Decision details

The Interim Monitoring Officer introduced a report and appendix that set out the first of a series of constituent parts of the proposed Unitary Council’s Constitution: the summary and explanation.  She advised that it was intended to include hyperlinks to Members’ and Officers’contact details in the final electronic version of the document. 

The document considered at the meeting was a summary of how Cheshire East would operate and make decisions.  There would be opportunity at a later date for all members to have input into the detail contained within the Constitution. Officers would make every effort to ensure the use of plain language in the Constitution so all those reading it can easily understand it.  The Summary and explanation reflected this view.  However it was noted that the legal content of some parts of the Constitution would make this a challenging aspiration.  It was noted that it was implicit that the Council values its residents, businesses and visitors as set out in Page 4 of the summary in the section entitled “ your Rights”. 

RESOLVED

1.      the draft Summary and Explanation of the emerging Constitution be agreed and the Shadow Council be recommended to agree the document for adoption by the unitary Council at its first meeting in April 2009.

2.      the Interim Monitoring Officer be authorised to make consequential changes to the document as the unitary Council’s decision-making and management structures emerge,