Agenda item

To consider the report of the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support.

The Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support presented the report of the findings of the Governance Review Group, following a request made by Members at the Audit and Governance Committee meeting held on 14 March 2018. The review group had been made up of seven Members, the City Solicitor and Head of HR, the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support, the Democratic Services Manager and the Scrutiny Programme Officer. The cross party group addressed the roles and responsibilities of the various Council Committees, ensuring they continued to meet the Council’s priorities and objectives and checked the Standing Orders and constitution’s procedural rules to ensure they were still fit for purpose and where improvements could be made. The results had been collated into the report which would go to Full Council for approval.

Members were informed about the items discussed at the review group meetings and highlighted  the review group’s findings, which noted that the Constitution and Council procedures remained fit for purpose, with a few minor amendments to strengthen the constitution. The democratic process, structure and scrutiny processes had been considered to be working well.

The Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support notified Members that the Democratic Services team were also providing Member services support for Teignbridge District Council, and that the Scrutiny Programme Officer would also be leaving the team at the end of September. The post would not be backfilled and he would be addressing how this would impact both the partnership working arrangements with Teignbridge, as well as this Council’s future scrutiny offer

In response to questions from Members, the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support and the Chief Executive & Growth Director explained that:-

·         An error on a recent delegation briefing agenda, which intimated that the meeting was one open for public attendance, had been generated from the software programme used for assembling agendas. The system had been amended so the text would not appear in future agendas;

·         Meetings of Planning Delegation briefings were not a decision making body, and there was no set requirement on the number of Members needing to attend;

·         Planning delegation briefings provided an opportunity for Members to speak with officers about applications which officers felt could be decided via their delegated powers, and to check if they should go to Planning Committee. Previously all applications would go to the Planning Committee, in which meetings could receive 30 or more applications, making debate on them difficult. Delegation Briefings allowed the time for discussion to look at options for applications;

·         Reference throughout the Council’s constitution to “the relevant Executive Member or Portfolio Holder”.   It was explained that such terminology avoided the need for the constitution to be amended as and when the title of Portfolio Holders changed;

·         The Leader of the Council in his role as Portfolio Holder for Growth and City Development, and the Portfolio Holder for Support Services had considered the option for the Police move into the Civic Centre. It was their view that the move was not a sensitive issue and the decision was deemed suitable to be delegated to the City Surveyor. The lease would operate in the same manner as the other organisations leasing space in the Civic Centre;

·         The recommendation for Scrutiny Chairs to attend Executive meetings, would be to provide additional explanation on their Committee’s comments and/or recommendations, to their Executive colleagues.

RECOMMENDED that the Audit and Governance Committee support and Council approve:-

(i)            The amendment of Standing Order 8 (3) (a) to state that questions should be submitted in written form no later than 10 am on the working day before the meeting;

(ii)           The addition to Standing Order 10 (6) of the following: “As long as the effect is not to negate the motion”;

(iii)          The publicising, through social media and other means determined by officers, of the Council agenda prior to commencement of the Council meeting;

(iv)         That Committee Chairs will move the minutes of their respective Committees for noting on block rather than minute by minute (with the exception of any minutes containing recommendations);

(v)          That Executive recommendations will be identified and highlighted more clearly at Council meetings and voted on accordingly;

(vi)         That the current system of three Scrutiny Committees be retained.