Issue - meetings

Cabinet AGREED that its 2011/12 meetings be held on the following dates and times:

·                      Thursday 07 July 2011 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 08 September 2011 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 10 November 2011 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 12 January 2012 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 09 February 2012 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 12 April 2012 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 10 May 2012 at 2 pm

Cabinet received the proposed 2011/12 meeting schedule and noted that all members had received the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) of meeting times.  Members spoke for and against late afternoon and evening meetings:

·                      the EQIA identified more adverse impacts for evening meetings;

·                      there were additional climate change implications for heating / cooling and lighting during evening meetings and the Annual Audit Letter had drawn attention to the fact that the Council’s use of natural resources had not seen the same improvement as other areas;

·                      meetings should be scheduled so as not to limit the pool from which prospective councillors could be drawn;

·                      members in full-time employment found daytime and late afternoon meetings difficult to attend;

·                      late afternoon and evening meetings were particularly discriminatory against members and officers with childcare responsibilities, including those in full-time occupation;

·                      overtime payments could be claimed for caretaking staff working after 8.30 pm, so evening meetings should be timed to end by then.

It was suggested that evening meetings be scheduled during the summer months to minimise cooling and lighting requirements, but it was acknowledged that there was limited natural light in the meeting rooms and that members had more evening commitments during the summer months which could clash with Cabinet meetings.

Cabinet AGREED that its 2011/12 meetings be held on the following dates and times:

·                      Thursday 07 July 2011 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 08 September 2011 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 10 November 2011 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 12 January 2012 at 6 pm

·                      Thursday 09 February 2012 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 12 April 2012 at 2 pm

·                      Thursday 10 May 2012 at 2 pm

Cabinet

AGREED

A)     A meeting schedule for the 2009/10 Municipal Year as detailed in paragraph 5 of the report.

B)    That Cabinet should meet at the times detailed in paragraph 4 of the report. 

Cabinet

AGREED

A)     A meeting schedule for the 2009/10 Municipal Year as detailed in paragraph 5 of the report.

B)    That Cabinet should meet at the times detailed in paragraph 4 of the report.