Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to propose a number of governance changes that are considered to be in the best interests of the Council in order to fulfil the Corporate Strategy 2020-2025, adopted in October 2020.  The proposed governance changes seek to respond to and achieve the Council’s vision as set out within that strategy, in particular the need to promote:

·         ‘Open, democratic and participative governance’; and

·         ‘An effective strategic planning and development management which supports the planning and infrastructure needs of local communities’.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Executive:

1.    RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that

·         the temporary WESTERN and EASTERN planning committee arrangements first incorporated into the Constitution on 22 July 2020 by Full Council and extended on 20 October 2020 by Full Council be made permanent (until such time as Full Council resolves to make any further changes to them) with the current Terms of Reference; and

·         the Head of Policy and Governance be authorised to make the corresponding revisions to the Constitution with the Chairman of the Standards Committee. 

2.    RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council no longer operates four overview and scrutiny committees but instead operates two overview and scrutiny committees, ‘corporate’ and ‘community’, and a new Housing Landlord Services Board whilst retaining the existing constitutional ability to establish informal OS working groups (as set out in section 4.2); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change, including terms of reference for the new committees.

3.    RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council expands the remit of the existing Standards Committee to become a ‘Standards and General Purposes Committee’ which, as well as dealing with the Standards and Constitutional issues it currently does, would also take responsibility for a range of other functions and pick up issues that arise over the course of time that do not obviously sit elsewhere (as set out in section 4.3); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change.

4.  RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of reintroducing the capacity for Executive Working Groups to be constituted in order to shape and drive policy development  across a range of portfolio areas (as set out in section 4.4); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change.

5.  RECOMMENDS TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         Asks the Standards Committee to carry out a general and comprehensive review of the Constitution to ensure it remains fit for purpose and to bring forward to Full Council any proposed constitutional amendments arising from its review (as set out in section 4.5).

RESOLVED to

1.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that

·         the temporary WESTERN and EASTERN planning committee arrangements first incorporated into the Constitution on 22 July 2020 by Full Council and extended on 20 October 2020 by Full Council be made permanent (until such time as Full Council resolves to make any further changes to them) with the current Terms of Reference; and

·         the Head of Policy and Governance be authorised to make the corresponding revisions to the Constitution with the Chairman of the Standards Committee. 

2.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council no longer operates four overview and scrutiny committees but instead operates two overview and scrutiny committees, ‘corporate’ and ‘community’, and a new Housing Landlord Services Board whilst retaining the existing constitutional ability to establish informal OS working groups (as set out in section 4.2); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change, including terms of reference for the new committees.

3.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council expands the remit of the existing Standards Committee to become a ‘Standards and General Purposes Committee’ which, as well as dealing with the Standards and Constitutional issues it currently does, would also take responsibility for a range of other functions and pick up issues that arise over the course of time that do not obviously sit elsewhere (as set out in section 4.3); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change.

4.  RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of reintroducing the capacity for Executive Working Groups to be constituted in order to shape and drive policy development  across a range of portfolio areas (as set out in section 4.4); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change.

5.  RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         Asks the Standards Committee to carry out a general and comprehensive review of the Constitution to ensure it remains fit for purpose and to bring forward to Full Council any proposed constitutional amendments arising from its review (as set out in section 4.5).

[This matter is recommended to Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure.]

99.1    The Leader introduced the proposed changes to the council’s governance arrangements, which were recommended to Council for consideration.

99.2    Cllr Hyman spoke in support of the proposal to continue the current arrangements for the planning committees, but was concerned at the lack of detail in the proposals for the remit of the Standards Committee, and the review of the Constitution. Cllr Gray felt more information was needed on the benefits and dis-benefits of the temporary planning committees before deciding to make them permanent. He also would have liked to have the input of the Overview & Scrutiny Coordinating Board on the proposals for reducing the number of scrutiny committees; and more understanding of the outcomes of the Governance Review Working Group.

99.3    Cllr Follows outlined the work done by the Governance Review Working Group before its work was interrupted by the pandemic, and reflected on the efficiency and effectiveness of the scrutiny arrangements: they were not aligned with the current corporate strategy or service areas, and placed a significant workload on councillors and officers in attending multiple meetings per cycle.

99.4    The Executive RESOLVED to

1.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that

·         the temporary WESTERN and EASTERN planning committee arrangements first incorporated into the Constitution on 22 July 2020 by Full Council and extended on 20 October 2020 by Full Council be made permanent (until such time as Full Council resolves to make any further changes to them) with the current Terms of Reference; and

·         the Head of Policy and Governance be authorised to make the corresponding revisions to the Constitution with the Chairman of the Standards Committee. 

2.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council no longer operates four overview and scrutiny committees but instead operates two overview and scrutiny committees, ‘corporate’ and ‘community’, and a new Housing Landlord Services Board whilst retaining the existing constitutional ability to establish informal OS working groups (as set out in section 4.2); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change, including terms of reference for the new committees.

3.    RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of moving to a governance structure whereby Waverley Borough Council expands the remit of the existing Standards Committee to become a ‘Standards and General Purposes Committee’ which, as well as dealing with the Standards and Constitutional issues it currently does, would also take responsibility for a range of other functions and pick up issues that arise over the course of time that do not obviously sit elsewhere (as set out in section 4.3); and

·         asks the Standards Committee to develop and recommend to Full Council for adoption the necessary proposed constitutional amendments to achieve this change.

4.  RECOMMEND TO FULL COUNCIL that it

·         agrees to the principle of reintroducing the capacity for Executive Working Groups to be constituted in order to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99