Agenda item

This report details a series of proposals to amend the Constitution of the Council to ensure that it is relevant and up to date, as well as compliant with the law. The proposals within the report have been developed to improve governance processes and procedures.

The Council is also asked to adopt the Local Government Association’s Model Code of Conduct for Members, on the recommendation of the Constitution Working Group.

The Director of Corporate and Customer Services introduced a report detailing a series of proposals to amend the Constitution of the Council to ensure that it was relevant and up to date, as well as compliant with the law. The proposals within the report had been developed to improve governance processes and procedures.

It was noted that it was good practice to keep the Constitution under regular review and with the Council last considering changes to the document in July 2022, it was timely to bring forward recommendations that sought to update the document to reflect the changes that had taken place since the election of the new Council in May 2023.

The report also sought members approval to adopt the Local Government Association’s Model Code of Conduct for Members, on the recommendation of the Constitution Working Group.

The recommendations as set out in the report were moved by Councillor Peter Dobbs and seconded by Councillor David Hughes with the following amendment to recommendation 4:

4.      That, subject to the deletion of the first bullet point of Draft Council Procedure Rule 14.4 and Rule 16.3(a) and the referral of the third bullet point of Draft Council Procedure Rule 14.4 and Rule 16.3(c) to the Constitution Working Group, Part 4 of the Constitution (Rules of Procedure) be amended on the basis of the insertions and deletions highlighted in Appendix 2 of this report.

The motion was the put to the vote and

RESOLVED (unanimously)

1.    That the Constitution be amended to reflect the change in the size of the Council’s membership from 39 councillors to 34 councillors.

2.    That Article 3 be amended to clarify citizen involvement and participation and remove reference to customer service standards and opening hours.

3.    That Part 3 of the Constitution be amended to incorporate the terms of reference for the Biodiversity Sub-Committee, Local Plan Sub-Committee and the insertion and deletion of functions as set out in Appendix 1 of this report.

4.      That, subject to the deletion of the first bullet point of Draft Council Procedure Rule 14.4 and Rule 16.3(a) and the referral of the third bullet point of Draft Council Procedure Rule 14.4 and Rule 16.3(c) to the Constitution Working Group, Part 4 of the Constitution (Rules of Procedure) be amended on the basis of the insertions and deletions highlighted in Appendix 2 of this report.

5.    That the Members Allowances Scheme, as drafted and published by the Monitoring Officer in accordance with the Council decision on 26 January 2023, be agreed.

6.    That Part 5 of the Constitution (Codes and Protocols) be amended to delete the current Code of Conduct for Members and be replaced with the Local Government Association’s Model Code of conduct for Members, as set out in Appendix 4 of this report.

7.    That Constitution Working Group be tasked with reviewing:

(a)  Petition Scheme

(b)  Area Community Forum arrangements

(c)   Public Participation arrangements

8.    That, in accordance with the recommendation from the Community and Environment Committee on 13 July 2023, Contract Standing Orders be amended by inserting a new Standing Order 6.15 in respect of exceptional waivers.

The Chair declared the motion CARRIED.