Issue - meetings

The Council is recommended to make the resolutions set out in the report at item 4.

At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Macleod moved the recommendations of the Standards and General Purposes Committee, duly seconded by Cllr Robini. Councillors Follows and Martin spoke in favour of the proposal, particularly endorsing the improvement in substitution arrangements. There being no further speakers, the Mayor called upon Members to vote by a show of hands and it was

RESOLVED unanimously:

The proposed amended terms of reference for the Guildford & Waverley Joint Governance Committee, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, and having previously been agreed by Guildford Borough Council, be adopted into the Constitution, with immediate effect. 

The Committee is recommended to make the resolutions set out in the report at item 6.

The Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services introduced the report and explained that the Joint Governance Committee between Waverley and Guildford Borough Councils set up in accordance with 101(5) of the Local Government Act 1972 primarily focuses on issues around the Collaboration between the two authorities. It was noted that amendments to the Terms of Reference as set out in Appendix 2 & 3 were agreed upon by the Joint Governance Committee on the 18 November 2023. The Executive Head of Legal and Democratic Services informed Members that the key changes were around the inclusion of the Temporary Shared Staffing Inter Authority Agreement (IAA), periodic review periods, frequency of meetings, quorum, and procedures for electing a chairperson (in the absence of a Co-Chair) and voting. The amendments also include the requirement for respective Group Leaders to nominate an ongoing main substitute.

The Leader noted that the recommendations were received by the Joint Governance Committee and the Joint Constitutions Review Group (JCRG) and Members were largely in agreement with the proposals. The only concerns raised were around the changes to the quorum of the Committee and the practicalities around Members and Officers travelling to the respective Council buildings for meetings that may not go ahead.

The Committee were in agreement with the recommendations set out in the report and the appendices.

The Chair invited Members to vote on the recommendations set out in part 2 of the report.

There was a unanimous vote in favour.

The Committee resolved to recommend that Full Council;

1.  approves the proposed amended terms of reference for the Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council Joint Governance Committee for adoption into the Constitution.