Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

There were no declarations of interests.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Burke, Holly, Hornby, Joinson, Nickson and Paolucci.

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed will move and Councillor Donna Williams will second the election of Councillor Rashid as Mayor for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed moved and Councillor Donna Williams seconded the election of Councillor Rashid as Mayor for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

 

Resolved:

That Councillor Rashid be elected as Mayor for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

Councillor Rashid will sign the Declaration of Acceptance

Councillor Rashid signed the Declaration of Office and took the Chair.

 

(The Mayor, Councillor Rashid, in the Chair)

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed will move and Councillor Cocks will second the election of Councillor Ali Ahmed as Deputy Mayor for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed moved and Councillor Cocks seconded the election of Councillor Ali Ahmed as Deputy Mayor for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

 

Resolved:

That Councillor Ali Ahmed be elected as Deputy Mayor for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

To authorise the signing of the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 24 March 2021.

The Council considered the minutes of the Council meeting held on 24^th March 2021.

 

Resolved:

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 24^th March 2021 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To appoint a Leader of the Council.

It was moved by Councillor Daalat Ali and seconded by Councillor Rowbotham that Councillor Neil Emmott be appointed Leader of the Council.

 

Resolved:

That Councillor Neil Emmott, be appointed as the Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, for a period of up to four years, from 19^th May 2021. 

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council.

The Council considered a report of the Monitoring Officer which informed Members that the Authority has operated without an Employment and Equalities Committee since it was disbanded in 2017. The former functions of the Committee were undertaken by the Portfolio Holder and Officers.

 

It was proposed that the Employment and Equalities Committee be re-established with a Special Responsibility Allowance being made payable to the Chair.

 

The Council’s Cabinet comprises the Leader of the Council and up to a further nine members, with responsibility for a Portfolio, appointed by the Leader.  The Cabinet, prior to 19^th May 2021, had nine Members inclusive of the Leader.  The Leader of the Council was proposing to increase the number of Portfolio Holders from eight to nine.

 

The Scheme of Allowances contained in Part VI of the Council’s Constitution, allowed for each Cabinet Member to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance.

 

Resolved:

1.    The Council’s Special Responsibilities Allowances budget be increased to allow for the creation of an additional Cabinet post, Assistant Portfolio Holder post and the establishment of the post of Chair of the Employment and Equalities Committee, to be financed from the Budget Pressures Fund.

2.    The Council notes that an £29,071 allocation from the Budget Pressures Fund will be used to finance the proposal.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Council considered a report which notified Members of the Leader’s appointment of Cabinet Members and Assistants to Portfolio Holders for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

 

Resolved:

1.    The Leader of the Councils’ appointments to Cabinet positions, the allocation of Portfolios to Cabinet Members and the appointment of Assistants to Portfolio Holders, as detailed in the table below, be noted:-

 

Portfolio	Cabinet Member (Portfolio Holder)	Assistant to Portfolio Holder
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health	Councillor Daalat Ali	Councillor Patricia Dale
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability	Councillor Sara Rowbotham	Councillor Shah Wazir
Cabinet Member for Economy and Communications	Councillor John Blundell	Councillor Philip Massey
Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate	Councillor Carol Wardle	Councillor Peter Williams
Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing	Councillor Iftikhar Ahmed	Councillor Billy Sheerin
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education	Councillor Rachel Massey	Councillor Elsie Wraighte
Cabinet Member for Communities and Cooperation	Councillor Susan Smith	Councillor Aftab Hussain
Cabinet Member for Environment and Facilities	Councillor Liam O’Rourke	Councillor Kallum Nolan
Cabinet Member for Highways and Housing	Councillor Daniel Meredith	Councillor Linda Robinson

 

2.    The Leader of the Council re-affirms the joint arrangements and delegation of executive functions to individual cabinet members, Township Committees and Officers as set out in Part 3 (Scheme of Delegation) of the Council’s Constitution.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

The Council considered a report which set out nominations for the opposition portfolio spokespersons for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

 

Resolved:

That approval be given to the nominations to the Shadow Portfolio Spokespersons for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year as follows:

Portfolio	Shadow Portfolio Spokesperson
Cabinet Member for Health	Councillor Gartside
Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability	Councillor Paolucci
Cabinet Member for Economy and Communications	Councillor Anstee
Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate	Councillor Holly
Cabinet Member for Adult Care and Wellbeing	Councillor Angela Smith
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education	Councillor Sullivan
Cabinet Member for Communities and Cooperation	Councillor Nickson
Cabinet Member for Environment and Facilities	Councillor Winkler
Cabinet Member for Highways and Housing	Councillor Taylor

 

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

Council considered a report which outlined nominations to Committees and the appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

