Agenda item

To report on the establishment of political groups, the political balance of the Council and the entitlement of each group to seats on the authority’s committees.

Consideration was given to the report that detailed the membership of political groups on the Council, political balance and the entitlement to seats on, and the proposed appointments to Committees, Boards and Panels.

 

It was noted that Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 placed a duty on local authorities to set out the principles to be followed when allocating seats to political groups and for these principles to be followed when determining such allocation following formal notification of the establishment of political groups in operation on the Council. It was noted further that there was a requirement on local authorities to annually review the entitlement of the political groups to seats on the committees of the Council.

 

The report stated that the allocation of seats must follow 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.

 

The report stated that there were presently 4 political groups in operation on the Council – the Labour Group (majority), Conservative Group (opposition), Liberal Democrat (LibDem) Group and Rotherham Democratic Party (RDP) Group – with one non-aligned Councillor (members who were not in a political group).

 

It was noted further that 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 45 seats, the LibDem Group 10 seats, the RDP Group 8 seats. Three seats had been allocated to the one non-aligned Councillor. This included Councillor Bennett-Sylvester replacing Councillor C. Carter on the Improving Lives Select Commission.

 

At the meeting Councillor Wyatt advised that he should be listed as a substitute Member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Councillor Burnett thanked Councillor Wyatt for his support on the Improving Places Select Commission during his time as Vice-Chair. Councillor Cusworth thanked all Members involved in the review of the Corporate Parenting Panel.

 

Resolved:-

 

1)             That the operation of 4 political groups on the Council and the detail of their designated Leaders be noted:

 

a)      Labour Group – Councillor Chris Read (Leader of the Majority Group)

b)      Conservative Group – Councillor Emily Barley (Leader of the Majority Opposition Group)

c)      Liberal Democrat Group – Councillor Adam Carter (Group Leader)

d)      Rotherham Democratic Party Group – Councillor Rob Elliott (Group Leader)

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 approval be given to the appointment of Members to Committees, Boards and Panels, and the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs, as set out below:

 

Cabinet

 

Leader – Cllr Read

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Working – Cllr Allen

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People – Cllr Cusworth

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health – Cllr Roche

Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy – Cllr Lelliott

Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment – Cllr Beck

Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion – Cllr Sheppard

Cabinet Member for Housing – Cllr Brookes

Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Community Safety and Finance –

Cllr Alam

 

Audit Committee – 3L and 2C

Cllr Baker-Rogers (Chair)

Cllr Cowen (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Mills

Cllr Wooding

Cllr Wyatt

 

Licensing Board – 12L, 6C, 1LD, 1RDP and 1I

 

Cllr Ellis (Chair)

Cllr Hughes (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Ball

Cllr Barker

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester

Cllr Browne

Cllr Castledine-Dack

Cllr Clark

Cllr Thomas Collingham

Cllr Cooksey

Cllr Haleem

Cllr Hoddinott

Cllr Jones

Cllr McNeely

Cllr Mills

Cllr Monk

Cllr Pitchley

Cllr Reynolds

Cllr Sansome

Cllr Wyatt

Vacancy

 

Licensing Committee – 8L, 5C, 1LD and 1RDP

 

Cllr Ellis (Chair)

Cllr Hughes (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Ball

Cllr Barker

Cllr Browne

Cllr Thomas Collingham

Cllr Clark

Cllr Cooksey

Cllr Jones

Cllr McNeely

Cllr Mills

Cllr Pitchley

Cllr Reynolds

Cllr Wyatt

Vacancy

 

Planning Board – 8L, 5C, 1LD and 1RDP

 

Cllr Atkin (Chair)

Cllr Bird (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Andrews

Cllr Bacon

Cllr Burnett

Cllr Cowen

Cllr Elliott

Cllr Fisher

Cllr Havard

Cllr Keenan

Cllr Khan

Cllr Tarmey

Cllr Taylor

Cllr Wooding

Vacancy

 

Staffing Committee – 3L and 2C

 

Cllr Alam (Chair)

Cllr Allen (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Thomas Collingham

Cllr Read

Cllr Reynolds

 

Standards and Ethics Committee – 4L, 2C, 1LD and 1I

 

Cllr McNeely (Chair)

Cllr Griffin (Vice-Chair

 

Cllr Bacon

Cllr Zachary Collingham

Cllr Hughes

Cllr Tarmey

Cllr Yasseen

Vacancy

 

