Issue - meetings

a) Delegation of Licensing Functions (Expedited Reviews) (pages 37-42)

b) Local Ward Members’ Protocol and the Councillor Call for Action Protocol (pages 43-58)

c) Public and Member Questions and Statements at Meetings (pages  

    59 -70)

d) Cabinet Decision-Making Arrangements (pages71-77)

e) Crewe Community Governance Review (79 -151)

Consideration was given to recommendations to Council from the Governance and Constitution Committee in respect of the following matters –

(A)       Delegation of Licensing Functions (Expedited Reviews)

            The Governance and Constitution Committee had considered a report on the delegation of functions in relation to expedited reviews under the Licensing Act 2003 from the full Licensing Committee to the Licensing Sub-Committee. The report submitted sought approval for the resulting changes to the Constitution.

At its meeting held on 22^nd May 2009, the Licensing Committee had delegated certain functions in relation to “expedited” review applications (ie applications for the urgent review of a premises licence or club premises certificate) to the Licensing Sub-Committee.  Whilst the Licensing Committee had the authority to delegate its functions to a sub-committee, any consequential amendments to the Constitution were required to be approved by Council, on the recommendation of the Governance and Constitution Committee.

RESOLVED

That

Following the delegation of functions in relation to expedited reviews under Sections 53A, 53B and 53C of the Licensing Act 2003, from the full Licensing Committee to the Licensing Sub-Committee, the consequential changes to the Constitution, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report submitted be approved.

(B)       Local Ward Members’ Protocol and the Councillor Call-for-Action Protocol

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 had emphasised the importance of the role of Ward Members as community leaders and had advocated their empowerment to deal with local issues.  The proposed protocols considered by the Governance and Constitution Committee demonstrated how Members, with Officer support, could achieve this.

RESOLVED

That

The Local Ward Members’ Protocol (Appendix A of the report submitted); and the Councillors’ Call-for-Action Protocol (Appendix B of the report submitted) be adopted for incorporation into the Council’s Constitution.

(C)       Public and Member Questions and Statements at Meetings

At its meeting held on 16^th April 2009, the Governance and Constitution Committee had reviewed the arrangements for public and Member questions and statements at meetings following proposals to disapply those provisions of the Council’s Constitution from the meetings of Planning, Licensing and Scrutiny bodies. The Committee decided to seek the views of both the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and the Cabinet. The matter was subsequently considered by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 12^th June and the Cabinet on 14^th July.  Cabinet had endorsed the views of the Scrutiny Committee and the recommendations of both bodies were subsequently considered by the Governance and Constitution Committee which had resolved to make recommendations to Council.

RESOLVED

That

The recommendations of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet in relation to public and Member questions and statements at meetings be approved as follows:

(a)         That the existing Planning and Licensing Protocols which override the Member and public speaking and questioning provisions that apply to other committees, be retained;

(b)         That the facility to allow questions by members of the public at meetings of Overview and Scrutiny Committees be removed, but a period of 15 minutes be provided at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137