Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations from the Constitution Committee.    

Consideration was given to the recommendations of the Constitution Committee on 5 October 2020 in relation to the review of the Member Training Programme.

RESOLVED:   That

1          delegated authority be granted to the Monitoring Officer to formally identify within the Constitution, those subjects which have been designated as foundation skills, and which are therefore required training for Councillors in accordance with the Member Training Programme – Corporate Parenting, Safeguarding Children and Adults, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Members’ Code of Conduct.

2          the wording ‘Before any Councillor who is a member of the (insert name) Committee can attend a meeting and participate in the business of the meeting, the determination of an application or an appeal by any individual or body, the Councillor must attend a suitable training course dealing with the quasi-judicial nature of the role of the Committee, as a requirement of their membership of the Committee’ be added to the Council’s Constitution in respect of the functions of the following Committees: Public Rights of Way Committee, Licensing Committee, Staffing Committee and Appeals Sub Committee;

3          in respect of the three Planning Committees, the wording ‘Any Councillor appointed to Northern Planning Committee, Southern Planning Committee or Strategic Planning Board (including planning pool Members), must attend all planning training sessions held each year (including induction when held), as a requirement of the membership of the Committee they are appointed to, in order to properly discharge their planning committee obligations.  Any Member who cannot attend must submit their apologies in advance to the event organiser.  If a Member fails to attend, they must undertake refresher training, in line with the Committee training programme’ be inserted into the Council’s Constitution at the appropriate juncture.

4          the wording at paragraph 21, page 47 of the Constitution be replaced with ‘A cross party pool of 9 planning substitutes shall be maintained to supplement the arrangements referred to above. Each member of the pool must receive appropriate and up to date planning training without which they may not serve as a member of a planning committee. Political groups may nominate their own members to the pool in accordance with the proportionalities in force at the time and may vary their nominees as and when required subject to the training requirements referred to above.’

To consider a report which seeks to formalise the current required elements of the Member Training Programme and propose new arrangements in respect of Members’ attendance at training events.    

The Committee gave consideration to a report that sought to formalise the current required elements of the Member Training Programme and which proposed new arrangements in respect of Member attendance at these events. It was noted that the new Monitoring Officer would be commencing work with the Council on the day following the Council meeting.

RESOLVED

That Council be recommended to resolve that:

1.    Delegated authority to be granted to the Monitoring Officer to formally identify within the Constitution, those subjects which have been designated as foundation skills, and which are therefore required training for Councillors in accordance with the Member Training Programme - Corporate Parenting, Safeguarding Children and Adults, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Members’ Code of Conduct. 

2.    The  wording ‘Before any Councillor who is a member of the (insert name) Committee can attend a meeting and participate in the business of the meeting, the determination of an application or an appeal by any individual or body, the Councillor must attend a suitable training course dealing with the quasi-judicial nature of the role of the Committee, as a requirement of their membership of the Committee’ be added to the Council’s Constitution in respect of the functions of the following Committees: Public Rights of Way Committee, Licensing Committee, Staffing Committee and Appeals Sub-Committee.    

3.    In respect of the three Planning Committees, the wording ‘Any Councillor appointed to Northern Planning Committee, Southern Planning Committee or Strategic Planning Board (including planning pool Members), must attend all planning training sessions held each year (including induction when held), as a requirement of the membership of the Committee they are appointed to, in order to properly discharge their planning committee obligations. Any Member who cannot attend must submit their apologies in advance to the event organiser.  If a Member fails to attend, they must undertake refresher training, in line with the Committee training programme’ be inserted into the Council’s Constitution at the appropriate juncture.   

4.      The wording at paragraph 21, page 47 of the Constitution to be replaced with ‘A cross party pool of 9 planning substitutes shall be maintained to supplement the arrangements referred to above. Each member of the pool must receive appropriate and up to date planning training without which they may not serve as a member of a planning committee. Political groups may nominate their own members to the pool in accordance with the proportionalities in force at the time and may vary their nominees as and when required subject to the training requirements referred to above’.