Decision details

Council RESOLVED:

(a)   That the following paragraph be added to Council Standing Order 4:

‘Members acting as substitutes at meetings of the Planning Committee, and Licensing Committee when determining applications, shall be subject to the same requirement to have undertaken suitable training as ordinary members of those committees.’

(b) That Article 8.06 be amended as follows  (amendments marked in bold italics):

'No member shall be eligible to sit on a regulatory committee unless and until they have undertaken suitable training upon appointment to such committee.  No member shall be eligible to remain on a regulatory committee unless and until they have undertaken suitable refresher training as and when identified by the relevant Corporate Manager. The Democratic Services Section shall maintain a record of attendance at training events as evidence that each member’s training requirement has been met.'

(c)   That the following paragraphs be added to the Constitution as Council Standing Orders 8.3 and 8.4, and the Executive and Scrutiny and Overview Committee Procedure Rules amended to make similar provision:

8.3 The Chief Executive is authorised to cancel a meeting before the agenda has been published, following consultation with the Chairman.

8.4       Where, in exceptional circumstances, it is necessary to cancel a meeting after the agenda has been published, the Chief Executive shall be authorised to do so following consultation with the Chairman of the body concerned. The notice advising of the cancellation shall specify the exceptional circumstances in which the decision was taken. Outstanding business shall be held over to the next scheduled meeting or considered at a reconvened meeting on a date to be arranged which satisfies the notice requirements set out in the Local Government Act 1972 and Access to Information Rule 4.

(d)   That the following additional paragraph be added to Council Standing Order 14:

Participation by the Chairman of the Standards Committee

The Chairman of the Standards Committee may present the reports and recommendations of the committee, brought forward under Standing Orders 1(xi) and 2(ix) above, and contribute to the debate of such items; however, he/she shall not be entitled to propose or second any Motion or amendment, or to vote.’

(e)   That paragraph 22.1 of the Contract Regulations be reworded as follows and paragraph 22.2 be deleted:

‘The Chief Finance Officer shall have the power to make amendments from time to time to these Contract Regulations in consultation with the Chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee, Principal Solicitor and relevant officers in the Council's Procurement, Audit and Risk Management services. A schedule of changes made under this delegated power shall be notified to the Corporate Governance Committee on an annual basis.’

(f)     That Article 2.08 (Leader of the Major Opposition Group’s report to Council) be revised as follows (amendment marked in bold italics):

‘The Leader of the Major Opposition Group may make a report to the Annual Meeting of Council on his/her group’s activities over the year.’

(g)   That paragraph 5(a) of the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules be amended as follows (amendments marked in bold italics):

Rollover of unspent budget provision from the previous financial year to the current year will only be permitted in exceptional cases (excluding salary-related budgets).  A list of rollovers will be completed and reported for approval to the Finance Portfolio Holder by 31 July each year. Rollovers may then only be used with the approval of the Section 151 Officer, approval being on an individual basis during the year when the corporate/cost centre manager can demonstrate that the current year’s budget is fully spent/committed and that there are no other sources of funding, including virement. Rollovers are for specific items and cannot be vired.

(h) That the Chief Executive be authorised to re-draft the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, the updated version to be reported to Council for information.