Report on County Council Matters to North Nibley Parish Council

8th May 2017


This date has also been chosen by Alkington Parish council for their Annual Parish Meeting and their regular meeting, so my apologies for your meeting as I need to be there.

Please let me know if there are any issues you wish me to pursue.


County Council Elections

The Conservatives now have an overall majority on the County Council, having gained a net six seats from the position last month, gaining a net 4 from Labour and 1 each from UKIP and an independent. They also won a vacancy left by a UKIP resignation earlier in the year.

The Green Party gained a seat from a Conservative. Liberal Democrats retained all 14 seats they held and with all the same councillors!

So, the composition now is:

Conservative: 31; Liberal Democrats: 14; Labour: 5; Green Party: 2; PAB; 1.

Locally, I retained my seat with an increased majority and increased share of the vote over 2013. I received 525 votes more than in 2013. The turnout was 45% compared to 35% in 2013.


Election Consequences:

Administration

The Conservatives will certainly take all the Cabinet places and I understand they will be increasing these from 8 to 9. Individual portfolios within the Cabinet will change, but I do not know the extent of this yet.

Whilst the final decisions have yet to be made, I understand that the Conservatives will be taking all the chairmanships of council committees, including Planning although that will be a decision of the committee. The one exception to this is the Audit and Governance Scrutiny Committee chair, which I believe has to be an opposition member. All formal Shadow Cabinet positions are to be abolished.

I do not like the Cabinet system at the best of times (when the council has no party with an overall majority) and from past experience, with so much devolved to the Cabinet, it will be very difficult for opposition members and backbench Conservative members to keep track of what is going on.

Amey Contract extension

Prior to the election, Conservative members were very much in favour of extending the current contract, so it seems likely that will be the outcome.

John Cordwell