The Mayor to make and deliver the statutory Declaration of Office

The Mayor reminded the Council that, as they had not met in person for the past year, they had not yet thanked the outgoing Mayor and Deputy Mayor for 2019/20.

On a motion from Councillor Tony Owen, which was seconded by Councillor Ian Dunn, it was

RESOLVED that at the conclusion of the year of office of Councillor Nicholas Bennett MA JP as Mayor of the London Borough of Bromley, the Council places on record its appreciation of the able manner in which he has presided at meetings of the Council and the distinction with which he has maintained and discharged the high traditions and responsibilities of that office.

The Council also recognises the committed and dedicated manner in which he has carried out Mayoral duties when representing the Borough, spreading awareness of the history and tradition of the Mayoralty, as well as strengthening our long-standing relationship with Neuwied and Mayoralty outside of the Borough.

Also recorded is his support for the Borough’s schools and education, residents’ associations, the business community, voluntary community groups, and other organisations.

As the Design and Heritage Champion, Councillor Bennett has promoted and supported all aspects of the historic environment in the borough, ensuring that local plans and strategies capture the contribution that the local historic environment  make to the success of the area.

The Council further acknowledges his enthusiastic support and fund raising efforts through his Charity Appeal for Careplus and The Latch Project.

That the Corporate Seal be affixed to an engrossment of this resolution for presentation to Councillor Nicholas Bennett MA JP and a Past Mayor’s Badge be presented to him in token of the appreciation hereby expressed.

Thereupon, the Mayor, on behalf of the Council, invested Councillor Nicholas Bennett with a badge and presented him with a copy of this citation  in token of the appreciation of his services as Mayor of the Borough.

Councillor Bennett expressed his thanks for the terms of the resolution and the presentation, and for the support accorded to him which had contributed so greatly to his year in office.

RESOLVED that the Council

(1) records its appreciation of the able and courteous services of Councillor Keira Gabbert and Mr Victor Yuzhaninov when, as Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor’s Consort for 2020/21 they represented the Mayoralty and the Council; and

(2) provide them with an attested copy of this resolution.

Councillor Gabbert expressed her thanks for the terms of the resolution and for the support accorded to her during her year of office as Deputy Mayor.

It was moved by Councillor Michael Turner, seconded by Councillor Julian Benington and

RESOLVED that Councillor Russell Mellor be elected Mayor of the Borough.

Councillor Mellor made and subscribed the Declaration of Acceptance of the Office of Mayor and thereupon adjourned from the chamber in company with the retiring mayor to receive the insignia of office.

In the chair, Cllr Russell Mellor

On his return to the chamber, the Mayor expressed his thanks for the honour conferred on him.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 262.

The Mayor signified orally and in writing his appointment of Cllr Tony Owen as the Deputy Mayor.

The Deputy Mayor was invested by the Mayor with the insignia of his office and expressed appreciation for the honour of his appointment.

On a motion from Councillor Judi Ellis, which was seconded by Councillor Peter Morgan, it was

RESOLVED that at the conclusion of the year of office of Councillor Hannah Gray as Mayor of the London Borough of Bromley, the Council places on record its appreciation of the able manner in which she has presided at meetings of the Council and the distinction with which she has discharged the high traditions and responsibilities of the office of Mayor.

The Council also recognises the dedication, commitment and unstinting manner in which she has carried out Mayoral duties when representing the Borough, especially during the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this unprecedented year she has used her expertise in the latest forms of communication.  She has continuously shown support for front line staff, the Borough’s voluntary groups, business community and schools. She was particularly pleased to host the Mayor of Bromley Awards albeit virtually and be part of the Celebration of Achievement Awards for young people in Care.  Cllr Gray steadfastly continued with as many Civic and ceremonial duties as possible often using technology to facilitate these events.

During the Pandemic, as Mayor, Councillor Hannah Gray provided civic leadership through regular video messages on the Council website and instigated the use of a Newsletter and Mayoral social media for further communication. She also awarded Certificates of Thanks to residents, volunteers and organisations within the Borough who continued to serve the public at personal risk to themselves during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Councillor Gray led the Borough in a poignant service to mark the National Day of Reflection, when 740 candles were lit, each representing a loved one lost due to Covid-19, in the borough. Cllr Gray again led the Borough in paying tribute to HRH Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh; remembering his many years of public service and his extraordinary support for Her Majesty the Queen for more than 70 years as husband and consort.

