Agenda item

The Committee is requested to consider the report and its appendices and make the resolutions and recommendations set out in sections 2.1 – 2.16.

Mr Ward provided members with a brief introduction to the committee which included a synopsis of the previous 3 meetings of the Task and Finish Group that was creates to undertake this review. He explained that there were 16 recommendations for the committee to review and decide on today.

The Chairman requested for all general comments first, he would then take the recommendations for noting en mass and then move onto the recommendations to Cabinet and/or Full Council individually.

Cllr Brown arrived at the meeting

The following questions and points were raised and have been summarised below;

§  Recommendation 2.2 it was commented by two members that a longer trial would have been preferred.

§  Recommendation 2.5 it was commented that the intention here was not for changes that would be considered ‘big’ decisions that would have political impact and therefore the wording of the recommendation was queried in terms of did it need to be more explicit. Mr Bennett confirmed that as Monitoring Officer he does have limitations which he outlined for members, he stated that as the recommendation specifically stated that ‘changes would be made in consultation with…’ this should reassure members and it simply allows for him to take prompt action when needed.  Discussion between members focussed on the need to ensure that those being consulted needed to show politically neutrality. It was proposed that the Leader of the Opposition be added to the recommendation however this was not seconded, a further proposal from Cllr Wilding seconded by Cllr Dignam was that recommendation read;

To recommend to Full Council that any constitutional changes to local meeting practice enabled by future changes in the law are delegated to the Monitoring Officer in Consultation with the Chairmen of Corporate Governance and the Leader of the Council Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

This amendment was put to the vote and carried.

§  Recommendation 2.6 Cllr O’Kelly strongly disagreed with the wording stating that the definition of a ‘hybrid’ model of governance could be applied to this Council and made reference to Professor Copus’ additional comments made after the first meeting of the Task & Finish Group. Further comments were made regarding the issue of Cabinet not legally being able to delegate its powers to Panel’s and therefore it was felt that should recommendations be made by Panels which were then overruled by Cabinet that this did not sit with some members’ understanding of what should comprise a ‘hybrid’ model of governance. The Chairman sought advice from Mr Bennett where it was agreed that should members want to remove this recommendation they could. This was put to the vote and carried.

§  Recommendation 2.9 the Chairman confirmed that the Chairmen of each panel would be involved in the decision making regarding its meetings being held in public of private session.

§  Recommendation 2.10 clarity was sought in terms of where scrutiny would come into the Panel process. It was agreed that further work was needed to outline the detail regarding scrutiny. I was also requested that the names of all 4 Panels would be inserted to the recommendation;

To recommendto Full Council that the Constitution be amended such that political balance be achieved across all four panels (Economic, DPIP, Environment & Housing & Communities) on the same basis as that applied towards all full committees. 

§  Recommendation 2.12 it was commented that there was further work ongoing behind the scenes with officers and Group Leaders.

§  Recommendation 2.14 the Chairman states that a counterbalance was needed for officers, there was a need for information to be found and located easily by members versus the amount of work this would cause for officers.

§  Recommendation 2.15 comments made were inclusive of, what member training should look like, when and how it would be delivered and that a success from the pandemic was that virtual training and the ability to record session were of benefit for members to complete when it suits them best.

The Chairman thanked everyone for their comments and the recommendations were put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED

2.1 To note with thanks the external report from Professor Colin Copus and Mr John Lynch on governance at the District Council. 

2.2 To note the decision of Full Council to run a trial of evening meetings and to instruct officers to run a community survey in Summer 2022 to provide a wider assessment on meeting timings. To further note the advice that more meetings will be needed if a move to evening meetings is made, as well as other impacts set out in appendix two.

2.3 To note that the role of panels is to enable detailed consideration of matters so that recommendations can be made to committees.

2.4 To note that changes to the local government legislation will be required for any additional amendment as to how meetings are held remotely, and that the Council has applied as flexible an approach to how meetings are held that the law allows.

2.8 To carry out a full review of panels to build consistency of approach between those panels and to clarify their role in making recommendations. This review to include consideration of whether each panel should meet in public or private session.

2.11 That Corporate Governance and Audit Committee:

a) consider and establish new arrangements for questions to the Executive and how to improve visibility and frequency of this section of the Full Council agenda; and

b) recommend that questions to SLT be held every second meeting of Council as a separate session to that meeting.

2.13 To instruct the communications team to report on improvement methods of communication to members including consideration of a high-level dashboard.

2.14 To require the monitoring officer to report annually on member training delivery to this Committee.

2.15 That this Committee revisit the subject of Governance and operation of panels in 2023.

RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL

2.5 To recommendto Full Council that any constitutional changes to local meeting practice enabled by future changes in the law are delegated to the Monitoring Officer in Consultation with the Chairmen of Corporate Governance and Overview and Scrutiny Committee

2.6 To recommend to Full Council that Council debate the preferred timing of meetings in November 2022 following the trial of evening meetings to inform Page 137 Agenda Item 10 the annual committee date setting item for meetings implemented from May 2023.

2.7 To recommend to Full Council the creation of a further panel to provide members with a forum to discuss Housing and Community activity of the Council.

2.9 To recommend to Full Council that the Constitution be amended such that political balance be achieved across all four panels (Economic, DPIP, Environment & Housing & Communities) on the same basis as that applied towards all full committees.

2.10 To recommend to Full Council that all panels be chaired by a relevant cabinet member.

2.12 To recommend to Full Council that the calendar for the Business Routing Panel be amended such that it meets twice annually, and that panel chairmen be added to the membership of those meetings.