1.1             Apologies for absence were received from Councillors B C Calway, Mrs J E Day, B A Jones, G K Shurmer and M G Sztymiak.

To elect a Mayor for the Borough for the ensuing year.  

2.1             With the retiring Mayor, Councillor David Waters, in the chair, it was proposed by Councillor Allen Keyte and seconded by Councillor Jim Mason, that Councillor Philip Surman be, and is hereby elected, Mayor of the Borough of Tewkesbury for the ensuing Municipal Year.  

2.2             On the Motion being put to the meeting it was declared to be carried, whereupon the Mayor took the chair, signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office and took the Oath of Allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen.

2.3             In thanking Members for the honour of electing him Mayor of the Borough of Tewkesbury, Councillor Surman thanked Councillors Keyte and Mason for their kind words and his fellow Councillors for bestowing the honour of Mayor upon him.

2.4             The Mayor indicated that he had seen Tewkesbury Borough develop and grow over the many years that he had called it home. He explained that it had been his privilege to represent the Ward of Shurdington for the last eleven years and he looked forward, with eager anticipation, to the year ahead during which time he would strive to promote all that was good in the Borough.

2.5             The Mayor congratulated Councillor David Waters, and his wife Sue, on their very successful year as Mayor and Mayoress. He knew that they had worked tirelessly throughout the year and he felt sure that they would be a hard act to follow.

2.6             The Mayor indicated that it was with pride that, during his year as Mayor, the Country would be celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, London would be hosting the Olympics and that on 23 & 24 May the villages of Shurdington, Brockworth & Maisemore would have the privilege of having the Olympic Torch pass through.

2.7             The Mayor advised that, earlier that day, he had had the pleasure of meeting the Deputy Mayor of Miesbach to thank him and the residents of Miesbach for their kind and generous donation after the floods of 2007. He felt that making lifelong friendships and supporting each other in times of crisis was what twinning was all about. This year marked the 30^th anniversary of the twinning between Tewkesbury and Miesbach and he was pleased to note that the Past Mayors’ who had signed the original twinning agreement were at the Ceremony that evening.

2.8             In concluding his speech, the Mayor indicated that his Mayoress for the year would be his wife, Mrs Diana Surman, and his Chaplain would be Reverend Canon Richard Mitchell of Shurdington. The charities that he would be supporting during his Mayoral Year were Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and Help for Heroes. He explained that Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research was a charity that was particularly close to his family’s hearts and he felt that both charities were extremely worthy causes.

3.1             Councillor Robert Vines expressed the Council’s thanks to Councillor David Waters for the way he had carried out his duties over the year. He advised that Councillor Waters and his wife Sue had had an extremely busy year and that they had been true ambassadors for the Borough and the Council. He advised that Councillor Waters had chaired the meetings of the Council fairly and honestly with no bias or favour and he offered his thanks, and that of the Council, for the approach that had been taken.  

3.2             Councillor Waters thanked Councillor Vines for his kind words and offered his congratulations and best wishes to the new Mayor and Mayoress for their year ahead. He indicated that he would support them in anyway he could but that his main advice was to enjoy it as it went by extremely quickly.

3.3             Councillor Waters offered his thanks to Canon Paul Williams of Tewkesbury Abbey for standing in as his Chaplain for the evening. Reverend Tom Clammer had been the Mayor’s Chaplain for the past year but had now taken up his new duty as Canon at Salisbury Cathedral and he wished him well for the future in this exciting appointment. Councillor Waters also offered his thanks to the other Civics, affectionately known as ‘the Chain Gang’ for their great support over the year. He indicated that they had made the year even more special and he was proud to say that some long lasting friendships had been made.

3.4             Councillor Waters thanked his fellow Members for the confidence that had been placed in him a year ago when they had elected him as Mayor and for the way in which they had conducted themselves at the Council meetings which had made his job as Chairman very much easier. He also thanked the Council’s Democratic Services Team for their hard work and support over the year and particularly thanked his wife Sue who had been his Mayoress and constant support throughout the year. 

3.5             Councillor Waters explained that whilst he and his Mayoress had travelled around the Borough to different events they had been welcomed with warmth and friendship everywhere that they had visited. They had seen truly outstanding things happening around both the Borough and the County and could confidently report that the Borough’s communities were supporting each other.

3.6             Finally, Councillor Waters indicated that he and Sue had thoroughly enjoyed their very special year and that it had been an honour and a pleasure to serve as Mayor & Mayoress. He felt that the year ahead would be very exciting for the new Mayor and Mayoress and hoped that everyone would agree what wonderful ambassadors for the Borough they would be.

3.7             The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Philip Surman, presented Councillor David Waters with a Past Mayor’s Badge to mark his successful year in Office.

3.8             The retiring Mayoress, Mrs Sue Waters, invested Mrs Diana Surman with the Mayoress’s Badge of Office and Mrs Diana Surman presented Mrs Sue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

To appoint a Deputy Mayor for the ensuing year.  

4.1             It was proposed by Councillor Derek Davies, and seconded by Councillor Mrs Elaine Mactiernan, that Councillor Mrs Claire Wright be, and is hereby, appointed Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Tewkesbury for the ensuing Municipal Year.

4.2             The Motion was put to the meeting and was carried.

4.3             Councillor Wright expressed her thanks to her fellow Councillors for their support and indicated that she felt very honoured to be elected Deputy Mayor. She advised that her Mayoress would be her friend Miss Elaine Hancox.

4.4             Councillor Wright accepted the Deputy Mayor’s Badge of Office from the Mayor and signed the Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

4.5             Flowers were presented to Mrs Sue Waters, Mrs Diana Surman, Councillor Claire Wright and Miss Elaine Hancox.

5.1             Upon the Motion of the Mayor, the meeting of the Council stood adjourned until Tuesday, 15 May 2012 at 6.00pm.  

6.1             The meeting then resumed in the Council Chamber of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Offices, Gloucester Road, Tewkesbury on Tuesday, 15 May 2012, when the attendance was as follows: