Issue - meetings

Report of Corporate Director – Commercial Development, Assets and Investment

Purpose of report

This report invites the Committee to consider and recommend to Full Council a set of ‘areas for further consideration’ in the Council’s Constitution as part of a focused Constitution Review.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1      to consider and endorse, as areas for further consideration, the suggestions outlined in paragraph 3 and recommend Full Council agree these areas.

1.2      to recommend to Full Council to agree the establishment of a politically balanced, informal cross-party working group to review proposed changes.

Resolved

That full Council be recommended to agree:

(1)       the areas for further consideration outlined in paragraph 3 of the report (annexe to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book)

(2)       the establishment of a politically balanced, informal cross-party working group to review proposed changes

The Committee considered a report from the Corporate Director – Commercial Development, Assets and Investment that detailed potential ‘areas for further consideration’ in relation to a review of the Council’s Constitution.

Feedback from members, officers and the wider review of local authority constitutions, supported by Bevan Brittan, had identified the potential for positive change in several areas. Full Council would consider the recommendations made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, including the establishment of a cross-party Member working group, at its meeting later in October.

In considering the areas for review, Members of the Committee expressed concerns relating to the proposed review of the time limit for public addresses and the possible introduction of a limit on the total number of public speakers permitted to register per item. It was felt that these could be seen as ways of restricting public input into the democratic process.

The Corporate Director – Commercial Development, Assets and Investment assured the Committee that all areas for review would be discussed in full by the working group who would make proposals for consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee before final consideration by Full Council.   

Resolved

That full Council be recommended to agree:

(1)       the areas for further consideration outlined in paragraph 3 of the report (annexe to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book).

(2)       the establishment of a politically balanced, informal cross-party working group to review proposed changes.