The Council of Doncaster Council scheduled an extraordinary meeting to be held on 23 October 2025. The main item on the agenda was a discussion of revisions to the appointment of chairs and vice-chairs of committees and sub-committees for the 2025/26 municipal year. This followed a requisition to convene an extraordinary meeting made by five Reform UK members of the council.

Revisions to Appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees

The council was asked to consider a report regarding revisions to the appointment of chairs and vice-chairs of committees and sub-committees for 2025/26. The report pack included a recommendation that the council:

• Rescind the previous decision made at the annual council meeting held on 23 May 2025 regarding appointments to committees detailed at Appendix A of the Public Reports Pack.
• Determine the appointment of chairs and vice-chairs of committees and sub-committees of the council, with nominations listed at Table 1 of Appendix A.
• Appoint to the outstanding vacancies of chairs and vice-chairs as detailed at Table 2 of Appendix A.

The report noted that a requisition to convene an extraordinary meeting of full council was made by five Reform UK members of the council on 3 October to enable specific appointments to chair and vice-chair positions to be filled and other positions to be reviewed. A further requisition was submitted to the Chief Executive on 7 October 2025, calling for a motion proposed by Councillor Guy Aston, Reform Group Leader, and seconded by Councillor Karl Hughes, to rescind some of the specified appointments made at the annual meeting of the council.

The report pack stated that the appointment of chairs and vice-chairs to committees and sub-committees of the council is a statutory requirement. It also noted that before taking up their position as chair or vice-chair of a committee, members must undertake chairs training. A training session had been arranged for Monday 27 October. New members appointed to either the Licensing or Planning Committees must also undertake specific training before sitting on either committee.

Table 1 of Appendix A contained the following proposed nominations to chairs and vice chairs:

• Audit Committee: Councillor Jason Charity (Chair), Councillor Jane Cox (Vice-Chair)
• Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee: Councillor Karl Hughes (Chair), Councillor Steve Cox, Conservative Group Leader, (Vice-Chair)
• Communities & Environment Overview & Scrutiny Panel: Councillor William Shaw (Chair), Councillor Ioan-Emanuel Craciun (Vice-Chair)
• Health & Adult Social Care Overview & Scrutiny Panel: Councillor Maria Hollingworth (Chair), Councillor David Carroll (Vice-Chair)
• Planning Committee: Councillor Neil Wood (Chair), Councillor Craig Ward (Vice-Chair)
• Licensing Committee: Councillor Craig Ward (Chair), Councillor Howard Rimmer (Vice-Chair)

Table 2 of Appendix A detailed the following vacancies:

• Chief Officer Appointments Committee: Councillor Guy Aston (Chair), Vacancy (Vice Chair)
• Chief Officers Appeals Committee: Vacancy (Chair), Councillor Jason Charity (Vice Chair)
• Chief Officers Investigatory Sub Committee: Vacancy (Chair), Councillor Jason Charity (Vice Chair)