Decision details

Council AGREED to

A)       Endorse the postponement of the annual Council meeting in view of the Government’s COVID 19 restrictions and that prior to 7 May 2021 an annual meeting of the Council shall only take place following lifting of the Covid 19 restrictions by the Government and confirmation that it is safe to return to physical meetings:

(a) where called by the Chair; or

(b) where called by the Chief Executive or Monitoring Officer; or

(c) following a resolution calling for an Annual Meeting being  

  passed at an ordinary or extraordinary meeting of the Council.

B)       Note that, as a consequence of A) above, all current appointments  of chairmen, vice-chairmen and of members of committees, joint committees, other bodies and substitutes shall continue until the next annual meeting or until such time as the Council may determine.  

C)       Endorse the decision of the Chief Executive to convene this meeting as an ordinary meeting of the Council, and to authorise the Chief Executive, after consultation with the Leader and/or relevant Chair(s), to alter the frequency, move or cancel meetings or to vary the dates and times of meetings, as required.

D)       Approve the Standing Order for remote meetings, as set out at Appendix A, with amendment to provide for removal of the need for Members to stand when speaking at meetings of Full Council and the removal of paragraph 5.1(j) in the Public Questions Scheme, as it is a duplication.

E)      Amend the delegated powers of the Chief Executive to act in an emergency contained in paragraph 3.5.2 of the Scheme of Delegation in Part 4 of the Constitution, until specified otherwise by the Council, to read as follows:

“The Chief Executive (or any other Chief Officer or Head of Service in their absence) may exercise any power or function, which is in law capable of delegation, in any emergency threatening life, limb or substantial damage to property within the District, or where necessary in order for the Council to continue to carry out its functions or to maintain service delivery.  This power shall include authority to incur expenditure not provided for within the budget or borrowing where the Chief Executive considers this essential for the purposes of managing or responding to the emergency or maintaining essential service delivery.  The Chief Executive shall consult with the Leader of the Council (unless the Leader  cannot be contacted after all reasonable efforts have been made). The Chief Executive shall update the Executive or Council, as appropriate, on the use of such powers.”

F)        Approve, until specified otherwise by the Council, the increase in the current maximum limit for a supplementary estimate to £100,000 on the understanding that if it later becomes evident that this additional expenditure can be met from savings elsewhere in the budget, it will be, and to delegate authority to the Leader, the Chief Executive and the Chief Finance Officer to approve such supplementary revenue and capital estimates.

G)        Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any necessary and consequential  amendments to the Constitution to enable the implementation of the changes at A) to F) above.

H)        Grant a dispensation to any Member unable to attend a council meeting for a period greater than six months for Covid-19 related reasons, in accordance with Section 85 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 until 31 December 2020.