To receive such communications as the Mayor may desire to place before the Council

The Mayor had submitted in writing details of engagements that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor had undertaken since the last ordinary meeting. These were noted by Council.

On behalf of the Council the Mayor placed on record her sincere thanks to the large number of council officers, volunteers, and partner organisations who worked so hard to ensure that the arrangements for all the events and activities held in the Royal Borough to mark the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II went so smoothly. For Members in particular, the arrangements for the announcement of the King and on the day of the funeral were exemplary, and were the result of many hours of hard work and planning. Although under sad circumstances, due to the hard work and dedication of those involved in the planning and delivery of the funeral plans, residents, visitors to Windsor and those watching across the world had a positive experience of a truly unique and historical event.

The Mayor then explained that this would be the last meeting attended by Duncan Sharkey as Chief Executive. He had been in the role since early 2019. The Mayor thanked him, on behalf of Members and residents, for his dedicated service to the borough over the last 3 and a half years, and wished him well in his new role, initially at Somerset County Council and from next year leading the new Somerset Council.

The Mayor invited Group Leaders to speak.

Councillor Johnson stated on behalf of the council and the administration his sincere thanks for Duncan’s hard work, dedication and loyalty to the borough. He had ably steered the council through the pandemic and had worked to change the culture of the organisation for the better. Councillor Johnson commented that he had been taken aback by the feedback from staff since news of Duncan’s departure; he was clearly held in very high esteem. It was with deep regret that Duncan was leaving, but he understood that it was a fantastic opportunity at Somerset that could not be turned down.

Councillor Werner echoed the comments, stating that Duncan had been an outstanding chief executive, and he would particularly like to pick out his work on reforming the governance and culture. It was Duncan who had called in CIPFA when he felt there was something not quite right.  It was a brave decision and the right one. On culture he had certainly created the right environment for officers to feel they could say no to councillors when they felt something was not right.  Councillor Werner recalled the interviews at which Duncan had been head and shoulders above the other candidates. Councillor Werner was deeply saddened by the move, as he had been looking forward to working with Duncan after May 2023, however he could see the clear opportunity of setting up a council from scratch that Somerset presented.

Councillor Hill spoke on behalf of Councillor L. Jones. Councillor L. Jones had asked him to say it had been a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside Duncan and to thank him for all his support and encouragement over the last three years. He had been a fair and practical Chief Executive who considered everyone’s point of view. Discussions had been lively but always positive. Duncan’s perseverance in changing the organisational culture had put the borough in a better place to face future challenges.

Councillor W. Da Costa thanked officers for their hard work on the Jubilee, Proclamation and state funeral. During his time at the borough, Duncan had dealt with the CIPFA report, pandemic, the death of Prince Phillip, the Proclamation and the state funeral. He would therefore be going to Somerset for a rest. Councillor W. Da Costa thanked him for all his efforts on behalf of the residents of Windsor; and also thanked his family who had borne a great burden.