Agenda item
Announcements
a) Mayor
b) Leader of the Council
c) Chief Executive
Minutes:
The Mayor made the following announcements:
1) Engagements
The Mayor provided a summary of recent engagements that she had attended. These events had either raised money for good causes or recognised the efforts of individuals and groups within the local community. The Mayor was proud to have been able to lend her support to those celebrations.
2) Annual Mayor’s Ball
Last Friday the Civic Calendar had reached a crescendo, with the staging of the Mayor’s Annual Ball. The event had been well attended with VIPs and local citizens alike coming together for a night of great food and entertainment.
The event had also raised money the Mayor’s four chosen charities:
· RNLI;
· Pioneer Swimming Club;
· Rosemere Cancer Foundation; and
· Community Solutions North West.
The Mayor thanked those who had attended the event, as well as the hard-working members of her Charity Committee, who had organised the evening to perfection.
3) Resignation of Councillor Chris Knight
The Mayor remarked that earlier in the week, Councillor Chris Knight had submitted his resignation from the Council, due to family and work constraints.
Chris had been elected to the Council in 2019, serving the St Oswald’s ward, and in a short space of time had distinguished himself, particularly with his work as Chair of the Audit Committee.
The Mayor called upon those present to join her in wishing Chris all the very best for the future.
4) Elections 2022
Members were reminded that this was the final Council meeting before the local government elections on 5th May 2022. The Mayor noted that Councillors Diane Fielding, Jenny Molineux, Dave Parkins and Bernadette Parkinson had already announced that they did not intend to seek re-election in May. Collectively these councillors had given a total of 48 years of service to the Council. The Mayor commented that their experience would be greatly missed.
On behalf of the Council, the Mayor thanked all of the retiring councillors for their service and wished them every happiness for the future.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Miles Parkinson OBE, made the following announcements:
5) Resignation from the Labour Party
The Leader announced that after 11 years as Leader of the Labour Group and of Hyndburn Borough Council he would be tendering his resignation from the Labour Party immediately after the Council meeting. He would then register as an independent councillor.
Councillor M Parkinson reported that this had not been an easy decision, particularly in the light of his long-standing membership of the Labour Party and trades unions. He expressed a view that the Hyndburn Labour Party was being misdirected by certain individuals behind the scenes.
The Leader reflected on the many good friends he had made during his tenure. He considered that teamwork been a key feature of his leadership style and, in particular he thanked his Cabinet colleagues and councillors from all parties for their support. He also thanked the MP for working closely with the Council on its plans for the future and the staff for their on-going efforts. In addition, he acknowledged the support of a long list of partner organisations in the private, public and community sectors. He was proud that the Council had achieved so much, and that each year it ‘punched above its weight’. Council services were numerous and providing these to a high standard was a complex endeavour. The Council could take pride in the fact that it did this well and for the benefit of its residents. The Leader also highlighted some key achievements and projects commenced during his time in office.
The Leader vowed to end his association with the Labour Party with a smile and hoped that his successor would have the courage to lead the party through unsettling times to a position of greater stability. At a personal level, Councillor Parkinson would endeavour to maintain the many friendships had had made within the Labour Group.
6) One Carbon World Carbon Neutral Gold Standard
The Leader reported that the Council had achieved the One Carbon World Carbon Neutral Gold Standard for a second consecutive year.
7) Thanks for Service
The Leader added his personal thanks to those retiring Members who he noted had served with great dignity. In particular, he paid tribute to Councillor Jenny Molineux, who had served admirably on the Cabinet until recently and, his wife, Councillor Bernadette Parkinson, who had continued to stand beside him as Leader and who, as Mayoress, had happily supported him throughout his mayoral year.
The Chief Executive, Mr David Welsby, made the following announcement:
8) Levelling Up Fund
In the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, it had been announced that the 2nd Round Levelling Up Fund Bids were now open. The closing date for bids was 6th July 2022. Hyndburn’s bid was already well advanced and the Borough was confident that it would be able to achieve the proposed £20m investment sought.
Councillor Haworth gave a brief response the Leader’s statement about his resignation from the Labour Party. She commented that it had been a pleasure to work both with and alongside him and wished him all the best for the future.