Chief Officers Employment Committee - 5 December 2025
Key Takeaways
- •The meeting recorded no declarations of interest.
- •The minutes of the Chief Officers Employment Committee meetings on 13 November 2025 and 21 November 2025 were confirmed as correctly recorded and signed by the Chairman.
- •The Committee’s responsibilities for assessing the Chief Executive’s contribution and performance objectives were formally noted.
- •The press and public were excluded from the session when discussing confidential matters involving personal information.
- •Annabel Scholes was recommended and appointed as Chief Operating Officer and Section 151 Officer, subject to the objections process and reference checks, with delegated authority to offer the role to the next candidate if she declines.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Read the full minutes for the official record.
The meeting began with a statement that no councillors had any declarations of interest to declare. Councillor Alvey moved, and Councillor Frost seconded, that the minutes of the Chief Officers Employment Committee (COEC) meeting held on 13 November 2025 were correctly recorded and should be signed by the Chairman. A similar motion was passed for the COEC meeting on 21 November 2025, moved by Councillor Frost and seconded by Councillor Ashton. Both motions were adopted without opposition.
The Committee then confirmed its remit concerning the assessment of the Chief Executive’s contribution and the setting of performance and development objectives for that role. The Chairman identified no other business that required urgent attention at that time.
In accordance with the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), the Council resolved to exclude the press and public from consideration of specific confidential business. The exclusion was justified on the grounds that the material would likely disclose personal or identifying information about individuals. Subsequent motions, moved and seconded by the, deliber the and the confidential minutes of the COEC meetings on 13 November 2025 and 21 November 2025, confirming that they were correctly recorded and should be signed by the Chairman. These confidential minutes contained the details of a private debate.
Following that private debate, the Council resolved, on motion by Councillor Frost and seconded by Councillor Alvey, that the COEC recommend Annabel Scholes for the post of Chief Operating Officer and Section 151 Officer, subject to the standard objections process and the verification of suitable references. The resolution also authorised the Chief Executive or the Chief People Officer to offer the role to the next eligible candidate if the primary candidate declined, in accordance with the Committee’s agreed procedures. No further urgent confidential business was identified.
Attendance
6 of 8 members present
Decisions
Record and sign minutes of Chief Officers Employment Committee (13 Nov 2025)
Councillors Alvey and Frost agreed to approve and have the Chairman sign the minutes of the Chief Officers Employment Committee meeting held on 13 November 2025.
Record and sign minutes of Chief Officers Employment Committee (21 Nov 2025)
Councillors Frost and Ashton agreed that the November 21 2025 Chief Officers Employment Committee minutes were accurate and should be signed by the Chairman.
Note Committee responsibilities for Chief Executive assessment and objectives
Councillor Frost proposed, and Councillor Alvey seconded, that the committee’s duties for evaluating the Chief Executive’s performance and setting objectives be officially recorded.
Exclude press and public from meeting during consideration of exempt information
The council voted to keep the press and public out of the meeting while discussing personal information that could reveal someone's identity.
Record and sign confidential minutes of Chief Officers Employment Committee (13 Nov 2025)
Councillors Frost and Alvey agreed that the secret minutes from the Chief Officers Employment Committee meeting on November 13 2025 were recorded correctly and should be signed by the Chairman.
Record and sign confidential minutes of Chief Officers Employment Committee (21 Nov 2025)
Councillors Frost and Creek agreed that the confidential minutes of the Chief Officers Employment Committee meeting on 21 November 2025 were correctly recorded and should be signed by the Chairman.
Recommend Annabel Scholes for Chief Operating Officer and appoint Section 151 Officer
The council voted to recommend Annabel Scholes as Chief Operating Officer, to appoint a Section 151 Officer, and to give officials the authority to accept the offer.
Related meetings
Adjacent Chief Officers Employment Committee meetings:
Other meetings within a week
- Appeals Committee — Appeals Committee - 1 December 2025 (1 Dec 2025)
- Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee — Corporate Finance and Performance Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 2 December 2025 (2 Dec 2025)
- Licensing Act Sub Committee — Licensing Act Sub Committee - 3 December 2025 (3 Dec 2025)
- Individual Decision Day — Individual Decision Day - 3 December 2025 (3 Dec 2025)
- Cornwall Pension Fund Local Pension Board — Cornwall Pension Fund Local Pension Board - 3 December 2025 (3 Dec 2025)
- Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education — Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education - 3 December 2025 (3 Dec 2025)