Agenda item

To receive a report from the District Solicitor and Monitoring Officer providing Members with an update on the work carried out so far on the proposed change to the governance system.

Council had before it a report * of the District Solicitor and Monitoring Officer providing Members with an update on the work carried out so far on the proposed change to the governance system. The background to the issue was detailed within the report and the options available listed.

Discussion took place regarding:

·       Differing recollections of the discussions and decision made at the 22 February 2023 Council meeting regarding Motion 591 from Councillor N Woollatt. These had included a thought that it would be ‘unfair to constrain a new administration’ and that more work would be needed to prepare a new Governance Framework before a final decision was taken.

·       Councillor N Woollatt had circulated extracts from the relevant legislation immediately prior to the meeting and made reference to a local authority not being able to pass another resolution that makes a change in governance arrangements before the end of the period of 5 years unless a different resolution is approved by way of a referendum.

·       There was disagreement regarding the potential costs of changing governance arrangements. The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny had estimated this to be in region of £70k to £250k. It was felt that this would be ‘foolhardy’ given the current financial situation of the Council but could be considered in the future.

·       The majority of Members present at this meeting had not been Councillors when the original Motion had been presented. At that time it was felt that there had been some significant instability within the Cabinet and a move to something different would have been advantageous. That was not felt to be the case with the current administration.

·       More collaborative working was needed and greater involvement of the Policy Development Groups in formulating and setting policy and strategic direction.

·       The Motion brought to Council in February 2023 had not included a detailed report or in depth costing. The main features of a proposed system had not been presented therefore it would have been very difficult for Members to have come to a fully thought through decision.

·       The Council already had a hybrid system with the Cabinet held to account by a Scrutiny Committee and fully functioning Policy Development Groups. However, these needed to be fully empowered to play a more significant role in policy making. The Programming Panel needed to be re-ignited and given full powers to call the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of each Committee to set a stronger and more strategic level of direction.

·       The delays in decision making experienced by others who had worked under a Committee system.

The Leader MOVED, seconded by Councillor R Gilmour

THAToption ‘d’ within the report be approved with an amendment that:

This Council moves to a more robust implementation of the hybrid system, utilising the Policy Development Groups and the Programming Panel to better develop policy and set strategic direction.

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

Reason for the decision:

So that the Monitoring Officer can start to review the necessary changes that will be required to support a more robust implementation of the hybrid system.

Note: (i) * Report previously circulated

(ii) Councillor N Woollatt requested that her vote against the decision be recorded.