Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence from the meeting

The Chief Executive opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors S Andrews, J Craigie and L Piper.

Nominations were invited for the Chair of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor K James and seconded by Councillor C Leather –

That Councillor D Bushby be elected Chair of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor D Brenton and seconded by Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin –

That Councillor D Smith be elected Chair of the Council.

Vote: Councillor D Bushby - 18

         Councillor D Smith – 15

Resolved:

That Councillor D Bushby be elected as Chair of the Council.

Councillor D Bushby read and signed the Acceptance of Office and took the Chair.

The Chair expressed his gratitude to Members for his re-election.

Nominations were invited for the Vice Chair of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor H Thomas, seconded by Councillor R Lock and –

Resolved:

That Councillor D Smith be elected as Vice Chair of the Council.

(Vote: For – 32, Against – 0, Abstentions – 1)

15 minute period for public contributions. (The deadline for registering to speak is by 2pm Thursday 15^th May 2025. To register please email dem.services@torridge.gov.uk).

There were no Public Contributions.

No items were brought forward by the Chair.

Nominations were invited for the Leader of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor S Newton, seconded by Councillor A Dart and –

Resolved:

That Councillor K James be elected as the Leader of the Council.

(Vote: For – 31, Against – 0, Abstentions – 2)

Following his re-election, the Leader thanked Members for their continued support and faith in him. Furthermore, the Leader expressed the need for continuity and emphasised the importance of collaboration to deliver for the community amidst ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

Nominations were invited for the Deputy Leader of the Council.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor J Gubb and –

Resolved:

That Councillor C Hodson be elected as the Deputy Leader of the Council.

(Vote: For – unanimous)

The Deputy Leader addressed the committee following her re-election, expressing her gratitude and acknowledging the good collaborative working relationship with the Leader, albeit the occasional disagreements which she deemed as healthy challenges.  

To receive the report of the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented the report, the purpose of which was to present to Full Council the final report following a progress review, which took place on the 10 April 2025.

Additionally, the Chief Executive clarified the rationale for presenting items 8 & 9 prior to the election of the Chair and Vice-Chairs. This order was due to the potential impact that the recommendations from the Member Development Working group could have on those appointments.

Succeeding the Chief Executive’s presentation, the Leader expanded on the financial stability highlighted in the report, commending the authority for the great work conducted whilst guidance from central government was unclear.  

Members noted the report.

To receive the report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented the report, the purpose of which was to present to Full Council a series of recommendations of the Member Development / Constitution Working Group for updates to the Council’s Constitution following a period of review.

With permission of the Chair, each recommendation within the report was voted on separately.

Following the presentation of each recommendation, Members were invited for comments and/or questions, where discussions took place. 

Leadership Team Meeting

Members raised concerns about the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) resembling a Cabinet setup, questioning the voting rights within the body and expressing fears of reduced information flow to other members.

The Chief Executive clarified that the SLT is not a decision-making body and will not replace existing committees. Instead, it will provide guidance to officers on certain Council matters, especially where political input is needed. While it includes a voting mechanism, this is only for decisions within specific projects or schemes, not broader policy.

Furthermore, it was clarified that group leaders are expected to regularly feedback information from the SLT to their respective groups. It was confirmed that this communication platform can, in addition, work in reverse.

Next and jumping to section C of the report; the Role of Lead Members, Councillor A Brenton raised concern to the content and meaning of this section. Members assisted officers in conveying their interpretation on the Role of Lead Members, stating it was not about power but more about co-operative working and supporting officers. Members heard about the need for stronger ownership of the Lead Member role and the importance of providing greater support to officers when presenting committee reports.

Noticing that she was still noted as Group Leader for Liberal Democrats, Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin advised the committee that due to new commitments with Devon County Council she was stepping down as Group Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Councillor T Tinsley would now be the new Group Leader.

Responding to concerns, the Chief Executive confirmed that the recommendation to create the SLT was not initiated by the Peer Review Team, instead had been suggested by Group Leaders in the Member Development Working Group.

Confirmation was given that Member Briefings will continue on a regular basis and all Members are welcome to attend. Here, updates on Council matters would be provided and Members would be able to voice their opinions.

It was proposed by Councillor T Tinsley, seconded by Councillor K James and –

Resolved:

That the Leadership Team and Property & Major Projects Working Group be removed from the Constitution and that Senior Leadership Team (SLT) be added to the Constitution along with the terms of reference as set out in appendix 1 be approved.

(Vote: For – 23, Against – 9, Abstentions – 1)

Governance and Reporting Framework

Confirmation was provided on where the Audit & Governance and the Overview & Scrutiny Committees sit within the framework.

It was proposed by Councillor S Newton, seconded Councillor C Hodson and –

Resolved:

That Full Council adopt and approve the Governance and Reporting Framework.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was to confirm the size of Committees and their Terms of Reference.

It was proposed by Councillor S Newton, seconded by Councillor R Lock and –

Resolved:

That the size of Committees as stated in the report and their Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

(Vote: For – unanimous)

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was to agree the number of seats on the Committees allocated to each of the Political Groups.

It was proposed by Councillor D Bushby, seconded by Councillor S Newton and –

Resolved:

 
That the allocation of seats to political groups be delegated to Group Leaders.

(Vote: For – unanimous)  

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was to agree the Membership of Committees.

