The meeting began with a prayer led by Nigel, followed by a webcasting statement from the chair. The main topics discussed included the outgoing chair's final remarks, the election of the new chair and vice-chair, and the approval of various council procedures and appointments.

1. Outgoing Chair's Final Remarks:

   • The outgoing chair reflected on the past year, emphasizing principles of caring, collaboration, advocacy, and respect. They thanked family, friends, and colleagues for their support and highlighted achievements and engagements with the community, including young people.

2. Election of New Chair:

   • Councillor Ian Plant was unanimously elected as the new chair of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. He expressed his commitment to the role and outlined his background and future plans. His charities for the year will be Moorlands Homelink and Prostate Cancer.

3. Election of Vice-Chair:

   • Councillor Adam Parks was elected as the vice-chair. He pledged to fulfill his duties to the best of his ability.

4. Approval of Minutes and Urgent Items:

   • The minutes of the previous meeting were approved, and there were no urgent items of business.

5. Declarations of Interest:

   • Councillor Joe Porter declared his usual interests related to the police and NHS.

6. Chair and Vice-Chair Appointments:

   • The council approved the election of chairs and vice-chairs for various overview and scrutiny panels and committees.

7. Local Plan Steering Group:

   • The council confirmed the appointment of officers to the Local Plan Steering Group.

8. Enhanced Partnerships for Town and Parish Councils:

   • The council discussed the development of enhanced partnerships with town and parish councils. Councillor Mike Gledhill proposed a revised approach for the chair of the parish assembly to be elected by the council, with Councillor Lynn Swindlehurst as the proposed chair. An amendment to consult parish councils was proposed but not passed. The original proposal was approved.

9. Appointments to Outside Bodies:

   • The council approved appointments to various outside bodies for 2024-2025. Concerns were raised about the disbanding of sports councils, and there were discussions about reinvigorating these councils.

10. Calendar of Meetings:

    • The council approved the calendar of meetings for 2024-2025, with a promise to produce a skeleton calendar for 2025-2026.

11. Checkley Neighbourhood Plan:

    • The council approved the Checkley Neighbourhood Plan following a successful referendum with 88% support. Councillors Keith Flunder and Stephen Bell were thanked for their contributions.

12. Questions Under Procedure Rule 10:

    • Councillor Keith Flunder asked about the distribution of UK Shared Prosperity Fund grants. Councillor Ben Emery provided a detailed response, encouraging councillors to promote the grants in their communities.
    • Councillor Joe Porter inquired about the transfer of countryside sites to the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Councillor Andrew Yates highlighted the positive relationship with the trust and suggested an annual update to the community overview and scrutiny group.
    • Councillor Joe Porter also asked about fly-tipping prosecutions. Councillor Mark Deaville provided national and local context, noting that Staffordshire Moorlands issued seven fixed penalty notices last year. Councillor Porter followed up with a question about increasing surveillance, and Councillor Deaville emphasized the importance of public information and education.

The meeting concluded with the approval of the Checkley Neighbourhood Plan and the closing remarks from the chair.