67.1           The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was advised to those present.

67.2           The Mayor referred to the recent loss of two of the Council’s Honorary Aldermen; Mark Calway and Bill Whelan. He invited the Leader and Deputy Leader to say a few words prior to holding a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.

67.3           The Leader of the Council, Councillor Robert Vines, indicated that it was with great sadness that he was speaking about the recent passing of Honorary Alderman Bill Whelan. He explained that he had known Bill for a number of years and had seen him fighting illness courageously and without complaint for quite a few months. Bill had always had an enormous passion for life and especially, Churchdown, Innsworth and Down Hatherley, the areas he represented as a Parish, County and, until recently, a Borough Councillor; it was often commented that he was the unseen King of Churchdown. He explained that Bill would always take on any issue that he felt was worthwhile and was never parochial in how he came to decisions made at any of the places at which he was a representative. He was tenacious in the way he dealt with issues and would never give up on a cause if there was a fight to be won. He noted that, whilst they had different political views, and those had often resulted in an agreement to differ, they had never had cross words and he had regarded Bill as a close friend. Councillor Vines felt that the GL3 Hub in Churchdown was a memorial to Bill who had worked tirelessly to help make it the incredible success that it was – he suggested that it should be renamed ‘Bill’s Place – Legend’.

67.4           The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Dave Waters, advised that it was with a heavy heart that he was speaking about the recent death of Honorary Alderman Mark Calway. He explained that he sometimes wondered if Mark had been born wearing a rosette as he had been a young conservative since he was 16 years old. Such was his passion for politics that he had become a Borough Councillor at the age of just 22 years old and had been the youngest Borough Mayor during the time he served on the Council. Following his time on the Council, Mark had taken up the position of Personal Assistant to Laurence Robertson MP a role he had undertaken for the last 16 years. In Councillor Waters’ view, Mark had been a great role model for dealing with casework given his passion and work rate and the amount of cases that he had fought and won over the years. He explained that politics had run in the family as Mark’s father, Brian Calway, had also been a Borough Councillor, and had recently been made an Honorary Alderman, and his mother, Maureen, had served as Mayoress to two Borough Mayor’s as Brian had also been Mayor whilst on the Council. He felt that the loss was made even more difficult given that Mark was so young and he was pleased to have been his friend during the years they had known each other. 

67.5           The Mayor indicated that both Bill and Mark would be sadly missed and the thoughts of the Council were with Bill’s partner Kay and Mark’s parents, Brian and Maureen, and their families at this difficult time. He invited Members to stand for a minute’s silence in their honour.

67.6           Steve Read and Bruce Carpenter, representatives from the Gloucestershire Joint Waste Team, were welcomed to the meeting. The Mayor advised that they were in attendance for Item 7(a) – Waste Service Review and Vehicle Procurement.