Agenda and minutes

          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Des Moffatt, Roger Smith, Bazil Solomon and Andy Spry.

The Chief Executive reported that no communications had been received.

The Worshipful The Mayor reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting. 

Councillors Junab Ali, Steve Allsopp, John Ballman, Ray Ballman, Alan Bishop, Claire Crilly, Steph Exell, Steve Heyes, Janine Howarth, Oladapo Ibitoye, Rob Jandy, Jenny Jefferies, Vinay Manro, Mary Martin, Nick Martin, Jane Milner-Barry, Stan Pajak, Kevin Parry, Maureen Penny, Kevin Small, Tim Swinyard, Caryl Sydney-Smith, Nadine Watts, Steve Weisinger and Keith Williams made personal and non prejudicial declarations of interest in respect of Agenda Item No. 5 in their capacity as Parish Councillors.

Councillor Stan Pajak made personal and non prejudicial declaration of interest in respect of Agenda Item No. 5 as was a Parliamentary Election candidate.

          Mr John Ranford table a written question regarding the scheduling arrangements and chairing of the Council’s Climate Change Cabinet Member Advisory Group and its Sub-Groups.  A written response was tabled.

          The Chief Legal Officer submitted a report setting out the outcome of a public consultation undertaken as to whether to retain the current system of elections by thirds or adopt all-out/whole council elections.

          Councillor David Renard moved and Councillor Russell Holland seconded:

“(1) That the outcome of the consultation be noted.

(2) That the cycle for electing councillors to Swindon Borough Council   from ‘elections by thirds’ to all-out/whole council elections, to   commence in 2022 be approved.

(3) That the Chief Executive and Chief Legal Officer be authorised to issue the necessary public information as required by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and undertake any further actions necessary to give effect to Council’s resolution.

(4)    That the Chief Executive be authorised to make a formal request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to review Swindon’s ward boundaries to achieve greater numerical parity of electors in each ward and to create boundaries that better reflect Swindon’s communities, which may include a wider range of single and two member wards rather than three member wards, to be included in the 2020/21 LGBCE review programme.”

(5) That the Chief Executive and Chief Legal Officer be authorised to make the order to harmonise all town and parish council elections with the Borough Council’s electoral cycle, as permitted by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, providing that a further consultation with those councils confirms that a majority of them are in favour of such a change.”

          Following a debate resolution (1) was put to the vote and declared carried.

          Resolutions (2), (3) and (4) were put to the vote and declared lost. (Resolutions (2) and (3) were declared lost having failed to achieve a two thirds majority of those Councillors present and voting.)

          Council agreed that resolution (5) would be withdrawn following the loss of resolutions (2) and (3).

A formal division was requested in respect of resolutions (2) and (3) in accordance with Standing Order 14(2).

          Members voting for the resolution were Councillors Alan Bishop, Nick Burns-Howell, Matthew Courtliff, Malcolm Davies, Oliver Donachie, Emma Faramarzi, Brian Ford, Dale Heenan, Steve Heyes, Russell Holland, Oladapo Ibitoye, Robert Jandy, Jenny Jefferies, Vinay Manro, Mary Martin, Nick Martin, Cathy Martyn, Brian Mattock, Stan Pajak, Barbara Parry, Kevin Parry, Maureen Penny, Garry Perkins, David Renard, Gary Sumner, Timothy Swinyard, Caryl Sydney-Smith, Rahul Tarar, Vera Tomlinson, Steve Weisinger and Keith Williams.

Members voting for the resolution were Councillors Junab Ali, Steve Allsopp, Abdul Amin, John Ballman, Ray Ballman, Emma Bushell, Claire Crilly, Mark Dempsey, Paul Dixon, Steph Exell, Jim Grant, Fay Howard, Janine Howarth, Jane Milner-Barry, James Robbins, Adorabelle Shaikh, Imtiyaz Shaikh, Carol Shelley, Kevin Small, Nadine Watts, Peter Watts and Robert Wright.

(Councillors Junab Ali, Steve Allsopp, John Ballman, Ray Ballman, Alan Bishop, Claire Crilly, Steph Exell, Steve Heyes, Janine Howarth, Oladapo Ibitoye, Rob Jandy, Jenny Jefferies, Vinay Manro, Mary Martin, Nick Martin, Jane Milner-Barry, Stan Pajak, Kevin Parry, Maureen Penny, Kevin Small, Tim Swinyard, Caryl  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

          The Chief Legal Officer reported that a Standing Order 15 Question had been received from Councillor Jim Robbins.

          Councillor Jim Robbins asked a supplemental question relating to the use and pricing of tickets at Bristol Street Car Park. The Cabinet Member for Transport and the Environment indicated that a written answer would be provided.