Agenda item

To inform Council of amendments to the nomination of Members to serve on Committees, Boards and Panels.

Further to Minute No. 15 to the annual meeting of Council held on 26^th May, 2021, consideration was given to the report which detailed how under Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 Local Authorities had the duty to allocate seats to political groups and set out the principles to be followed when determining such allocation following formal notification of the establishment of political groups in operation on the Council.

There was a requirement to annually review the entitlement of the political groups to seats on the committees of the Council following 2 principles:-

(a)      Balance must be achieved across the total number of available seats on committees; and

(b)      Balance must be achieved on each individual committee or body where seats are available

There were presently 4 political groups in operation on the Council – the Labour Group (majority), Conservative Group (opposition), Liberal Democrat (Lib Dem) Group and Rotherham Democratic Party (RDP) Group – with one non-aligned Councillor (Members who were not in a political group).

As a result of 2 by-elections held on 9^th December 2021 the political balance of the Council had changed.

There were 149 seats available on Committees, Boards and Panels and under the calculation the Labour Group was entitled to 83 seats, the Opposition Group (Conservative) 45 seats, the Liberal Democrat Group 10 seats, the Rotherham Democratic Party Group 8 seats. 3 seats were allocated to the non-aligned Councillor.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the new political balance of the Council as a result of the by-election be noted.

(2)   That the entitlement of the membership of the political groups be agreed and such entitlements be reflected in Council’s appointments of Members to committees.

(3)  That the amendment of appointments of Members to Committees, Boards and Panels to reflect the change in political balance as notified by Group Leaders be confirmed as follows:-

Audit Committee

·          Councillor Barley to be removed

·          Councillor Wilson to be removed

·          Councillor Wooding to be added

·          Councillor Mills to be added

Licensing Board

·          Councillor Bacon to be removed

·          Councillor Castledine-Dack to be added

·          Cllr Taylor to be added

Licensing Committee

·          Councillor Bacon to be removed

·          Councillor Castledine-Dack to be added

Planning Board:

·          Councillor Carter to be removed

·          Councillor Tarmey to be added

·          Councillor Castledine-Dack to be removed

·          Councillor Wilson to be removed

·          Councillor Bacon to be added

·          Councillor Burnett to be added

Standards and Ethics Committee:

·          Councillor Tarmey to be added

·          Councillor Castledine-Dack to be removed

Health Select Commission:

·          Councillor Adam Carter to be added

·          Councillor Hunter to be removed

·          Councillor Wilson to be removed

·          Councillor Whomersley to be added

Improving Lives Select Commission:

·          Councillor Charlotte Carter to be removed

·          Councillor Singleton to be removed

·          Councillor Wilson to be removed

·          Councillor Mills to be added

·          Councillor Ian Jones to be added

Improving Places Select Commission:

·          Councillor Miro to be removed

·          Councillor Charlotte Carter to be added

·          Councillor Bennett-Sylvester to be added

·          Councillor Barley to be removed

·          Councillor Whomersley to be removed

·          Councillor Mills to be removed

·          Councillor Singleton to be added

·          Councillor Hunter to be added

Introductory Tenancy Review Panel:

·          Councillor Mills to be removed

·          Councillor Bennett-Sylvester to be added

Joint Consultative Committee:

·          Councillor Castledine-Dack to be removed

Mover: - Councillor Read                               Seconder: -  Councillor Allen