Reference for the Community Governance Review (Appendix Two) be approved;

c)  a cross party Task and Finish Group to consider the Council’s position in response to the consultation to be undertaken as part of the Review be established; and

d)  the Task and Finish Group Terms of Reference (Appendix Three) be approved.