Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations from the Constitution Committee and approve the calendar of meetings for the municipal year 2021/22.

The Constitution Committee, at its meeting on 6 April 2021, had considered a report on the draft Calendar of Meetings for Cheshire East Council for 2021/22. The draft Calendar was appended to the report.

Since the Constitution Committee meeting. and following discussions with Cheshire West and Chester Council, the dates for the Shared Services Joint Committee meetings had been amended and the revised dates included with the proposals before Council.

The recommendations from the Constitution Committee, along with date changes for the Shared Services Joint Committee, were moved and seconded.

Amendment

An amendment to the Calendar of Meetings was proposed and seconded:

“That the Corporate Parenting Committee meet bi-monthly.”

The mover and seconder of the recommendations from the Constitution Committee to Council agreed to accept this amendment and therefore the amendment became part of the substantive proposition.

RESOVLED:

That the Calendar of Meetings for the 2021/22 Municipal Year be approved.

To consider a report on the draft Calendar of Meetings for Cheshire East Council for 2021-22.

The Committee considered a report on the draft Calendar of Meetings for Cheshire East Council for 2021-22.

The Committee noted that the legislation which permitted virtual meetings to take place was due to expire on 6^th May 2021 and that, unless the legislation was amended, meetings from 7^th May onwards would have to take place in meeting rooms, with Members and the public being physically present, although the inaugural meetings of the service committees were likely to be held virtually for the reasons set out in the report.

Officers reported that the meeting of the Environment and Communities Committee scheduled in the draft calendar for 11^th November 2021 at 10.30 am would be held at 2.00 pm to allow for the two minutes’ silence to be observed at 11.00 am on Remembrance Day.

It was suggested that meetings of the Corporate Parenting Committee, which were scheduled in the calendar to start at 2.00 pm, should start at 4.00 pm as at present to enable children’s representatives to attend. It was also felt that the number of scheduled meetings of the Committee should remain at six. Officers advised that the calendar of meetings was flexible and that committee chairmen would be able to approve additional meetings as and when it was considered appropriate. In this respect, it was noted that the Corporate Parenting Committee at its meeting on 30^th March 2021 had resolved to review the frequency of its meetings following the implementation of the committee system.

RESOLVED

That the draft Calendar of Meetings for Cheshire East Council 2021-22 be recommended to Council for approval subject to:

(a)  the meeting of the Environment and Communities Committee scheduled for 11^th November 2021 be held at 2.00 pm to allow for the two minutes’ silence to be observed at 11.00 am on Remembrance Day; and

(b)  meetings of the Corporate Parenting Committee be held at 4.00 pm as at present.

At this point, the meeting was adjourned for half an hour, to reconvene at 2.00 pm.