Full Council, Wed 20 May 2026
The council’s meeting page ↗ · Agenda · Minutes
Item by item
- 0. Reflections of the Retiring Mayor
- 1. Apologies for Absence
- 2. Declarations of Interest
- 3. Election of the Mayor
The minutes record: “RESOLVED (unanimously): that Councillor Paula Warne be elected Mayor of the Borough of Hastings for the 2026-27 municipal year. Councillor Warne returned to the Council Chamber, made the declaration prescribed by Section 83 of the Local Government Act 1972, and assumed the chair of the meeting.”
- 4. Election of the Deputy Mayor
The minutes record: “RESOLVED (unanimously): that Councillor Amanda Jobson be elected Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Hastings for the 2026-27 municipal year. Councillor Jobson returned to the Council Chamber and made the declaration prescribed by Section 83 of the Local Government Act 1972.”
- 5. To approve as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting
- 6. Any announcements from the Mayor
- 7. Election of the Leader of the Council
The minutes record: “RESOLVED (unanimously): That Councillor Glenn Haffenden be duly elected Leader of the Council until the Annual Council meeting in May 2028.”
- 8. To receive the Leader's report on the appointment of the Deputy Leader of the Council
- 9. To receive the Leader's report on the number of members to be appointed to Cabinet, the names of those members and the allocation of Cabinet portfolios
- 10. To appoint committees of the council, determine the representation of political groups on those committees, to appoint members to those committees and to appoint Chairs and Vice Chairs (as indicated) for the municipal year 2026/27 (list to be circulated separately)
- Political balance and committee appointments report May 2026
It recommended: “That the Council adopts the following arrangements for the appointment of committees for the 2026/27 municipal year: a. The committees for the municipal year 2026/27 be as set out in paragraph 4 b. Following a review of the political balance on the Council, that the seats on the committees of the Council be allocated to political groups, and Councillors be appointed to those committees, in accordance with the nominat”
The minutes record: Resolved. “RESOLVED (unanimously): 1. That the Council’s committees for the municipal year 2026-27 be as follows: Councillors Non- Councillors Overview and Scrutiny Committee 11 - Audit Committee 5 2 Council Appointments Committee 5 - Standards Committee 5 2 Licensing Committee 15 - Employment Committee 4 - Employment Appeals Committee 4 - Planning Committee 10 - Museum Committee 10 6 2.” minutes ↗
- 11. Appointment of Interim Chief Legal Officer and Interim Monitoring Officer
- CFO and MO appointment April 2026
It recommended: “That Kate Slattery be appointed by Council as the Interim Chief Legal Officer with effect from 20 May 2026.” (and more)
The minutes record: Resolved. “RESOLVED (unanimously): 1. That Kate Slattery be appointed by Council as the Interim Chief Legal Officer with effect from 20 May 2026. 2. That Coral Harding be appointed by Council as the Interim Monitoring Officer with effect from 20 May 2026. 3. That the Interim Monitoring Officer be requested to review and update the Constitution to ensure it clearly sets out the distinct roles and responsibilities of the Interim Chief Legal Officer and the Interim Monitoring Officer. 4.” minutes ↗
- 12. Council meetings 2026/27
The minutes record: “RESOLVED (unanimously): to approve holding the meetings of the Council on the following dates: 6pm on 15 th July 2026 6pm on 23 rd September 2026 6pm on 18 th November 2026 6pm on 20 th January 2027 6pm on 10 th February 2027 (Budget Council) 6pm on 17 th March 2027 6pm on 19 th May 2027 (Annual Council)”
- 13. The Year's Programme
The minutes record: “RESOLVED (unanimously) : that the Council agree the programme for the forthcoming municipal year as proposed by the Leader of the Council. <TRAILER_SECTION>”