Agenda item

Following a review of governance arrangements between January 2020 and March 2021, to provide the Council with a report on its work and its recommendations.

Following a review of governance arrangements between January 2020 and March 2021, the Council had before it a *report on the work of the group and its recommendations.

The Chairman of the Working Group addressed the Council stating that the working group had worked steadily with an open mind supported by LGA independent representatives to look at a range of options on a way forward.  He outlined the consultation exercises that had taken place, the remit for the group provided by Council and the recommendations that were before members of the Council. He made reference to some of the comments with regard to the membership of the working group, whether there had been enough consultation, the guidance provided by the LGA representatives, the number of options for governance that was available country-wide and the number of meetings of the working group that had taken place.  He felt that the review was complete and that the Council had before it a number of recommendations for consideration.

Councillor R L Stanley MOVED, seconded by Councillor C R Slade that the recommendations within the report be taken on block.

Councillor Mrs N Woollatt MOVED  AMENDMENT, seconded by Councillor F W Letch requiring the recommendations to be taken separately.

Upon a vote being taken, the AMENDMENT was declared to have been CARRIED.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         With regard to whether there was a clear mandate for change

·         Disappointment at the lack of options put forward by the working group

·         Whether the policy development groups should be replaced with overview and scrutiny committees as had happened in other authorities, these committees could develop policies and have task and finish groups and would include pre and post scrutiny and whether by keeping the policy development groups, the Council were missing an opportunity.

·         The current policy development groups allowed the opportunity for policy development, greater engagement by members was required in developing clear work programmes for creating policy.

·         The need for the policy development groups to plan the work that they wanted to progress.

·         Whether 2 overview and scrutiny committees would be all too encompassing.

·         The fact that the policy development groups had been bogged down with routine monitoring of performance and the need for policy formation to take place.

·         The need to use the talent of members across the 4 current policy development groups.

·         The need to encourage a broader range of involvement by inviting local stakeholders to attend meetings and to seek their professional advice.

·         The work of the Standards Committee with regard to the areas of the Constitution which required amendment.

(1)          Councillor C R Slade MOVED, seconded by Councillor R L Stanley that: in the absence of a clear mandate for change at this time, the Council keeps the current executive governance arrangements;

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

(2)          Councillor C R Slade MOVED, seconded by Councillor R L Stanley that: the Council endorses the continuation of the Policy Development Groups and, in doing so, requests members and officers to find effective and efficient ways to support the groups’ future work programmes.

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

(3)          Councillor C R Slade MOVED, seconded by Councillor R L Stanley that: the Council asks the Standards Committee to review any proposals for constitutional change which the Head of Legal (Monitoring Officer), the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Audit Committees and/or the Chairmen of the Policy Development Groups put forward in support of the working arrangements for those committees and groups.

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

(4)          Councillor C R Slade MOVED, seconded by Councillor R L Stanley that: the Council thanks the Local Government Association for their valued support to the Governance Working Group

Upon a vote being taken, the MOTION was declared to have been CARRIED.

Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.