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Agenda item

Recommendations of the Constitution Working Group

Purpose:

To present recommendations from the Constitution Working Group arising from a meeting held on 13 February 2024.

 

Recommendations:

That Council Resolves to:

  1. Approve the changes to the Constitution Working Group Terms of Reference to include responsibility for oversight of electoral matters (Annex A);
  2. Adopt the Draft Webcasting Protocol for inclusion in the Constitution as the new Part 6N (Annex B);
  3. Agree an amendment to Article 5 of the Constitution to include at 2E.2 that committees will appoint a Vice-Chair at their first meeting following Annual Council (Annex C);
  4. Agree an amendment to Part 5A Rule 17.2 to remove the requirement for the Chair to have cast a deliberative vote in order to use a casting vote (Annex D);
  5. Agree to amend Part 5A Rule 3.2 to add Member questions to the business for ordinary Council meetings (after public questions) (Annex E);
  6. Agree to amend the Public Participation Rules to clarify the rules for speaking at Development Control Committee and Area Planning Sub-Committee meetings (Annex F);
  7. Note the progress the Constitution Working Group has made in during 2023/24 and the items to be carried forward into next year, as set out in Annex G.

Minutes:

Councillor Mathew Parkinson, Chair of the Constitution Working Group, introduced the report, which presented recommendations from the Constitution Working Group arising from a meeting held on 13 February 2024.

 

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council, rose to propose an amendment to recommendation 1 as listed on the original report, whereby additional wording would be added to the resolution, to reflect an increase in the membership of the Constitution Working Group from 7 to 9 Members, owing to its extensive work programme, allowing the group to formulate draft recommendations to Council in relation to work of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This was seconded by Councillor Duncan Enright, and agreed to by the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Constitution Working Group

 

The Leader of the Council paid tribute to the work of the Constitution Work Group, highlighting both the importance of the group’s work, and the resolve to ensure that the Council’s constitution was as tidy as it possibly could be.

 

In debate, Members queried proposed amendments to Public Participation Rules to clarify the rules for speaking at Development Control Committee and Area Planning Sub-Committee meetings, and if there was a potential duplication in the routine order of business at ordinary meetings of Council.

Officers confirmed that amendments were proposed from the rules as they were laid out, and that Chair’s of the Development Control and Area Planning Sub-Committees could exercise their discretion if and when appropriate. Officers further confirmed that Member Questions would come immediately after of Public Participation in the order of business at ordinary Council meetings.

 

Councillor Mathew Parkinson proposed that Council agree the recommendations as listed on the report, inclusive of the additional wording proposed by Councillor Andy Graham and seconded by Councillor Duncan Enright. This was seconded by Councillor Michele Mead, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by Council.

 

Council Resolved to:

  1. Approve the changes to the Constitution Working Group Terms of Reference to include responsibility for oversight of electoral matters (Annex A) and:
    1. Increase the size of the Constitution Working Group to 9 members.
    2. Amend the second paragraph in 3.0 in the Terms of Reference to read “The Constitution Working Group will also formulate draft recommendations in relation to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England review for consideration by the Council including…”.
  2. Adopt the Draft Webcasting Protocol for inclusion in the Constitution as the new Part 6N (Annex B);
  3. Agree an amendment to Article 5 of the Constitution to include at 2E.2 that committees will appoint a Vice-Chair at their first meeting following Annual Council (Annex C);
  4. Agree an amendment to Part 5A Rule 17.2 to remove the requirement for the Chair to have cast a deliberative vote in order to use a casting vote (Annex D);
  5. Agree to amend Part 5A Rule 3.2 to add Member questions to the business for ordinary Council meetings (after public questions) (Annex E);
  6. Agree to amend the Public Participation Rules to clarify the rules for speaking at Development Control Committee and Area Planning Sub-Committee meetings (Annex F);
  7. Note the progress the Constitution Working Group has made in during 2023/24 and the items to be carried forward into next year, as set out in Annex G.

Supporting documents:

 

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