Agenda item
Announcements
To receive announcements from:
a) The Mayor
b) Leader of the Council
c) Members of the Cabinet
d) Chairs of Committees
e) Head of Paid Service
Minutes:
Deputy Mayor
59.1 The Deputy Mayor informed Members that the Mayor’s children’s Christmas party was a great success and thanked Councillors Tracey and Lewis for their assistance in organizing the events.
59.2 The Deputy Mayor also informed Members of two upcoming dates. The Annual Civic Service would be held on 8 March at 3pm and the Mayor’s Charity Ball would take place on 22nd May at Hatherley Manor.
The Leader of the Council
59.3 Councillor Cook updated Members about the Mayor following his recent car accident. He advised that the Mayor was awaiting operations and was unsure he would be remaining in hospital. The Mayor remained in good spirits and Councillor Cook advised that he had conveyed all Members’ best wishes.
Members of the Cabinet
59.4 The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Strategy, Councillor Gravells, informed Members that the Housing Secretary had recently launched the Building Better – Building Beautiful report and that it complemented the work of the planning policy team in Gloucester.
59.5 The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Councillor Morgan, congratulated the staff at the Guildhall on their winning three awards at the Best Bar None awards. The Guildhall retained accredited status, won the silver award and the best family and community venue in Gloucester.
59.6 The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources, Councillor Norman, advised that the new contact centre with new IT was now operational. This would allow staff to spend more time with those most in need and thanked all officers involved as well as Civica IT.
Chairs of Committees
59.7 The Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Coole, advised Members that they had recently given evidence to Newham’s Democracy and Civic Participation Commission. Councillor Coole stated that the Commission welcomed Gloucester’s innovative scrutiny process.