Minutes:
(1) The Mayor advised Members that, on behalf of the Lord-Lieutientant of Hampshire and the Borough of Rushmoor, both he and the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire (Lieutenant General Sir Mark Mans KCB CBE DL), together with the Leader of the Council, had laid floral tributes in memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at the Council Offices in Farnborough and by the flagpole in Princes Gardens in Aldershot on Saturday, 10th May 2021.
The Mayor also advised that he had written a letter of condolence to Her Majesty The Queen on behalf of the Council and people of Rushmoor.
(2) The Mayor announced that he had two long-service announcements to make. Firstly, the Mayor advised Members that Cllr Mike Smith had completed over 30 years’ service in local Government. Cllr Smith had achieved 33 years’ service with Rushmoor through four terms of office: January 1978 to 1979 (representing Farnborough North Ward); May 1982 to 1994; May 2000 to 2012 (representing Grange Ward); and, May 2014 to date, representing Empress Ward. Cllr Smith had served on many of the Council’s Committees over the years, including having been Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Community Policy and Review Panel and Vice-Chairman of the Environment Policy and Review Panel. On behalf of the Council, the Mayor thanked Cllr Smith for his service to the Council and the Borough and extended congratulations for achieving the milestone of 33 years.
Secondly, the Mayor announced that Cllr Alex Crawford had completed 20 years’ service with the Council. Cllr Crawford had first been elected to the Council in 1976 and had served through to 1985. He had then been re-elected at the St Mark’s By-Election on 10th December 2009 and had served the residents of St Mark’s until 2012. Cllr Crawford had then been elected to the Wellington Ward in 2012 and had served the residents there ever since. His period of office had been extended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Cllr Crawford had been Deputy Mayor in 2010/11 and had then been elected Mayor of the Borough in 2011/12. Cllr Crawford had also been Leader of the Labour Group.
Cllr Crawford had served on the Licensing, Audit and General Purposes Committee, Licensing Sub-Committee, Development Management Committee and the Policy and Project Advisory Board, as well as the Borough Services, Corporate Services and Leisure and Youth Policy and Review Panels under previous decision making structures. Cllr Crawford had also represented the Council on numerous outside bodies.
On behalf of the Council, the Mayor thanked Cllr Crawford for his service to the Borough and the Council and congratulated him on completing 20 years’ service.
The Mayor advised that arrangements would be made to invite both Cllr Smith and Cllr Crawford to the Mayor’s Parlour, once Coronavirus restrictions had been lifted so that formal presentations could be made.
(3) The Mayor advised Members that Cllr Veronica Graham-Green would not be seeking re-election at the forthcoming Borough Council Elections on 6th May 2021. The Mayor stated that Cllr Graham-Green had been elected onto the Council in May 2018 to represent the residents of West Heath Ward. Cllr Graham-Green had been a Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and had served on the Licensing, Audit and General Purposes Committee and the Development Management Committee. In addition to serving on these committees, Cllr Graham-Green had also represented the Council on several outside bodies. Cllr Graham-Green had been particularly involved in Rushmoor’s international links with twinned towns and would continue as the Chairman of the Rushmoor International Association.
On behalf of the Council, the Mayor thanked Cllr Graham-Green for her work representing the residents of West Heath Ward and the people of Rushmoor and wished her well for the future.