Issue - meetings

Report No: EXC/SA/18/010

Shadow Executive (Cabinet) Members: Ruth Bowman and Carol Bull

Lead Officers: Davina Howes and Liz Barnard

RECOMMENDED TO SHADOW COUNCIL (25 September 2018):

That:

(1)     the existing suite of joint policies adopted by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils be transferred to West Suffolk Council, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.3 of Report No: EXC/SA/18/010;

(2)     delegated authority be given to Officers, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders, to make necessary minor drafting changes to existing policies and then agree them for West Suffolk Council, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.4; and

(3)     delegated authority be given to Officers, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders, to make necessary minor drafting changes and then agree the additional joint policies that are adopted by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils between September 2018 and March 2019, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.4 and1.1.5.

The Shadow Executive (Cabinet) considered the above report, which sought approval for transferring the existing suite of joint policies adopted by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils to West Suffolk Council, together with giving delegated authority for officers to make minor drafting changes to existing and additional joint policies due to be adopted between September 2018 and 31 March 2019.

Whilst the consequential Order would effectively enable the transfer the existing joint policies, frameworks and guidance of Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils to West Suffolk Council from 1 April 2019, best practice suggested that the Shadow Authority should proactively consider and confirm its support to the process being followed, as set out in the report. 

The majority of policies that governed the work of Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils were already joint policies, presented as ‘West Suffolk Councils’ policies.  Changes to these documents would therefore be relatively minor textual and grammatical amendments, with examples shown in paragraph 1.1.3.  It was therefore proposed that these minor drafting changes be made by officers, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder (Shadow Executive Member).  Similarly, this practice would also apply to joint policies that were due to be approved between September 2018 and 31 March 2019. 

Councillors Ruth Bowman and Carol Bull, Shadow Executive Members with the responsibility for Future Governance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Shadow Executive (Cabinet).

Members agreed the proposal was a pragmatic and sensible approach.

Therefore, it was:

RECOMMENDED TO SHADOW COUNCIL (25 September 2018):

That:

(1)     the existing suite of joint policies adopted by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils be transferred to West Suffolk Council, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.3 of Report No: EXC/SA/18/010;

(2)     delegated authority be given to Officers, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders, to make necessary minor drafting changes to existing policies and then agree them for West Suffolk Council, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.4; and

(3)     delegated authority be given to Officers, in consultation with relevant Portfolio Holders, to make necessary minor drafting changes and then agree the additional joint policies that are adopted by Forest Heath District and St Edmundsbury Borough Councils between September 2018 and March 2019, as detailed in paragraph 1.1.4 and1.1.5.