Agenda item - Review of the Council's Constitution

Extract from the proceedings of the Policy & Resources Committee meeting held on the 13 May 2021; together with a report of the Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law.

25.1         Councillor Clare introduced the report which detailed proposed changes to the Constitution following a review by the Constitution Working Group and consideration by the Policy & Resources Committee on the 1^st July 2021. There were a number of changes to the council’s procedural rules and the petition scheme which would require those on submitted on the council’s website to have signatories to include their post code.

25.2         Councillor Nemeth queried whether the requirement for post codes could invalidate a petition if they were not supplied and asked how petitions on external sites would be treated.

25.3         The Monitoring Officer stated that each petition would need to be taken on its individual merits and if a significant proportion of signatories had not included their post code it may be ruled out or order. Those petitions that were placed on external sites could not be checked for post codes and again these would be looked at on an individual basis.

25.4         The Mayor then put the recommendations to the vote which were agreed.

25.5         RESOLVED:

(1)      That the proposal to make changes to the Council’s Procedure Rules in Part 3.2 of the Council’s Constitution indicated in paragraphs 4.1 - 4.7 inclusive and Appendix 1 be approved;

(2)      That the appointment of a co-optee to represent the perspective of disabled people to Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee and a representative from Parent Carers’ Council (PaCC) to be co-opted onto the Children, Young People & Skills Committee, as outlined in paragraph 4.12 of the report be approved;

(3)      That the proposal to make changes to the rules on Petitions in Part 8.10 of the Council’s Constitution as set out in paragraphs 4.16 to 4.18 inclusive and Appendix 5 of the report be approved;

(4)      That the proposed changes referred to in (1), (2) and (3) above and as set out in Appendices 1 and 5 to the report; be approved;

(5)      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 by Full Council, and that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend all parts of the Council’s constitutional documents necessary to incorporate the changes, and to republish the Constitution; and

(6)      That the proposed changes come into force immediately following their approval by Policy & Resources Committee or adoption by Full Council, as appropriate.