Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that Cllr. Orridge be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

Resolved: That Cllr. Orridge be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

Cllr. Orridge then made the declaration of acceptance of office and took the chair. The new Chairman thanked the Council for his election and announced that his Escort for the year would be his wife, Mrs Sylvia Orridge, who unfortunately was unable to attend the meeting as she had a bad cold.

He also advised Members that he had asked Father Stephen Mitchell to serve as his Chaplain for the forthcoming year but that it was unlikely that Father Mitchell would take up his duties until the Council meeting in October.

The new Chairman led the Council in expressing thanks to the outgoing Chairman, Mr Keith Loney, for his service to the Council and to the District.

He presented Mr Loney with a plaque of the official badge, the past Chairman’s badge and a glass goblet. This was strongly supported by other Members who commented on Mr Loney’s exemplary service as Chairman in supporting local organisations and in promoting the profile of the Council both within the District and across Kent.

In response Mr Loney commented on the many events he had attended during the year and thanked Members and Officers for their support. He offered particular thanks to his driver, Russell Meek, and to his personal assistant Margaret Hagger who he presented with a bouquet of flowers.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that Cllr. Mrs Morris be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

Resolved: That Cllr. Mrs Morris be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing municipal year.

Cllr. Mrs Morris then made the declaration of acceptance of office and expressed her thanks to the Council for her appointment.

The Chairman of the Council then presented the new Vice-Chairman’s

Escort, Mr Ray Morris, with his badge of office.

The Chairman proposed that the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 29th March 2011 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 29^thMarch 2011 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

No declarations were made.

The Chairman informed Members that in view of the significant budgetary savings necessitated by reductions in Government funding the Civic budget had also been reduced and that he intended to preside over a year of “Civic frugality”. He had therefore asked that his personal Chairman’s allowance should be retained within the Civic budget in order to provide minimal administrative support to the Civic role. He further announced that the Annual Dinner at Penshurst Place would not take place but in order to ameliorate the loss of this opportunity to recognise and mark the support provided by local charities and voluntary organisations it was his and the Vice-Chairman’s intention to focus their activities on these areas. However it was still intended to hold a Civic Service which had provisionally been booked to take place at Edenbridge Parish Church at 3pm on Sunday 9th October.

The Chairman announced that it was his intention over the next twelve months to raise the profile of local volunteers and charitable organisations and, in view of the Paralympic Games coming to the District in 2012, to promote organisations which provided and encouraged sport for the disabled. He also advised Members that his Charity for the year would be the Salvation Army in recognition of the important assistance that it delivered to vulnerable people in society.

Cllr. Mrs. Davison proposed and Cllr. Mrs. Bracken seconded that Cllr. Fleming be elected Leader of the Council for the next four years.

Resolved: That Cllr. Fleming be elected Leader of the Council for the next four years.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs Davison seconded that the proposed amendments to the Constitution contained in the report circulated with the agenda be agreed.

Resolved:

(a) that the provisions contained in paragraphs 3.1 and 3.2 of Part 6 of the Constitution and paragraphs 5.7 and 5.8 of Part 5 of the Constitution relating to the Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of the Performance & Governance Committee and the Select Committees be deleted for the reasons outlined in the report;

(b) that paragraph 4(h) of Part 6 of the Constitution be deleted to remove the overview of the Council’s Constitution from the remit of the Performance and Governance Committee to avoid duplication with the role of the Modern Local Government Group; and

(c) that paragraph 4(a) of Part 6 of the Constitution be deleted as there is no longer a need to consider the Comprehensive Area Self Assessment Self Improvement Plan.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that the Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and Membership of Committees be appointed as specified in the papers tabled at the meeting. Cllr. Fittock explained that his Group had some reservations about the officer support arrangements for the Select Committees and Cabinet but would accept the arrangements for the coming year.

Resolved: That the Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and membership of Committees for the ensuing municipal year be as set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

Cllr. Fleming proposed and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that the delegations to Committees and Officers be agreed and that the delegations of executive functions by the Leader of the Council, and appointments to the Cabinet and the composition of the Cabinet Portfolios attached to the minutes at Appendix B be noted. The report also explained the intention of the Leader of the Council to appoint a Deputy Leader which would be reported at a future meeting.

Resolved:

(a) that the delegations to Committees and Officers be approved; and

(b) that the arrangements for the appointment by the Leader of the Deputy Leader, all other appointments to the Cabinet made by the Leader and the delegations of executive functions made by the Leader be noted.

Cllr. Fleming moved and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that the Calendar of Meetings for 2011/12 be agreed.

Resolved: That the Calendar of Meetings for the ensuing Municipal Year circulated with the agenda be agreed.

Cllr. Fleming moved and Cllr. Mrs. Davison seconded that the appointment of representatives on outside organisations for the ensuing Municipal Year be as set out in item 11 of the papers tabled at the meeting. Cllr. Fittock moved an amendment to change the listed representative from his Group to serve on Age Concern Darent Valley to himself. This was agreed.

Resolved: That the appointment of representatives on Outside Organisations for 2011/12, as amended and contained in Appendix C to these minutes, be approved.

Cllr Orridge moved from the Chair and Cllr Fleming seconded that the report of the Returning Officer on the outcome of the election of Sevenoaks District Councillors held on Thursday 5th May 2011 be noted.

Resolved: That the Returning Officer’s report be noted.

The report was noted.