Agenda and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hiney-Saunders, Hinman, Moesby, Peake, Ritchie, Stevenson and Wood.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a)  any business on the agenda

b)  any matters arising out of those items

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

To receive any announcements that the Chair of the Council may desire to lay before the meeting.

There were no announcements from the Chair to Council.

Council considered a report presented by the Monitoring Officer requesting appointments to be made under Section 91 of the Local Government Act 1972 which provides that a district council can make temporary appointments to a Town Council, where there are so many vacancies on that council that they are unable to act, until other councillors are elected or co-opted to take up office. 

In August 2025 nine councillors resigned from Shirebrook Town Council and a Notice of Vacancy was received but no election was called.  The process to co-opt new councillors commenced however, on 4^th December 2025 Bolsover District Council was informed that two more councillors had resigned from Shirebrook Town Council.  This effectively meant that Shirebrook Town Council was unable to act as it was now inquorate.  The total number of councillors who could sit on Shirebrook Town Council was sixteen with at least six councillors needed to for the council to be quorate.

The Monitoring Officer had written to all Bolsover District Councillors seeking expressions of interest to be appointed by Council.  Due to the timescales, the recommendation within the report was to provide delegated authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the group leaders to appoint the Town Councillors.  During discussion it was suggested that Council could now appoint the Councillors as five expressions of interest had been received rather than delaying the process by giving delegated authority.  It was also confirmed that those Councillors who had expressed an interest were able to vote on the appointments as they were volunteering for the position and would not gain any advantage.

Moved by Councillor Fritchley and seconded by Councillor Watson

RESOLVED that the Monitoring Officer made the Order to appoint Councillors

Davis, Dooley, Fletcher, Munro and Ritchie to Shirebrook Town Council to ensure it was quorate and could continue to act.

The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and closed the meeting.