The Council further acknowledges her enthusiastic support and fund raising through her Charity Appeal for Chartwell Cancer Trust and Cystic Fibrosis Supporters.

That the Corporate Seal be affixed to an engrossment of this resolution for presentation to Councillor Hannah Gray and a Past Mayor’s Badge be presented to him in token of appreciation hereby expressed.

Thereupon, the Mayor, on behalf of the Council, invested Councillor Hannah Gray with a badge in token of the appreciation of her services as Mayor of the Borough.

Councillor Gray expressed her thanks for the terms of the resolution and the presentation, and for the support accorded to her which had contributed so greatly to her year in office.

RESOLVED that the Council

(1) records its appreciation of the able and courteous services of Councillor Stephen Wells when, as Deputy Mayor for 2020/21 he represented the Mayoralty and the Council; and

(2) provide him with an attested copy of this resolution.

Councillor Wells expressed his thanks for the terms of the resolution and for the support accorded to him during his year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 264.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Kathy Bance, David Cartwright, Mary Cooke, Robert Evans, Samaris Huntington-Thresher, Chris Pierce, Suraj Sharma and Michael Tickner.

Councillor Simon Fawthrop declared an interest in relation to minute 270 (Scheme of Delegation to Officers) as he had submitted a planning application which could potentially be dealt with under the Scheme.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 19^th April 2021 be confirmed.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Colin Smith, made a short statement. Reviewing the extraordinary events of the past year, he thanked those who had worked on the frontline, and the 4,600 volunteers who had come forward in the borough to support residents who were shielding. It was important that lessons were learned, particularly about the importance of volunteers and the voluntary sector, and also about real and virtual meetings.

He outlined some of the priorities for the coming year – looking after vulnerable people would continue to be important, including dealing with the issues around loneliness, which Councillor Cuthbert would be leading on. Although the Government had provided funding to support Councils, it was likely that finances would come under pressure and it was important that the Council planned for the worst. It was essential that the local economy should be encouraged and supported, and that more housing should be provided for local people. Another priority was to see a huge proliferation of street trees planted across the borough which would be a symbol of Bromley’s intention of becoming London’s first carbon neutral borough by 2029.

The Leader concluded by thanking the Chief Executive and his staff for their exceptional work in response to the pandemic.

Schedule of Committee memberships attached – remaining nominations to follow.

At the end of the Council meeting, Committees will meet to appoint their Sub-Committees in line with proportionality and appoint chairmen and vice-chairmen. 

A schedule of proposed committee appointments had been circulated. A motion to approve the appointment of Councillors to Committees and the election of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen as set out in the schedule circulated was moved by Cllr Christine Harris, seconded by Cllr William Huntington-Thresher and CARRIED.

After the end of the meeting, Committees met to appoint their Sub-Committees and appoint chairmen and vice-chairmen. The final version of the schedule is attached as Appendix A to these minutes.

Report CSD21058

Councillor Simon Fawthrop raised objections to a number of the delegations proposed in the report. The Mayor advised that these matters should be considered by the General Purposes and Licensing Committee.

A motion to note the Scheme of Executive Delegation and confirm the Scheme of Non-Executive Delegation was moved by Councillor Pauline Tunnicliffe, seconded by Councillor Michael Turner and CARRIED, subject to the concerns raised being considered at a future meeting of the General Purposes and Licensing Committee.

The Mayor informed Members of the following events, which would take place subject to Covid 19 restrictions –

·  The Civic Service would be held on Sunday 27^th June at St George’s Parish Church, High Street, Beckenham.

·  An Autumn Ball at the Metropolitan Police Sports Club, The Warren, in Hayes, on Saturday 16^th October 2021.

The Mayor announced that his charities would be the Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners Royal Benevolent Society and the Beckenham Parochial Charities.

The Mayor thanked the Churchill Theatre for generously allowing the Council to use their building for the annual meeting.