Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Altaf, Amos, Denham, Desayrah and Hassan.

To consider any Notices of Motion submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8.

Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Accession of King Charles III

1.   That the Council makes the following address upon the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III:

To His Most Excellent Majesty, King Charles III

We, the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Worcester, hereby assembled in an Extra-ordinary meeting of the Council, do most humbly offer to Your Majesty, and to all members of our Royal Family, our profound and sincere sympathy upon the loss of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Our late Queen has for over 70 years been an example and inspiration to us all through her unswerving and selfless devotion to the people of our Nation and the Commonwealth.

We remember with pride the occasions on which Her late Majesty visited this faithful city, allowing us to show our sincere and lasting affection for her.

We give thanks for a life so nobly lived.

May we assure Your Majesty of the continued devotion of our City, which throughout the ages has remained ever faithful to the Crown in peace and in war.

We tender to Your Majesty upon your accession the loyal congratulations of the citizens of Worcester, and we extend to Your Majesty our sincere best wishes for a long and prosperous reign.

2.   That Members of the Council be invited to express their condolences and offer their own tributes to Her late Majesty.

Proposed by: The Mayor

The Council considered the following Notices of Motion, which had been submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8:

Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Accession of King Charles III

1.   That the Council makes the following address upon the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of King Charles III:

To His Most Excellent Majesty, King Charles III

We, the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Worcester, hereby assembled in an Extra-ordinary meeting of the Council, do most humbly offer to Your Majesty, and to all members of our Royal Family, our profound and sincere sympathy upon the loss of Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Our late Queen has for over 70 years been an example and inspiration to us all through her unswerving and selfless devotion to the people of our Nation and the Commonwealth.

We remember with pride the occasions on which Her late Majesty visited this faithful city, allowing us to show our sincere and lasting affection for her.

We give thanks for a life so nobly lived.

May we assure Your Majesty of the continued devotion of our City, which throughout the ages has remained ever faithful to the Crown in peace and in war.

We tender to Your Majesty upon your accession the loyal congratulations of the citizens of Worcester, and we extend to Your Majesty our sincere best wishes for a long and prosperous reign.

2.   That Members of the Council be invited to express their condolences and offer their own tributes to Her late Majesty.

The Motion was proposed by the Mayor, Councillor Gregson, who spoke and paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Joint Leader, Councillor Bayliss, seconded the Motion and also paid tribute.

Councillor Riaz then spoke and paid his own personal tribute, as well as reading a speech on behalf of Councillor Denham, Leader of the Labour Group.

Councillor Stephen, Leader of the Green Group, and Councillor Allcott, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, also spoke in support.

Other Members paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and expressed best wishes to King Charles III upon his accession.

Upon being put to the vote it was unanimously agreed and

RESOLVED: That the Council approve the address given by the Mayor.

The Mayor explained that the day of the late Queen’s funeral would be Monday, 19 September 2022. As the day would be a Bank Holiday, there would not be five clear working days between the planned agenda publication date and the planned date of the next Council meeting. As a result, he had agreed to cancel the Council meeting scheduled for 20 September 2022. An additional Council meeting to accommodate the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review timetable was planned for Monday, 17 October 2022, and all agenda items from 20 September would be rolled forward to the meeting on 17 October.

In view of the short time period between these two dates, it was not planned to hold a new Council meeting before 17 October.