Agenda item

Governance, Audit and Standards Committee

20 May 2024

Members considered the draft amendments to the Constitution and in particular to the Council Procedure Rules and the Scheme of Delegation.

An annual review which included consulting the Member and Officer Task Group, inviting all Members and Senior Management team to input was carried out in 2023. The Governance, Audit and Standards Committees recommendations were adopted to ensure the Constitution remained fit for purpose. The Constitution has since continued to be regularly reviewed to ensure it is refreshed as considered necessary to ensure good governance arrangements are in place.

A further annual review of the Constitution had been undertaken again in 2024 in which Officers have been engaged and commented and a proportional Task & Finish group had met on two occasions, and all Members have been invited to input into the review. At the meetings, the Group considered amendments to the Council Procedure Rules, in particularly start times, duration and number of meetings, the role of Ex-Officio Members, reports on Outside Bodies, time allowed for public questions and considering supplementary questions by the public being permitted during Council meetings, the petition scheme, Call-In Process, revisions to the criteria for Extraordinary Council meetings, changes to allow for Budget Council meetings to consider items of urgency and amendments to the Scheme of delegation.

RECOMMENDED to Council that the amendments in to the Constitution, as detailed in the change table at Appendix 1, be approved.

Members were informed that an annual review of the Constitution had been undertaken again in which Officers had been engaged and commented and a proportional Task & Finish group had met on two occasions, furthermore, all Members had been invited to input into the review.

At the meetings, the Group considered amendments to the Council Procedure Rules, in particularly start times, duration and number of meetings, the role of Ex-Officio Members, reports on Outside Bodies, time allowed for public questions and considering supplementary questions by the public being permitted during Council meetings, the petition scheme, call-in Process, revisions to the criteria for Extraordinary Council meetings, changes to allow for Budget Council meetings to consider items of urgency and amendments to the Scheme of Delegation.

RESOLVED that the amendments to the Constitution, as detailed in the change table at appendix, be approved.