 

Resolved:

1.  That approval be given to the appointment of the following Council Committees, Sub-Committees and Working parties, including, where appropriate, the Chairs and Vice Chairs and substitute members:-

 

Heywood Township to be comprised of all Members from the following Wards:

·         North Heywood

·         West Heywood

·         Hopwood Hall

 

Chair: Councillor Peter Rush

 

Middleton Township to be comprised of all of the Members from the following Wards:

·         East Middleton

·         North Middleton

·         South Middleton

·         West Middleton

·         Hopwood Hall

 

Chair: Councillor June West

 

Pennines Township to be comprised of all of the Members from the following Wards:

·         Littleborough Lakeside

·         Milnrow and Newhey

·         Wardle and West Littleborough

·         Smallbridge and Firgrove

 

Chair: Councillor Amna Mir

 

Rochdale North Township to be comprised of all of the Members from the following wards

·         Central Rochdale

·         Healey

·         Norden

·         Spotland and Falinge

 

Chair: Councillor Shaun O’Neill

 

Rochdale South Township to be comprised of all of the Members from the following wards

·         Balderstone and Kirkholt

·         Bamford

·         Castleton

·         Kingsway

·         Milkstone and Deeplish

 

Chair: Councillor Mohammed Zaman

 

Communities, Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Conservative (2)

Councillor Angela Smith

Councillor Peter Winkler

 

Labour (8)

Tom Besford	Sameena Zaheer
June West	Terry Smith
Susan Emmott	Wendy Cocks
Peter Williams	Janet Emsley

 

Liberal Democrat (1)

Councillor Andy Kelly

 

Chair (Labour) – Councillor Tom Besford

Vice Chair (Conservative) – Councillor Peter Winkler

 

Health, Schools and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Conservative (2)

Councillor James Gartside

Councillor Patricia Sullivan

 

Labour (8)

Ray Dutton	Iram Faisal
Kieran Heakin	Billy Sheerin
John Hartley	Amna Mir
Pat Dale	Janet Emsley

 

Liberal Democrat (1)

Councillor Irene Davidson

Non-Elected Voting Members (voting rights in relation to education decisions only):

Co-opted Member – Mr John McGrath

Church Representatives (two vacancies)

Parent Governor Representatives (two vacancies)

Chair (Labour) – Councillor Ray Dutton

Vice Chair (Conservative) – Councillor Patricia Sullivan

 

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Conservative (2)

Councillor Stephen Anstee

Councillor Michael Holly

 

Labour (9)

Shaun O’Neill (Vice Chair)	Linda Robinson
Peter Joinson	Elsie Wraighte
Donna Williams	Allen Brett
Kallum Nolan	Ali Ahmed
Faisal Rana

 

Liberal Democrats (1)

Councillor David Bamford

 

Chair (Conservative) – Councillor Michael Holly

Vice Chair (Labour) – Councillor Shaun O’Neill

 

Audit and Governance Committee

9 elected Members

Conservative (1) 

Councillor James Gartside

 

Labour (8)

Sameena Zaheer	Ali Ahmed
Allen Brett	Aftab Hussain
Sultan Ali	Philip Massey
Donna Martin	Donna Williams

 

Independent Persons (non-voting) (in respect of Elected Member conduct issues): 

Mr. C. Ainsworth and Ms. M. Carruthers-Watt

Independent Members

Ms. J. Sanderson

 

Chair (Labour) – Councillor Sameena Zaheer

Vice Chair (Labour) – TBC

 

Planning and Licensing Committee

 

 Conservative (2)

Councillor Patricia Sullivan

Councillor John Taylor

 

Labour (12):

Shakil Ahmed (Chair)	Billy Sheerin
Peter Rush	Kallum Nolan
Shah Wazir	Sameena Zaheer
Phil Burke (Vice Chair)	Amna Mir
Susan Emmott	Mohammed Zaman
Shaun O’Neill	Donna Williams

 

Liberal Democrats (1)

Councillor Irene Davidson

 

Chair (Labour) – Councillor Shakil Ahmed

Vice Chair (Labour) – Councillor Philip Burke

 

Licensing Sub-Committee

Comprises three Members drawn  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To consider a report of the Monitoring Officer.

Council considered a report of the Monitoring officer which advised that an annual review of the content of its constitution had recently taken place for the purpose of ensuring that its content remained appropriate and that any necessary legislative changes were captured.

 

The Monitoring Officer’s report identified amendments made by either Council or the Monitoring Officer throughout the 2020/2021 Municipal year.

 

Changes relating to Executive (Cabinet) functions were made by the Leader at any point during the year.  Non-Executive functions can only be made by resolution of Council.

 

Resolved:

that the report be noted.