Special Meeting, Licensing and Corporate Business Committee - Wednesday, 1st July, 2026 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

To consider the report of the cross-party Member Assessment Panel held on 24th June 2026 (copy attached) which undertook a performance review of the Council’s Head of Paid Service and considered the permanent appointment and future performance review arrangements. Subject to that report, the Committee to consider the remuneration of the Head of Paid Service.  

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Gareth Williams, attended the meeting to present the report.

The Committee considered the Leader of the Council’s Report No. MD2606, which set out the outcome of the assessment process for the permanent appointment of the Council’s Head of Paid Service, following the cross-party Member Assessment Panel.

The Committee, at its meeting on 16th June 2026, established a cross-party Member Assessment Panel to consider the permanent appointment of the Council’s Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service. The Panel met on 24 June 2026 and reviewed the performance of Ian Harrison, Interim Managing Director and Head of Paid Service, against his 2025/26 performance objectives. Members were given the opportunity to ask questions in relation to his performance. The Panel considered the job title benchmarking information provided for the role of Head of Paid Service, which showed that equivalent roles across Hampshire local authorities, including unitary councils, are titled ‘Chief Executive’. They also reviewed salary benchmarking data provided by South-East Employers, including comparator information from Hampshire and Surrey authorities, to determine the appropriate salary for the permanent Chief Executive. The Panel further considered a proposed performance appraisal process for the Chief Executive, based on the South-East Employers template, and agreed its implementation for the next performance review cycle.

During discussion, Members raised questions regarding benchmarking information. Members agreed that Ian Harrison was the best choice for the role of Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service.

(i)            RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL that:

a)    the post of Interim Managing Director is redesignated to Chief Executive;

b)    the statutory designation of Head of Paid Service is redesignated to the post of Chief Executive; and

c)    Ian Harrison be appointed as the Council’s Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service with effect from 3rd July 2026.

(ii)          RESOLVED that the annual salary for the role of Chief Executive be agreed as £130,000 per annum and the proposed performance appraisal process for the Chief Executive based on the South-East Employers template be implemented.

To consider resolving that, subject to the public interest test, the public be excluded from this meeting during the discussion of the undermentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 indicated against such item:

Item No.        Para. No.       Category

3                      1                      Information relating to an individual        

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the item:

Item No.       Para. No.      Category

   2                   1                    Information relating to an individual   

To receive a verbal update following proposals made by the Committee at the meeting on 16th June.

Councillor C.W. Card declared an interest in this item due to personal and business relationships with proposed candidates and left the meeting.

The Corporate Manager – Democracy gave a verbal update, following a proposal raised at the previous Committee meeting on 16th June.

During the update, the Committee noted and sought clarification on the provisions and arrangements for the appointment of Honorary Aldermen. The Corporate Manager – Democracy confirmed that Group Leaders had indicated support for the Committee’s proposals, and if supported by the Committee, arrangements would be made for an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council to be held later in the Municipal Year, to enable the honours to be bestowed.

The Committee considered the update and was of the unanimous opinion that Mr. D.E. Clifford, Mr. A.H. Crawford and Mr. C.D. Fraser-Fleming should be appointed as Honorary Aldermen of the Borough, in recognition of their eminent and long service to the Borough.

RESOLVED: That the Council, at an Extraordinary Meeting arranged for this purpose, be asked to appoint Mr. D.E. Clifford, Mr. A.H. Crawford and Mr. C.D. Fraser-Fleming as Honorary Aldermen of the Borough.