Wiltshire Council's meeting on 30 August 2025 included discussion and decisions regarding the appointment of committee chairmen and vice-chairmen, and an update on the disposal of council assets. The council approved the recommendations for the appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen of various committees. Additionally, the cabinet reviewed progress on capital receipts and approved the sale of freehold interests in four assets, authorising the Director of Assets to proceed with the disposals.

Committee Appointments

The Director - Legal and Governance approved the appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen for several committees. This decision followed the Annual Council meeting on 20 May 2025, where the appointments were delegated to the Monitoring Officer after consulting with group leaders.

The approved appointments include:

• Councillor Ernie Clark (Ind) as Chairman and Councillor Howard Greenman (Con) as Vice-Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee.
• Councillor Martin Denz (LD) as Chairman and Councillor Chuck Berry (Con) as Vice-Chairman of the Northern Area Planning Committee.
• Councillor Philip Whitehead (Con) as Chairman and Councillor Kymee Cleasby (LD) as Vice-Chairman of the Eastern Area Planning Committee.
• Councillor George Jeans (Ind) as Chairman and Councillor Nick Baker (LD) as Vice-Chairman of the Southern Area Planning Committee.
• Councillor Stewart Palmen (LD) as Chairman and Councillor Christopher Newbury (Con) as Vice-Chairman of the Western Area Planning Committee.
• Councillor Trevor Carbin (LD) as Chairman and Councillor Jerry Kunkler (Con) as Vice-Chairman of the Licensing Committee.
• Councillor Paul Oatway QPM (Con) as Chairman and Councillor Andrew Matthews (LD) as Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee.
• Councillor Mike Sankey (ReformUK) as Chairman and Councillor Andrew Griffin (LD) as Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee.
• Councillor Matt Bragg (LD) as Chairman and Councillor Barry Pirie (Con) as Vice-Chairman of the Staffing Policy Committee.
• Councillor Ian Thorn (LD) as Chairman and Councillor Mel Jacob (LD) as Vice-Chairman of the Officer Appointments Committee and the Health and Wellbeing Board.
• Councillor George Simmonds (LD) as Chairman of the Wiltshire Pension Fund Committee.

The decision was made after consultation with group leaders, and it was noted that committee chairs receive a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA). The Approval for appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen document notes that:

All group leaders have confirmed that they are content with the proposed list of Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen and therefore I am approving their appointment.

Disposals Update

The Cabinet reviewed the Disposals Update report, which provided an overview of capital receipts and sought approval for the disposal of several assets. Councillor Helen Belcher, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Regeneration and Assets, presented the report. The Cabinet was asked to:

• Note the progress for capital receipts in the current year.
• Approve the sale of the freehold interest of the 4 assets in Appendix 2 to generate capital receipts in support of the Council's capital programme, if deemed in the best overall interest of the Council.
• Authorise the Director of Assets to dispose of the freehold interest in the assets, or in their absence the Corporate Director of Resources.

The report highlighted that the council has a program to dispose of sites that are surplus to requirements, to generate capital receipts to support the council's overall Capital Programme.

Background and Rationale

The council approved a revised approach to the disposal of surplus assets on 26 March 2019. Once assets are declared surplus, the Asset Gateway Group¹ considers each site to determine the best overall return for the council, considering service, community, and financial perspectives. Capital receipts from asset sales support the council's capital programme, which includes investments in roads, waste management, extra care homes, and health and wellbeing centres. The Disposals Update report stated that:

The disposal of assets raises capital to assist and support the Council's medium term financial strategy (MTFS) which subsequently supports the Council's Business Plan and its aims and targets. Specifically, the business plan describes a need to review and rationalise the Council's assets.

Financial Implications

The report noted that the realisation of capital receipts from the sale of assets supports the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and the Council's Business Plan. The original projected capital receipts were set at £2.25 million for 2024/25 and £1.25 million for 2025/26, with a target of £1 million from 2026 onwards.

Assets for Consideration

The four assets under consideration for disposal, as listed in Appendix 2 of the Disposals Update report, were not named in this version of the document.

Legal Implications

The council will ensure that any asset sales occur at or above market value, in compliance with Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972². The assets are categorised as strategic assets due to their importance in contributing to the MTFS and will not be available for Community Asset Transfer unless the Cabinet decides otherwise.