Full council – Part one

Last Tuesday evening saw a meeting of the full council, well two in fact an ‘ordinary’ one and the annual meeting.

The ordinary meeting considered amongst other items a number of recommendations that have previously been through the select committees and executive including the asset management plan, pay and workforce development strategy, street trading consents along with agreeing to sign the councillor development strategy.

The meeting also considered a number of local plan policies which have been kept on the book following concerns raised by Labour members including amongst others the housing moratorium in Glossopdale and a variety of other polices including the transport and access section which includes continued support for the Gamesley station proposals, a new station in New Mills and support for rail freight in Buxton.

A notice of motion from the Labour Group on the conduct / role of the position of mayor in chairing meetings was amended by the Conservatives, to congratulate the current mayor, meaning that Labour Group were unable to support our motion which was intended to clarify the role of the mayor in chairing council meetings rather than naming or shaming as the case may be any particular mayor.

The first meeting then finished off with the annual report from the select committee chairs on the work of the select committees during the previous year, along with a report on approving / confirming the appointment of Simon Barker as the Council’s full time – part time chief executive in partnership with Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

The decision on the Chief Executive was one which although the Labour Group supported it on the night, we still have concerns on how some of the practicalities of working both across the two councils, two regions and so on will actually work, and one which we will continue to monitor as it continues to develop.