Agenda item

The purpose of this Report is to agree the committee structure and terms of reference for the forthcoming municipal year as well as confirming the allocation of seats to those committees and to outside bodies in accordance with political proportionality rules or for alternative arrangements to be approved and to receive notification of the appointments to them.

Members considered the Committee Balance, Political Balance and Allocation of Seats report presented by Councillor Boden.

Councillor Boden thanked officers for the extraordinary amount of time and diligence that they have given in producing this report. He also thanked Councillor Booth as leader of the main opposition group for his cooperation.

Councillor Boden referred to Recommendation 3.3 and said it referred to an alternative approach for politically proportionate allocation of seats. There is a lot of legislation about allocation of seats to committees and outside bodies, but it is in part somewhat contradictory, leading to several different approaches that can be made by individuals depending upon their personal preferences. Therefore, a lot of discussion has taken place, and he again thanked Councillor Booth for his cooperation for the proposals to have been made. What is being suggested is that we adopt an alternative approach which is to allow for all members in groups and the one member who is unaligned to a group to be given their fair share of allocated seats.

He therefore asked that members agree firstly to agree to adopt the alternative approach rather than the strict, legal approach.

Councillor Booth requested that members move to the substantive motion.

Proposed by Councillor Boden, seconded by Councillor Mrs French and AGREED to:

1.1.  Approve the Committees and Panels set out at Appendix A for the 2023/24 municipal year to include the following specific changes:

1.1.1.   That the Audit and Risk Management Determination Sub-Committee is disbanded in favour of creating an Employment Committee comprised of 7   seats;

1.1.2.   That the number of seats on the Planning Committee and Audit and Risk Committee is reduced from 13 to 7; and

1.1.3.   That the number of seats on the Conduct Committee is increased to 7.

And AGREED to:

1.2.  the proposed amendments to the Constitution to reflect the changes set out at paragraph 1.1 above and as set out in Appendix B;

1.3.  the Alternative Approach for the politically proportionate allocation of seats to Committees and Panels; and

1.4.  the allocation of seats and position of Chairman and Vice Chairman on the ongoing and newly comprised committees as also set out at Appendix C.

1.5.  the appointments to seats allocated in accordance with paragraph 1.4 above (Appendix C) including any co-opted or non-members;

1.6.  the list of Outside Bodies as set out at Appendix D for 2023/24;

1.7.  the Alternative Approach for the politically proportionate allocation of seats to Outside Bodies all as set out in Appendix D;

1.8.  Note that the distribution of seats amongst Outside Bodies, to achieve overall political proportionality based on the allocations approved at paragraph 1.7 above and the subsequent appointments to those seats will be discussed between Group Leaders and presented for approval at the next meeting of Cabinet on 12^th June 2023;

1.9.  Note the intended creation of three new Committees; Culture, Arts and Heritage, Rural and Farming and Project Review for consideration at the July Council meeting together with the associated changes in political proportionality and allocation of seats.