Agenda item

Report No: COU/SE/16/004

Council considered Report No: COU/SE/16/004, which sought approval for a number of recommendations for amendments to the St Edmundsbury Borough Council (SEBC) Constitution.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance drew relevant issues to the attention of Council, including that the proposed amendments had been jointly considered with Members of Forest Heath District Council (FHDC) that sat on the informal Joint Constitution Review Group, which would help ensure both SEBC’s and FHDC’s Constitutions remained aligned where possible.  The proposed amendments largely sought to clarify some operational anomalies.

On the motion of Councillor Ian Houlder, seconded by Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, and duly carried it was

RESOLVED:

That the following amendments to the St Edmundsbury Borough Council Constitution be approved:

(1)     Part 3 - Functions and Responsibilities; Section 2 – Responsibility for Council Functions; C. Other Committees; C.4 - West Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Panel;C.6 - West Suffolk Joint Health and Safety Panel;C.7 - West Suffolk Joint Staff Consultative Panel

(a)       That Sections C.4, C.6 and C.7 be amended, for reasons of clarity, to reflect the position with regard to the public access to these meetings and that the following wording be incorporated within these Sections:

“These meetings are not governed by the normal Access to Information rules (The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012) in both Councils.”

(b)   That additional wording be included on the agenda papers for these Panels to confirm that these meetings are not open to the public and that any recommendations which arise from these meetings will be reported onto Cabinet/Council, where required to do so.

(2)     Part 4 - Rules of Procedure – Council Procedure Rules; Section 6 – Public Question Time

That an additional new paragraph 6.2 be added to Section 6 - Public Question Time as follows:

6.2     A person who wishes to speak must register at least fifteen minutes before the time the meeting is scheduled to start.  This can be done online by sending the request to democratic.services@westsuffolk.gov.uk or telephoning 01284 757120/01638 719363 or in person by telling the committee administrator present at the meeting.

(3)   Part 4 - Rules of Procedure – Committee Procedure Rules; Section 11 – Public Speaking

That additional paragraphs 11.5 and 11.6 be added to Section 11 – Public Speaking, as follows:

11.5       These public speaking rules do not apply to meetings of the Development Control Committee, as the Committee has its own authority to determine from time to time, its own arrangements for public speaking on applications, and which matters are to be included within those arrangements (see Part 3 – Functions and Responsibilities; Section 2 – Responsibility for Council functions; A - Development Control; paragraph 4.2 and as set out in the 'Guide to Having a Say on Planning Applications' )

11.6   These public speaking rules do not apply to meetings of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, when the Committee sits as a hearing, in which case the Hearing Procedure Rules will apply (Part 3 – Functions and Responsibility; Section 2 – Responsibility for Council Functions; B-Licensing; paragraph 4.1 and Appendix A).