Agenda item

To consider recommendations from the Democratic Services Committee.

County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Chair of the Democratic Services Committee, moved the recommendations from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Linda Corfield, Vice-Chair of the Committee in respect of Shire Committees:  

RECOMMENDED to the County Council that the Area (Shire) Committees be retained with their current functions, that meetings be held quarterly, with the Chair able to call additional meetings in cases of urgency.

County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan moved an amendment, seconded by County Councillor Phyl Davies

“The Council realises the immense financial pressure placed on residents, communities and schools and thus accepts the need to change its structures to save precious resources. It therefore agrees to cease the practice of having shire committees as from the Council AGM in 2018 and to enable members to work within their localities as part of the local forums. Thus saving circa 175k during the lifetime of this Council.”

Council debated the amendment and on being put to the vote it was passed by 34 votes to 22 with 2 abstentions. Council voted on the substantive motion and by 32 votes to 19 with 3 abstentions

RESOLVED that the Council realises the immense financial pressure placed on residents, communities and schools and thus accepts the need to change its structures to save precious resources. It therefore agrees to cease the practice of having shire committees as from the Council AGM in 2018 and to enable members to work within their localities as part of the local forums. Thus saving circa 175k during the lifetime of this Council.

County Councillor Matthew Dorrance moved the recommendations from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Roger Williams in respect of  changes to Sections 4, 6, 7, 9 16, 18 & 19 of the Constitution.

The Monitoring Officer drew Council’s attention to the amendment proposed to 6.14 requiring the Leader to appoint a Deputy Leader and he advised that it should be at the Leader’s discretion. The Chair of the Democratic Services Committee explained that the reason for the Committee’s recommendation was to ensure that there was political leadership if the Leader was incapacitated for an extended length of time. Having considered the Monitoring Officer’s advice and the Chair of the Committee’s explanation by 50 votes to 3 with 4 abstentions it was

            RESOLVED that the revised sections of the Constitution be approved.

County Councillor Matthew Dorrance moved the recommendation from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Roger Williams that the development programme linked to the Council’s improvement programme be made mandatory. The sanction for any member failing to undertake the mandatory training would be referral to the Standards Committee. By 48 votes to 5 with 4 abstentions it was

RESOLVED that the development programme linked to the Council’s improvement programme be made mandatory.