Gloucester City Council

COMMITTEE : ANNUAL COUNCIL DATE : 18 MAY 2009 SUBJECT : - TO CONSIDER THE PRINCIPLE OF TRANSFERRING THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY FROM THE FORMER ROYAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE, BERKSHIRE AND DECISION TYPE : COUNCIL WARD : ALL REPORT BY : CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT NO. OF APPENDICES : 1 - CITATION REFERENCE NO. : RCS09010

1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 To consider the principle of transferring the Freedom of the City from the former Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to ‘The Rifles’.

2.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 That the Freedom of the City of Gloucester be conferred upon ‘The Rifles’, following the merger of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (RGBW), the Devonshire and Dorset Light , the and the .

2.2 The citation as set out in Appendix 1 be engrossed, sealed with the Common Corporate Seal and, subject to acceptance by the Regiment, be presented to ‘The Rifles’ at an appropriate occasion.

3.0 BACKGROUND 3.1 ‘The Rifles’ Regiment is the successor to the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment which itself was formed by the amalgamation of a number of former county including the and soldiers are posted at Beechley, Gloucestershire.

3.2 The history and Battle Honours won by the Regiment have been remembered and carried forward by the new Regiment.

3.3 On adopting the resolution recommended in paragraph 2.1 of the report, the resolution will be passed to ‘The Rifles’ for formal acceptance.

4.0 CONCLUSIONS

4.1 It is appropriate that the Freedom of Entry bestowed upon the RGBW Regiment be transferred to ‘The Rifles’ bearing in mind its distinguished history and former connections with the city.

RCS09010 1 5.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1 Costs involved with the production of a scroll and future arrangements for presentation can be met within the Civic Budget for the current financial year 2009 / 10.

6.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1 The granting of the ‘Freedom of the City’ to ‘The Rifles’ is conferred under powers contained in Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972.

7.0 RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS (Authors to complete) Identify all key risks (scoring 8 and above) for the recommendation including the impact and likelihood of the risk occurring and what measures will be taken to mitigate the risk.

7.1 None

8.0 PREDICTIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS (EQUALITIES) AND COMMUNITY COHESION (Authors to complete) Identify all risks for customers and staff, in the areas of gender, disability, age, race, religion and sexual orientation and community cohesion.

8.1 None

9.0 OTHER CORPORATE IMPLICATIONS

1. Community Safety (Author to complete)

None

2. Environmental (Author to complete)

None

3. Staffing (Personnel to complete)

None

4. Trade Union (TU to complete)

None

Background Papers : None

Published Papers : None

Person to Contact : Anthony Hughes Tel: 396127 E-mail: [email protected]

RCS09010 2 APPENDIX 1

GLOUCESTER CITY COUNCIL ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING 18 MAY 2009

THE RIFLES

CITATION TRANSFERRING THE FREEDOM OF THE CITY FROM THE ROYAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE, BERKSHIRE AND WILTSHIRE REGIMENT TO THE RIFLES

Whereas on 26 April 1995, the Council of the City of Gloucester had conferred upon The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment the right to march through the streets of the city on all ceremonial occasions with colours flying, drums beating and bayonets fixed. Now upon the merger of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiments, the Devonshire and Dorset Light Infantry, The Royal Green Jackets and to form the new Regiment known as The Rifles and confident in the knowledge that the Regiment will maintain the great traditions of its predecessors and continue the close and friendly ties so firmly established between the city and the former Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, this Council on 18 May 2009 hereby resolves that, pursuant to Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, this Council hereby confers upon The Rifles the signal honour of Freedom of Entry into the city on all ceremonial occasions with swords drawn, bayonets fixed, colours flying, drums beating and bands playing.

RCS09010