Agenda item

Amendments to the Constitution: Changes to the Political Management & Member engagement structure

To receive a report from the Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services proposing changes to the Council’s decision making and Member engagement structure.(Report No.1)

TO FOLLOW

Minutes:

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou moved and Councillor Simon seconded a report from the Director of Finance, Resources & Customer Services (No.1) detailing the outcome of a review of the Council’s political management and member engagement structure undertaken, following the election of the new Administration in May 2014.

NOTED

1. The changes set out in the report had been focussed on the following areas:

a. The structure and role of Cabinet and Cabinet Members, the role and function of scrutiny and of the Council’s wider committee structures;

b. Members representational roles and engagement structures;

c. Members Allowances including Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs);

d. The structure and operation of the Council’s Planning Committee, following a peer review by the Planning Advisory Service;

e. The deadline for submission of motions with notice to Council, following review by the Members & Democratic Services Group;

2. The proposals within the report had been designed to:

a. enhance members representational roles at ward level;

b. reflect the need for the Council to make substantial savings over the next four years in response to significant budget restraints which would limit the resources available to support members;

c. enable members to develop their representational role and establish clear and accountable mechanisms for listening to and representing local people and in championing their needs on a more strategic and holistic level, in order to manage and deliver more responsive services based around the Council’s strategic aims;

d. retain a scrutiny function that whilst continuing to play an important role in holding the Executive to account, would also provide a more flexible and focussed approach towards the identification of work streams within the more limited financial and operational resources available. The scrutiny model proposed had been based on structures developed within other local authorities and would also ensure that the statutory scrutiny requirements placed on the Council in relation to Health and Crime & Disorder were maintained.

e. be cost neutral in terms of the review of Members Allowances and Special Responsibility Allowances

3. The areas to be covered and functions of the three new Associate Cabinet Members posts, as detailed were detailed in section 3.7 of the report. The Associate Cabinet Member posts would cover three, geographical areas covering the whole borough. Whilst the posts would not have Executive status they would provide a focal point within their areas for co-ordinating member engagement in regeneration and other wider strategic objectives/developments and serving as link between the locality and Cabinet/Council.

4. Whilst supportive of the proposals within recommendations 2.2 (b), (c) and (e) and 2.6 of the report, concerns were raised by the Opposition Group in relation to the following issues:

a. The lack of detailed cross party consultation on the proposals relating to scrutiny, member engagement and introduction of the Associate Cabinet Member positions in advance of the Council meeting;

b. The impact of the proposals in relation to the ability of scrutiny to continue effectively holding the Executive to account and assisting with the wider development of members;

c. The role and cost of the Associate Cabinet Member positions, given what was felt to be their close proximity to the constituency roles of the current Members for Parliament within the borough.

In view of the concerns identified in 4. above, Councillor Neville moved and Councillor E.Hayward seconded an amendment to the report seeking to defer consideration of recommendations 2.1, 2.2 (a) & (d), 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 2.7 to the next Council meeting, in order to allow more detailed cross party consultation on the proposals.

Following a debate, the amendment was put to the vote and not agreed. In accordance with section 15.4 of the Council Procedure Rules the Opposition Group requested a roll call on the vote, with the result as follows:

For: 20

Councillor Erin Celebi

Councillor Jason Charalambous

Councillor Lee David-Sanders

Councillor Don Delman

Councillor Nick Dines

Councillor Peter Fallart

Councillor Alessandro Georgiou

Councillor Elaine Hayward

Councillor Robert Hayward

Councillor Ertan Hurer

Councillor Eric Jukes

Councillor Joanne Laban

Councillor Michael Lavender

Councillor Andy Milne

Councillor Terence Neville

Councillor Ann Marie Pearce

Councillor Michael Rye

Councillor Edward Smith

Councillor Jim Steven

Councillor Glynis Vince

Against: 39

Councillor Abdul Abdullahi

Councillor Daniel Anderson

Councillor Dinah Barry

Councillor Chris Bond

Councillor Yasemin Brett

Councillor Alev Cazimoglu

Councillor Bambos Charalambous

Councillor Katherine Chibah

Councillor Guney Dogan

Councillor Sarah Doyle

Councillor Christiana During

Councillor Nesimi Erbil

Councillor Turgut Esendagli

Councillor Krystle Fonyonga

Councillor Achilleas Georgiou

Councillor Christine Hamilton

Councillor Ahmet Hasan

Councillor Suna Hurman

Councillor Jansev Jemal

Councillor Doris Jiagge

Councillor Nneka Keazor

Councillor Adeline Kepez

Councillor Bernie Lappage

Councillor Dino Lemonides

Councillor Derek Levy

Councillor Mary Maguire

Councillor Don McGowan

Councillor Ayfer Orhan

Councillor Ahmet Oykener

Councillor Vicki Pite

Councillor George Savva

Councillor Rohini Simbodyal

Councillor Toby Simon

Councillor Alan Sitkin

Councillor Andrew Stafford

Councillor Claire Stewart

Councillor Doug Taylor

Councillor Haydar Ulus

Councillor Ozzie Uzoanya

Abstention: 0

The debate then continued on the recommendations (unamended) within the report. At the end of the debate the recommendations were put to the vote and agreed as follows:

AGREED

(1) To establish a single standing Overview & Scrutiny Committee supported by timed commissions across a range of work streams, with a further report to be provided for Council on the associated changes to the Council’s Constitution and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (as detailed in section 3.4 of the report).

(2) The following recommendations arising from the first stage review of the Council’s standing committees:

(a) To reduce the membership of the Planning Committee from 15 – 12 members (as detailed in section 3.5.1(a) of the report);

(b) To amend the Planning Code of Practice to take account of the Planning Advisory Service review recommendations in relation to the attendance of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Planning Committee meetings along with proposals relating to the future determination of LBE planning applications ( as detailed in section 3.5.1 (b) & (c) of the report).

(c) To amend the Terms of Reference for the Members & Democratic Services Group to remove the requirement for the Chair of Overview & Scrutiny Committee to also chair the Members & Democratic Services Group (as detailed in section 3.5.2 of the report).

(d) To amend the Terms of Reference for the Tourism & Town Twinning Working Group by reducing the membership from 6 to 5 and allocating seats according to the principles of political proportionality (as detailed in section 3.5.2 of the report).

(e) To incorporate the remit for the Remuneration Sub Committee within the Terms of Reference for the Audit Committee (as detailed in section 3.5.1 of the report).

(3) The refreshed approach towards Members engaging with their communities at ward level (as detailed in section 3.6 of the report).

(4) The introduction of 3 new Associate Cabinet Member roles in order to support the strategic delivery of Council objectives and enhanced member involvement, with a further review after 18 months (as detailed in section 3.7 of the report).

(5) The changes to Members Allowances and Special Responsibility Allowances for 2014/15, as detailed in section 3.8 and Appendix 2 of the report.

(6) The change in deadline for submission of written motions with notice to Council from 8 to 12 calendar days, as detailed in section 3.9 of the report.

(7) The Assistant Director Corporate Governance be given delegated authority for approval of any subsequent administrative amendments to the Constitution required as a result of the decisions in (1) – (6) above.

In accordance with section 15.4 of the Council Procedure Rules a roll call was requested by the Opposition Group in relation to the vote on the decisions in (1), (2) (a) & (d), (3), (4), (5) and (7) above, with the results as follows:

For: 39