Parish Councillor Dennis Bates

Parish Councillor Dave Rowley

Parish Councillor Richard Swann

 

Independent Members:

Mrs. Adele Bingham

Mr. Peter Edler

Mrs. Mags Evers

Ms. Kate Penney

 

Independent Persons:-

Mr. Phil Beavers

Mr. David Roper-Newman

 

Overview and Scrutiny Management Board – 7L, 3C, 1LD and 1RDP

 

Cllr Clark (Chair

Cllr Thomas Collingham (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Baker-Rogers

Cllr Baum-Dixon

Cllr A. Carer

Cllr Cooksey

Cllr Cowen

Cllr Elliott

Cllr Pitchley

Cllr Tinsley

Cllr Yasseen

Cllr Wyatt

 

Health Select Commission – 10L, 5C, 2LD and 1RDP

 

Cllr Yasseen (Chair)

Cllr Baum-Dixon (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Andrews

Cllr Barley

Cllr Bird

Cllr A. Carter

Cllr Cooksey

Cllr Elliott

Cllr Havard

Cllr Hoddinott

Cllr Griffin

Cllr Keenan

Cllr Miro

Cllr Sansome

Cllr Thompson

Cllr Wooding

Vacancy x 2

 

Improving Lives Select Commission – 10L, 5C, 2RDP and 1I

 

Cllr Pitchley (Chair)

Cllr Cooksey (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Andrews

Cllr Atkin

Cllr Aveyard

Cllr Bacon

Cllr Barley

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester – seat gifted to Non-aligned Member from the Liberal Democrat Group

Cllr Zachary Collingham

Cllr Elliott

Cllr Griffin

Cllr Haleem

Cllr Hughes

Cllr Jones

Cllr McNeely

Cllr Mills

Cllr Thompson

Vacancy

 

Improving Places Select Commission – 10L, 5C, 1LD, 1 RDP and 1I

 

Cllr Wyatt (Chair)

Cllr Tinsley (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Aveyard

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester – seat gifted to the Non-aligned Member from the Liberal Democrat Group

Cllr Browne

Cllr C. Carter

Cllr Castledine-Dack

Cllr Thomas Collingham

Cllr Cowen

Cllr Ellis

Cllr Havard

Cllr Hunter

Cllr Jones

Cllr Khan

Cllr McNeely

Cllr Monk

Cllr Reynolds

Cllr Taylor

 

Corporate Parenting Group – 3L and 2C

 

Cllr Cusworth (Chair)

Cllr Pitchley (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Browne

Cllr Burnett

Cllr Zachary Collingham

 

Introductory Tenancy Review Panel – 2L, 1C and 1I

 

Chair and Vice-Chair to be drawn from the Improving Lives Select Commission or Improving Places Select Commission

 

Cllr Bennett-Sylvester

Cllr Tinsley

 

Joint Consultative Committee – 3L and 2C

 

Cllr Alam (Chair)

Cllr Allen (Vice-Chair)

 

Cllr Clark

Cllr Hunter

Vacancy

 

Health and Wellbeing Board

 

Cllr Roche (Chair)

 

Cllr Cusworth

Cllr Thompson (Observer)

 

4)             That approval be given to the appointment of Members to joint committees, as set out below:

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board

 

Cllr Read

Cllr Allen – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board Rotational Member

 

Cllr Lelliott

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Local Enterprise Partnership Board

 

Cllr Read

Cllr Allen – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Housing and Infrastructure Board

 

Cllr Brooks

Cllr Beck – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Transport and Environment Board

 

Cllr Read

Cllr Beck – Substitute)

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Business Growth and Recovery Board

 

Cllr Lelliott

Cllr Alam – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Audit, Standards and Risk Committee

 

Cllr Baker-Rogers

Cllr Barley

Cllr Wyatt - Substitute

Vacancy – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Cllr Clark

Cllr Thomas Collingham

Cllr Wyatt – Substitute

Vacancy – Substitute

 

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority

 

Cllr Ball

Cllr Sansome

 

South Yorkshire Pension Authority

 

Cllr Fisher

Cllr Havard

 

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel

 

Cllr Baum-Dixon

Cllr Haleem

 

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester requested that his vote against the appointment of Scrutiny Chairs involving the Executive be recorded.

 

Mover:- Councillor Read               Seconder:- Councillor Sheppard