Decision details

1.  That Cabinet RECOMMENDS TO COUNCIL:

(a)   that the Council’s Constitution be amended to reflect the proposed changes as set out in this report and the appendices attached hereto (with the exception of Appendix S which relates to executive functions);

(b)   that all changes come into effect from the date on which they are approved by Full Council;

(c)   that Group Leaders be commended to strongly urge that all Members attend planning and licensing training events which would both increase the number of named substitutes that Group Leaders would have at their disposal as well as providing Members with greater knowledge of the workings of the Council that will prove useful to them in their Ward and wider representational roles; and

(d)   that the Monitoring Officer be requested to undertake a review of the public speaking scheme for the Planning Committee in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 40, as amended.

2.  That Cabinet resolves:

(a)   that the proposed changes to the Scheme of Delegation (Schedule 3 – Responsibility for Executive Functions), as set out in Appendix S, be approved;

(b)   that the Head of Democratic Services & Elections and the Head of Legal and Governance Services & Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Deputy Leader of the Council, the Chairmen of the overview and scrutiny committees, the Chairman of the Audit Committee and one other Portfolio Holder (to be decided by the Deputy Leader), be authorised to draft a formal Executive-Scrutiny Protocol for this Council and to submit this to the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and Cabinet for adoption;

(c)   that the Head of Legal and Governance Services & Monitoring Officer, in conjunction with the Head of People, Performance and Projects, be requested to review the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy in order to make sure that it is robust and report any necessary amendments to the Human Resources and Council Tax Committee; and

(d)   that the Head of Democratic Services & Elections be requested to incorporate within the Member Development Scheme regular training on overview and scrutiny matters (including, for example, on the clear division of responsibilities between the Council’s scrutiny function and its audit function).

To enable Full Council to consider the recommended changes to the Council’s Constitution.

Not to support some or all of the proposed changes.

None