Agenda item

The Chairman will make Long Service presentations to:

For 15 years’ service:

·         Councillor Hilary Cole

·         Councillor Jeremy Cottam

·         Councillor Alan Law

For 35 years’ service:

·         Councillor Graham Pask

The Chairman made a presentation to Councillor Hilary Cole who had achieved 15 years’ service to the Council.

The Chairman explained that Councillor Cole was first elected in 2007 to the former Chievely Ward and had remained in office since that time. Over the years Councillor Cole had been involved with waste, countryside, emergency planning, trading standards, environmental health (now the JPP), leisure & culture, customer services, planning, adult social care, economic development, housing, transformation, and strategic partnerships. Councillor Cole had been Deputy Leader of the Council from 2017 to 2019, Vice-Chairman of Council in 2008, and had chaired the Safer Communities sub-partnership from 2009 until becoming an Executive Member. As Portfolio Holder for Countryside she had also chaired the (now defunct) Greener sub-partnership.

Councillor Cole stated she had enjoyed every minute of being both a Ward Member for Chievely and an Executive Member. It had been a pleasure and a privilege for her to serve both West Berkshire Council and her residents, and she thanked the Chairman for the honour of the long service award.

The Chairman made a presentation to Councillor Jeremy Cottam who had achieved 15 years’ service to the Council.

The Chairman explained that Councillor Cottam was first elected in 1988 after winning a by-election in the former Thatcham West Ward. He continued to serve in that Ward until 1997 when he won the election standing in the former Thatcham East Ward. Councillor Cottam had chosen to stand down in the 2000 elections but came back to the Chamber in the 2019 elections when he was successfully elected to the Thatcham North East Ward. Councillor Cottam was also Chairman of Council in the 1999/2000 Municipal Year.

Councillor Cottam thanked the public and the residents of West Berkshire for their confidence and allowing him to serve them. He thought all Members had stood for election with the intent to make West Berkshire a better place to live and he hoped, little by little, the Council was managing to do that.

The Chairman made a presentation to Councillor Alan Law who had achieved 15 years’ service to the Council.

The Chairman explained that Councillor Law was first elected in 2007 and had successfully served in office in the Basildon Ward ever since. Councillor Law was currently Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Commission, Chairman of the District Planning committee, and a member of the Eastern Area Planning Committee. He had held the Portfolio for Planning twice, from 2008 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2016, and was also the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Economic Development and HR from 2012 to 2015. Councillor Law had represented the Council as a partner governor on The Royal Berkshire Hospital Trust and was a founding Member of the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP. Councillor Law had gotten involved in local politics when a large developer had wanted to build 50 plus houses in two fields in his village, and he and his wife had produced the first Parish Plan for Streatley in 2005. Protecting and enhancing the rural environment and way of life was a key political motivation for Councillor Law.

Councillor Law stated he had always planned to have a second ‘mini’ career following retirement but had not thought it would be as a councillor. He thanked his predecessor and other councillors for encouraging him to stand for election to the Council, and expressed gratitude to the voters of Basildon for electing him four times.

The Chairman made a presentation to Councillor Graham Pask who had achieved 35 years’ service to the Council.

The Chairman explained that Councillor Pask was first elected in 1987 and had successfully served in office in the Bucklebury Ward ever since. Councillor Pask had been both Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Environment Committee, the Group Leader in the mid-90s for six years, and the Opposition Spokesman for Children and Young People and then Adult Social Care. He had been the Portfolio Holder for Children and Young People, and then Partnerships and Community Safety. Councillor Pask was Chairman of Council in 2010/2011 and 2019/2020-2020/2021, and a member of Thatcham and then Eastern Area Planning Committee, chairing the Planning Committee latterly. He had been Chairman of the Bucklebury Common Advisory since 1987 and Snelsmore Common from the early 1990s.

Councillor Pask noted that there had been various iterations of the Bucklebury Ward and that it had also changed parishes occasionally. He thanked residents for their support at elections, and said he had tried to do his best for his residents, to listen and try to represent their point of view. It had been an honour and a privilege for him to have served and still be serving his residents in Bucklebury and the four parishes he currently represented.

Finally, the Chairman paid tribute to the Chairman’s Lady, Mrs Christine Hooker, for her support, encouragement and patience which had enabled him to carry out the role of Chairman over the last year. He stated she had been a wonderful companion and had joined him at many events. He also paid tribute to the officers who had supported him during his time in office.