The Council of Redbridge met on Thursday 29 April 2021 for its Annual Meeting. Key decisions included the election of Councillor Roy Emmett as the new Mayor for the municipal year 2021/22 and the appointment of members to various committees, ensuring political balance in line with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. The meeting also acknowledged the service of the retiring Mayor, Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain, and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Mrs Joyce Ryan.

Election of Mayor

Councillor Roy Emmett was elected as the Mayor of Redbridge for the municipal year 2021/22. The nomination was put forward by the Leader, Councillor Jas Athwal, and seconded by Councillor Kam Rai. Councillor Emmett subsequently read the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Vote of Thanks to Retiring Mayor and Deputy Mayor

The Council unanimously passed a resolution expressing sincere thanks to Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain for his service as the fifty-fifth Mayor of Redbridge during the municipal year 2019/2021. Mrs Farah Qayyum, the retiring Mayoress, was also cordially associated with this expression of appreciation. Plans for a socially distanced occasion to present gifts and mementos to the retired Mayor and Mayoress were noted.

Similarly, the Council unanimously recorded its appreciation and thanks for the outstanding service given by Councillor Mrs Joyce Ryan during her period as Deputy Mayor in the municipal year 2019/2021. A certificate commemorating her service was to be presented to her. Appreciation was also extended to Maire Ryan, the retiring Deputy Mayoress, with a certificate to be presented. Councillor Mrs Ryan expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve.

Mayor's Announcements

The Mayor made several announcements during the meeting. He acknowledged the departure of Fiona Alderman, Operational Director of Assurance, thanking her for her hard work and dedication, particularly in her role as Monitoring Officer. The Mayor also thanked all staff for their outstanding work and dedication during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, a sentiment echoed by Councillor Athwal and Councillor Mrs Huggett. Finally, he announced that the first event for the Mayor's appeal would be held on 21 June at the Lakeside Suite overlooking Fairlop Waters, with further details to be published shortly.

Members' Attendance and Training

The Council noted the record of Member attendance at meetings for the municipal year 2019 to 2021, as well as attendance at mandatory training. The attendance records were presented in appendices to the agenda.

Appointments to Committees and Other Bodies

The Council considered and agreed to the appointments of members to various committees and other bodies, fulfilling its duty to review and determine the representation of different political groups. This process adhered to the 'political balance rules' prescribed by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, aiming to ensure that the political composition of committees reflected the overall political composition of the Council.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Annual Council meeting in May 2020 was not held, leading to a lengthened municipal year. Consequently, existing committee appointments remained in place until the Annual Council meeting on 29 April 2021. The report outlined the allocation of seats on ordinary committees, Overview and Scrutiny Committees, and the Licensing Committee, ensuring proportionality for the Labour and Conservative groups.

The Council resolved to:

• Agree the allocation of seats on committees to each of the Council's political groups as set out in the report.
• Make the appointments to those committees as indicated in the Schedule of Appointments.
• Appoint the Co-Opted/Appointed and Independent Members listed in the Schedule of Appointments.
• Agree the revised Terms of Reference of the Health Scrutiny Committee to allocate one co-opted member post to Healthwatch and appoint Cathy Turland to this position.
• Note the allocation of seats on sub-committees and panels, with appointments to be decided at the first meeting of the relevant Committees.

The report also detailed the political balance of various sub-committees and panels, including the Standards (Hearings) Sub Committee, Staffing Sub-Committee, External Prosecution Panel, Scrutiny Panel, Education Scrutiny Panel, and Licensing Sub-Committee. The Health Scrutiny Committee's terms of reference were amended to include Healthwatch as an ex-officio member.

The report also included information on fairness implications, noting the Council's duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to have 'due regard' to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between people who share protected characteristics and those who do not. There were no specific staffing or child-friendly implications arising from the recommendations, and any financial implications from changes in committee political balance would be managed within existing Members' Allowances budgets. Legal implications were addressed within the body of the report.