Agenda item - Review of the Constitution - March 2015

Extract from the proceedings of the Policy & Resources Committee meeting held on the 19^th March 2015 (copy to follow), together with a report of the Monitoring Officer (copy attached).

80.1         Councillor Littman introduced the report which outlined the proposed changes to the constitution and delegations to officers following a review by the Constitution Working Group.  He stated that he wished to thank the Members of the Working Group and the officers involved in supporting it for their hard work and advice.  He noted that the proposed changes had not gone as far as they could have and that further work would be required but in the meantime recommended the report to the council.

80.2         Councillor Mears noted the report and the changes in respect of the Health & Wellbeing Board and the remit of the Housing Committee and sought clarification with regard to the delegated functions for these bodies.

80.3         Councillor Duncan stated that the way in which the council worked and operated was very important and yet the report did not really go that far.  He noted that there had been an extra budget meeting which had been foreseen and should not have been required if action had been taken to resolve matters earlier.  He suggested that powers could be dissolved to a neighbourhood level and a review of how councillors worked and the number of councillors could have been and needed to be undertaken.  Such changes would have an impact and would hopefully encourage greater participation in the democratic process.

80.4         Councillor Peltzer Dunn stated that the Working Group had looked at a number of aspects affecting the constitution and he wished to pay tribute to his two colleagues and to the work of the officers.  There was a need to continue the work and he hoped this would follow the elections in May but in the meantime the proposals put forward were appropriate and he hoped would be supported.

80.5         The Mayor noted that the recommendations had been moved and put them to the vote which was carried.

80.6         RESOLVED:

(1)       That the proposed changes to the Council’s constitution recommended in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.6 and appendix 1 of the report, relating to Overview & Scrutiny arrangements and policy panels be approved;

(2)       That the Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer be authorised to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation of the changes agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee and Council; and

(3)        That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend and re-publish the Council’s constitutional documents to incorporate the changes.