Agenda item

The Council is asked to consider the recommendations submitted to it by the Cabinet in respect of proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution and Committee Structure.

NOTE: Cabinet considered this matter at its meeting held on 18 January 2019. The Cabinet’s recommendations to Council will be tabled at the meeting.

Council was requested to approve the recommended changes to the Constitution put forward by the Cabinet following a review undertaken by the Finance and Corporate Resources Portfolio Holder through a Working Party.

Council was aware that, on 18 January 2019, the Cabinet had considered a report of the Finance and Corporate Resources Portfolio Holder which had requested Cabinet to approve the recommended changes to the Constitution for referral onto Full Council following a review undertaken by the Portfolio Holder through a Working Party.

It was reported that the main proposals of the Portfolio Holder covered a revised approach to how Motions on Notice to Full Council were dealt with, the outcome of the six month review of the committee structure, approval of a Member Referral Scheme for the Planning Committee and revised terms of reference for the Local Plan Committee. 

A number of Members expressed their appreciation for the way in which Councillor G V Guglielmi, had chaired and conducted the proceedings of the Working Party and  Lisa Hastings (Head of Governance and Legal Services & Monitoring Officer) and Ian Ford (Committee Services Manager & Deputy Monitoring Officer) were thanked for all their hard work and efforts.

Councillor Stock OBE welcomed Keith Simmons, the Council’s newly appointed Head of Democratic Services and Elections, to this his first meeting of the Council.

The Portfolio Holder’s Report and accompanying Appendices which were considered by Cabinet at its meeting held on 18 January 2019 were attached as Appendix A to item A.4 of the Reference from Cabinet.

The Cabinet’s recommendations to Council arising from that meeting were tabled at the meeting.

An amendment was submitted by Councillor Everett on the proposed changes to the Member Referral Scheme for Planning Applications. The amendment was tabled at the meeting.

Councillor Everett moved his amendment which was then seconded by Councillor Turner. At this point in proceedings, Councillor G V Guglielmi, accepted the amendment to the recommendations and he thereby incorporated that amendment into the recommendations before Council for consideration.

Following discussion, it was moved by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:-

RESOLVED that –

(a)   the Council’s Constitution be amended to reflect the proposed changes as set out in Appendices A to E attached hereto, subject to the agreed amendment to Appendix A.2 in relation to the Members’ Referral Scheme for Planning Applications;

(b)   the changes as set out in Appendices A to D to come into effect immediately following approval;

(c)   the changes as set out in Appendix E to the sizes of committees to come into effect from 1^st May 2019;

(d)   the start time of 7.30pm for Ordinary Full Council meetings remains unchanged recognising that a proportion of elected councillors are employed; and

(e)   the alternative procedure for changes relating to dealing with Motions on Notice, as set out in the report, is agreed in principle only and that revised Council Procedure Rules be produced for approval to the next practicable meeting of Full Council, so that the same can come into effect on 1^st May 2019.