Conduct of meetings
7.—(1) At a meeting of the Board the chairman, if present, shall preside.
(2) If the chairman is absent from a meeting of the Board the deputy chairman, if present, shall preside.
(3) If both the chairman and the deputy chairman of the Board are absent such other member of the Board as the members present shall choose shall preside.
(4) Subject to the provisions of paragraph 45 of Schedule 12 to the 1972 Act (quorum), no business shall be transacted at a meeting of the Board unless—
(a)at least one third of the whole number of members of the Board are present; and
(b)of those present at least one is a local authority member, one a member appointed by the Secretary of State, and one, a parish member.
(5) The following provisions—
(a)Part VI of Schedule 12 to the 1972 Act (proceedings and meetings of local authorities) and section 99 of that Act so far as it relates to that Part of that Schedule; and
(b)section 100 of that Act (admission of the public and press),
shall have effect as if the Board were a local authority for the purposes of those provisions.
(6) Section 20 of the 1989 Act (duty to adopt certain procedural standing orders) shall have effect as if the Board were a relevant authority for the purposes of that section.
(7) The validity of any proceedings of the Board shall not be affected by a vacancy amongst their members, by any defect in the appointment of a member of the Board or by the want of qualification, or the disqualification, of any such member.