Agenda item

To receive the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources proposing a number of changes to the Council’s Constitution endorsed at the Constitution Review Group meeting held on 9 February 2006.

Councillor E Smith moved and Councillor Egan seconded the report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources proposing a number of changes to the Council’s Constitution endorsed at the Constitution Review Group meeting held on 9 February 2006.

NOTED that during consideration of this item all members of the Labour Group present at the meeting left the Council Chamber for the remaining items of business.

RESOLVED to approve the following changes to the Council’s Constitution:

(a)               the merged terms of  reference for the Staff Forum/Joint Consultative Group for Teachers (JCGT) (paragraph 3.1)

(b)               the new terms of reference for the Member Governor Forum (paragraph 3.2)

(c)        the revised terms of reference for the Schools Forum, subject to the addition of the following to the first paragraph of section 3

“These elections to be carried out in accordance with existing and agreed processes and practices.” (See paragraph 3.3 of this report)

(d)       the composition of Community Housing Partnership Boards be amended as follows (paragraph 6):

(v)                the Partnership Board elect a Chairman from amongst the councillor membership and Vice-Chairman from amongst the tenant representative membership each year.

(e)       the scheme of delegation in relation to planning be amended as follows (paragraph 3.5 of this report):

(i)         to provide that any application which is to be refused planning permission may be determined under delegated authority, subject to the exceptions set out in the revised scheme;

(ii)        to include authority to determine major planning applications for wholly industrial/commercial development as detailed in the report;

(iii)       the applications covered under (i) and (ii) above be in consultation with the Chairman of Planning Committee; and

(iv)       a report be submitted to Planning Committee in one year’s time reviewing the arrangements.