Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Corporate Governance Working Group, (copy enclosed).

The Council considered the report of the Corporate Governance Working Group (the Working Group) seeking Members’ consideration of its report and recommendations on the detailed arrangements to support the previously agreed principles of a new committee structure as part of the Council’s Transformation Programme.  A review of constitutional documentation was also sought.

It was noted that the Working Group had reviewed the terms of reference and operating arrangements for the new Committees and further to the last report to this Council had reviewed the terms of reference and operating arrangements for the remaining Committees.  The reviewed versions for the Appointments Board, Area Planning Committees and Investigating and Disciplinary Panel were attached at Appendix A to the report.

The Working Group had also reviewed two further matters in relation to the Licensing Committee, in particular the constitution and membership of the Licensing Sub-Committee and the detail of these were set out in the report.  The proposed revised Terms of Reference were attached at Appendix B to the report.

Members were advised that the Working Group had carried out reviews of the following documents:

·                 the General Provisions section currently overlaid the Committee Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegation, an updated version was attached at Appendix C;

·                 Council and Committee Procedure Rules (Appendix D), updated in light of the new structure and the report highlighted those particular rules where changes were proposed.

·                 A revision to the Scheme of Delegation (Appendix F) was set out in report and a reallocation of functions currently designated to the Head of Paid Service proposed.

An Officer Employment Procedure Rules document (Appendix E) had been produced by the Working Group.

Following deferment by the Council at its last meeting, the Working Group had further reviewed the Terms of Reference of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee taking into consideration recent Government guidance on Overview and Scrutiny in Local and Combined Authorities.  The revised document was attached at Appendix G.

To accommodate the requirements of the new Committee structure from October 2019 a revised schedule of meetings had been produce (attached as Appendix H to the report).

Some further changes to the proposed constitution of the corporate working groups were also set out in the report.

The Leader of the Council presented the report and advised that he wished to make a number of amendments to the appendices.  He then proposed the following amendments:

·                 Area Planning Committee Terms of Reference (Appendix A), Annexe A (iv) to read “A Member must provide reason based on planning policy to support a call-in request.”

·                 General Provisions (Appendix C), Authentication of documents for legal proceedings – amend paragraph 6 to read “…it shall be signed by the lead specialist Legal or Senior Specialist: Legal unless any enactment…”.

·                 Officer Employment Procedure Rules (Appendix F), paragraph 4 to be amended to read”…the basic salary scale subject to approved directorate budgets.”

·                 Officer Employment Procedure Rules (Appendix F), paragraph 12 to be amended to read “…officer’s salary scale within approved directorate budgetary limits.”

·                 Overview and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 294