To follow report and appendicies added 23 March 2022.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Constitutional Reform introduced the report which updated Council on the work of the cross-party groups and asked Council to agree new wording for Parts 1 and 2, giving effect to the decision to move to the Committee System in May 2022.

He said that any Constitution was a living document that could be amended, tweaked and improved. He reminded Members that at the Extraordinary Council meeting on 27 April 2022, the whole Constitution would be considered.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Constitutional Reform proposed the recommendations with the following amendments to be added to the recommendations:

At 2.3.6.1 to add “……and/or working groups”

To allow for further improvements to how Planning Services interact in decision-making: “that it be delegated to the working group to carry-out further work at 2.8.15.2 (b) and (c) Delegations to the Head of Planning and bring back to consider at the Full Council meeting on 27 April 2022.”

At 2.2.1.4 “….that the Policy and Resources Committee be given the ability to establish a working group.”

The Leader seconded the recommendations, as amended.

The Leader of the main opposition group congratulated the working group and staff, for their work on re-writing the Constitution which he said was a mammoth task.  He said it was important that the Constitution was understood and highlighted that there was a mechanism in place to make further changes if necessary.  He requested that any draft documents that needed to be considered were circulated in a timely manner in order to provide feedback.

In the debate that followed, Members made points including:

·         Clarification that the document included reference that Policy and Resources had a working group;

·         reassured that the final version of the Constitution would be considered at the next Council meeting;

·         acknowledged the time and work spent by the working group;

·         the working group would review the document throughout the year;

·         highlighted a duplication of numbered paragraphs 2.3.6.1;

·         sought clarification on whether the Housing and Health Committee could include consideration of Rainbow Homes in their Sub-Committee and suggested that a working group was more efficient to allow flexibility of shareholders of Rainbow Homes; and

·         clarification on how non-Committee members could call-in decisions under the Committee System and how did the mechanism work?.

In summing up, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Constitutional Reform responded to the points raised. He said that working groups could not make decisions and Rainbow Homes would need the ability to do so but, the working group could look at this again although there were limited options.  He said that the working group could look at the call-in of decisions. Finally, he thanked the working group and officers for their input.

Resolved:

(1)      That Council adopts the text at Appendices I and II as Parts 1 and 2 of the updated constitution, to come into effect at Annual Council in May 2022 as amended to include the following:

(a)      At paragraph 2.3.6.1 to add and/or working groups;

(b)      That it be delegated to the working group to carry out further work at paragraph 2.8.15.2 (b) and (c) Delegations to the Head of Planning, and bring back to consider at the Extraordinary Council meeting on 27 April 2022;

(c)      At paragraph 2.2.1.4 that the Policy and Resources Committee be given the ability to establish a working group.