Issue - meetings

a) To establish, allocate seats and appoint members to the Council’s Committees and Panels for 2026/27

b) To receive nominations and appoint to any vacancies on outside bodies

c) To approve the 2026/27 Schedule of Meetings 

d) To reappoint members of the Independent Remuneration Panel until May 2028

(Report of the Service Director – Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer) enclosed).

Appendix 1 to follow.

Consideration was given to the report of the Service Director – Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) which sought to: a) establish, allocate seats and appoint members to the Council’s Committees and Panels for 2026/27; b) receive nominations and appoint to any vacancies on Outside Bodies; c) approve the 2026/27 Schedule of Meetings; and d) re-appoint members of the Independent Remuneration Panel until May 2028.

The Service Director – Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) introduced the report and presented the recommendations for Council, highlighting the following revisions:

·        Regarding recommendation 1, that ‘Appendix A’ was the document at Appendix 1;

·        Regarding recommendation 2, that ‘Appendix B’ was the document at Appendix 2; and

·        Regarding the recommendation 3, that ‘Appendix C’ was the document at Appendix 3.

Regarding the receipt of nominations and appointment to vacancies on Outside Bodies at Appendix 2

• The Service Director – Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) referred to Appendix 2 which advised of a single vacancy for the Outside Body ‘Spalding Water Taxi Company Limited’. Councillors proposed and seconded the following members for the position: Councillor Sheard, Councillor J Le Sage and Councillor Casson. Following a vote, Councillor J Le Sage was appointed to the position;
  • In response to a member query as to whether more than one member could be appointed, the Leader responded that the number of appointments was the decision of the company and not the Council; and
• It was noted that the Lincolnshire County Council Flood and Drainage Scrutiny Committee should be removed as this no longer existed.

DECISION:

That Council:

1)     Approved the establishment of Committees and Panels for the Municipal Year 2026/27, including the allocation of seats to political groups and appointments (and substitutes) as nominated by Political Group Leaders, as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, including an increase to the size of the Planning Committee from 11 members to 13 members;

2)     Noted the current appointments to Outside Bodies as detailed in Appendix 2 and received nominations and appointments to any vacancies; and following this, that Councillor James Le Sage be appointed to the Outside Body ‘Spalding Water Taxi Company Limited’.

3)     Approved the Council meeting dates and its committee meeting dates and noted the proposed dates for Cabinet meetings for the Council Municipal Year 2026/27 (Appendix 3);

4)     Delegated authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the relevant Chairman to amend or cancel meeting dates as necessary, subject to compliance with any constitutional requirements where an agenda has already been published; and

5)     Re-appointed the members of the Independent Remuneration Panel until May 2028.