Minutes:
(1) The Mayor advised Members that 4 Armoured Medical Regiment would be exercising its right to march through the Borough on 11th May 2019 when there would be a Farewell Parade through Aldershot town centre before the Regiment relocated to Tidworth in Wiltshire. Invitations to join the Lord-Lieutenant and the Mayor to view the parade would be sent out in the near future.
(2) The Mayor advised Members that there would be a Parade by serving personnel, reservists, veterans and cadet forces through Aldershot town centre on 29th June 2019 to celebrate Armed Forces Day.
(3) The Mayor reported that he had held his Charity Ball at Princes Hall on 8th March 2019. He thanked Members and officers who had supported this event, which had been held in aid of his charities. He was pleased to report that just under £3,000 had been raised on the night.
(4) The Mayor thanked everyone who had baked cakes for, helped at, and attended his Easter Coffee Morning on 10th April 2019 in aid of his charities.
(5) The Mayor stated that the meeting was the last Ordinary Meeting of the Council before the Borough Council Elections on 2nd May 2019. There were five Members who were not seeking re-election: Cllrs Sue Dibble, R.L.G. Dibbs, Barbara Hurst, B. Jones and G.B. Lyon. The Mayor then paid tribute to each of the Councillors.
Cllr Sue Dibble had been on the Council for 24 years, having been elected in 1995 to serve the residents of Belle Vue Ward, which had later become North Town Ward. Cllr Dibble had been a member of many committees and panels over the years, most notably the Development Management Committee, of which she had been Chairman in 1998/99 and 1999/2000.
Cllr Roland Dibbs had served on the Council for 25 years, having first been elected in 1987 to serve the residents of St. Mark’s Ward and then, from 1998, Knellwood Ward. Cllr Dibbs had been a Member of the Cabinet for thirteen years as the Environment Portfolio Holder and then the Environment and Service Delivery Portfolio Holder. Cllr Dibbs had been Deputy Leader of the Council from 2007/08 until 2013/14. In addition, Cllr Dibbs had been Chairman of the Environment Panel, Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee, Chairman of the Highways Sub-Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Borough Services Panel. Cllr Dibbs had also represented the Council on many outside bodies and was currently the County Councillor for the Farnborough South Division.
Cllr Barbara Hurst had been on the Council since 2010 when she had been first elected to serve the residents of St. John’s Ward. Cllr Hurst was currently the Planning and Economy Portfolio Holder and had been a member of the Cabinet since 2016, when she had taken over the Health and Housing Portfolio. Cllr Hurst had also been Chairman of the Borough Services Panel and Vice-Chairman of the Corporate Services Panel and had represented the Council on many outside bodies.
Cllr Barry Jones had been elected in Cherrywood Ward in 2012, having previously served Grange Ward residents from 1996 to 2000. Cllr Jones had served on many of the Council’s committees and panels over the years and had been a member of the Licensing, Audit and General Purposes Committee and its associated sub-committees continuously since 2012. He had also been the Council’s representative on many outside bodies.
Cllr Gareth Lyon had served on the Council since 2008, when he had been elected to serve the residents of Empress Ward. Cllr Lyon was currently the Corporate and Democratic Services Portfolio Holder, having originally joined the Cabinet as Concessions and Community Support Portfolio Holder.
The Mayor thanked the Councillors for their work representing the residents of their Wards and the people of Rushmoor and wished them all well for the future. The Mayor added that, together, the Councillors had provided over 80 years of service to the Council.
The Mayor also extended his best wishes to all Members standing for re-election in the forthcoming Borough Council Elections.