It was proposed by Councillor S Newton, seconded by Councillor J Whittaker and –

Resolved:

That the Membership of Committees be delegated to Group Leaders to decide.

(Vote: For – unanimous)

Community and Resources Committee

Audit and Governance Committee

Plans Committee

Licensing Committee

Internal Overview and Scrutiny Committee

External Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Standards Committee

Prior to the commencement of this item, Councillor D Brenton proposed the election of Chairs and Vice Chairs be delegated to Group Leaders.

This proposal was seconded by Councillor A Brenton.

Responding to the above proposal the Chief Executive illustrated the impact delegating the election of Chairs and Vice Chairs to Group Leaders would have on imminent meetings. Furthermore, the conclusion of appointments would necessitate an additional Full Council meeting, resulting in the delay of other committee meetings of the Council.   

The Head of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) addressed the committee to provide clarification on the Council’s Constitution in relation to the election of Chairs and Vice Chairs. It was confirmed that while the Constitution outlines the procedures for such elections, it does not include provisions for the suspension of Chairs and Vice Chairs. Furthermore, the Head of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) advised that any proposal to delegate the election of Chairs and Vice Chairs to Group Leaders would requires a formal amendment to the Constitution.

Following clarification provided by Senior Officers no vote was taken on the proposal.

Community & Resources Committee

Nominations were invited for the position of the Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor R Lock, seconded by Councillor K James –

That Councillor R Hicks be elected as the Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin, seconded by Councillor A Brenton –

That Councillor T Tinsley be elected as the Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

Vote: Councillor R Hicks - 18

         Councillor T Tinsley - 15

Resolved:

That Councillor R Hicks be elected as Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

Nominations were invited for the position of the Vice Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor K Hepple –

That Councillor A Dart be elected as the Vice Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin, seconded by Councillor A Brenton –

That Councillor T Tinsley be elected as the Vice Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

Vote: Councillor A Dart - 14

         Councillor T Tinsley - 19

Resolved:

That Councillor T Tinsley be elected as Vice Chair of the Community & Resources Committee.

Audit & Governance Committee

Nominations were invited for the position of the Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor C Hodson, seconded by Councillor S Gibson that Councillor P Hackett be elected as Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee.

Resolved:

That Councillor P Hackett be elected as the Chair of Audit & Governance Committee.

(Vote: For – unanimous)

Nominations were invited for the position of the Vice Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor P Hackett that Councillor D Brenton be elected as Vice Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee.

Councillor D Brenton addressed the committee expressing his gratitude for the recommendation, however due to increasing commitments outside the Council, he declined the role, feeling he did not have the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88.

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was for Members to approve the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor D Bushby and –

Resolved:

That the Scheme of Delegation as set out in Appendix 1 attached to the report be approved.

(Vote:  For – 32, Against – 0, Abstentions – 1)

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was for Member approval to the Council’s Substitution Scheme.

In addition to the report, the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) highlighted significant aspects of the substitution scheme, directly referencing the conflict between Community & Resources Committee, Audit & Governance Committee and the Overview & Scrutiny Committees. Furthermore, the importance of sourcing a substitute was greatly empathised, which was endorsed by the Chair.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor S Newton and –

Resolved:

That the Substitution Scheme as set out in Appendix 1 attached to the report be approved.

(Vote:  For – unanimous)

To receive the report of the Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)

The Head of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) presented the report, the purpose of which was to agree the Membership of Outside Bodies and that the Democratic Services Team be informed of any changes.

Councillor P Hames addressed the committee, recalling the approval of the Taw & Torridge Forum being added to the list previously.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor A Brenton and –

Resolved:

That the Membership of Outside Bodies including the above amendment be delegated to Group Leaders.

(Vote: For - unanimous)

To receive the report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented the report, the purpose of which was to approve Lead Members.

Councillor C Hodson advised she would move the recommendation in the report, subject to the review mentioned earlier in the meeting.

It was proposed by Councillor C Hodson, seconded by Councillor K James and -

Resolved:

That the Lead Members roles and Lead Members be approved subject to the upcoming review.

(Vote: For - unanimous)

To receive the report of the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive presented the report, the purpose of which was to approve the appointment of Members to Active Torridge Board.

As the Chair of Active Torridge, the Leader recommended that, with Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin’s agreement, she remain and be elected as the fourth Board Member to Active Torridge.

Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin confirmed she would be willing to continue in the role.

It was proposed by Councillor K James, seconded by Councillor D Smith and –

Resolved:

That the Leader, Lead Member for Leisure and Recreation, Chair of Community and Resources Committee plus Councillor C Cottle-Hunkin be approved as the Board Members of Active Torridge.

(Vote: For – 32, Against – 0, Abstentions – 1)

To receive the report of the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive presented the report, the purpose of which was to approve the appointment of Members to Working Groups for Climate Change and Harbour Board.

Following a query as to the exclusion of the XLinks Working Group in this item, the Chief Executive clarified that the XLinks project is short term, therefore not included in the constitution, however agreement was previously made at Full Council to formulate an Xlinks Working Group.

It was proposed by Councillor P Hames, seconded by K James and –

Resolved:

That the recommendations in the report be approved.

(Vote: For – unanimous)

To receive Petitions (if any)

There were no Petitions.

The Chair to move:

“That the public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting because of the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972”

There were no Part II items.