Issue - meetings

To consider the Terms of Reference for the Committee as appended to the report of the Borough Solicitor.   

The Committee was invited to consider its draft Terms of Reference. 

In order to clarify the role of local Ward Members on the Committee, the Chairman stated it was his intention for Ward Members to be invited to participate in and ask questions during meetings, subsequent to the Committee Members having made their own observations but they, unlike Committee Members, would not have voting rights. 

The Committee was supportive of this approach. 

Appendix A set out the original recommendation made in respect of the membership of the Committee (i.e. that Ward Members representing the un-parished areas of Crewe be appointed), which had been superseded by Council on 15 December 2010, when it resolved that the Committee be appointed on a political proportional basis.  The current membership of 4 Conservative, 1 Labour and 2 Independents reflected this decision.  

A list of the un-parished wards of Crewe was provided in the appendix to the report.  A Member commented that Leighton should also have been included as a small proportion of the ward fell outside the parish boundary.  Conversely, two of the wards included in the list (Crewe South and St. Barnabas) had areas which were parished and clarification of the composition of each ward was requested for the next meeting. 

RESOLVED: That, subject to the wording relating to membership of the Committee being amended to reflect the political proportionality of the Council and the inclusion of Leighton in the wards affected, the Terms of Reference for the Local Service Delivery Committee (Crewe) be recommended to Council for approval. 

(Note: The Democratic and Registration Services Manager left the meeting at this point in the proceedings.  Councillor Martin arrived during consideration of the item but took no part in the discussion nor voted thereon.)