Issue - meetings

To consider a report that seeks the views of the Committee upon whether the frequency of the Council’s meetings should be reviewed.

The Committee considered a report on whether the frequency of the Council’s meetings should be reviewed.

The calendar of Council meetings showed that Council members attended around 220 formal meetings each year. At a time when elected members were heavily engaged with constituency and other work, and when efficiencies needed to be made, the Council needed to question whether so many meetings were necessary and whether, instead, their frequency could be changed.

A brief snapshot had been taken of the frequency of meetings held by 15 comparator authorities. More detailed analysis of the information from other authorities would illustrate more accurately whether Cheshire East Council held more meetings than others, but the initial snapshot appeared to suggest that it did.

The report considered the potential benefits and risks of holding fewer meetings.

Whilst there was support in principle for a review of the frequency of meetings, it was suggested that the officers undertake more detailed work to assess the scope for and implications of any reduction in the frequency of meetings and to allow the new scrutiny committees and policy development groups time to settle in.

The January 2013 meeting of the Constitution Committee would normally consider and make recommendations to Council on the draft calendar of meetings for 2013/14. A draft calendar had been prepared and circulated with the agenda. Any proposed review of the frequency of meetings would delay the usual process of adoption of the Calendar of meetings and would result in a calendar of meetings not being agreed until the April meeting of Council.

RESOLVED

That

(1)  the officers submit a further report to the Committee’s meeting on 19^th September 2013 following further detailed work, and having allowed time for the new scrutiny committees and policy groups to settle in; and

(2)  in the meantime, Council be recommended to approve the draft calendar of meetings for 2013/14.