Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th August 2023.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 16^th August 2023 be approved as a correct record.

In accordance with paragraph 2.24 of the Committee Procedure Rules and the Appendix on Public Speaking, as set out in the Constitution, a total period of 15 minutes is allocated for members of the public to put questions to the Sub-Committee on any matter relating to this agenda. Each member of the public will be allowed up to two minutes to speak; the Chair will have discretion to vary this where he/she considers it appropriate.

Members of the public wishing to speak are required to provide notice of this at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

There were no public speakers.

To consider the Council’s draft council size submission and make recommendations to the Corporate Policy Committee. To consider and approve the final version of the electorate forecasting methodology report.

The Sub-Committee considered the draft council size submission for recommendation to the Corporate Policy. It also considered the final version of the electorate forecasting methodology report.

At an informal meeting of the Sub-Committee on 22^nd September 2023, members had considered and endorsed a report on the electoral forecast methodology and results. The final version of the electoral forecasting methodology main report, and its sister document Appendix 1, were now presented to the Sub-Committee for approval. Further proposed changes to the methodology report had been circulated to members following publication of the agenda. Officers advised that following feedback from the Boundary Commission, the forecast end date in the methodology report had been changed from December 2029 to January 2030; the change had no impact on the accuracy and interpretation of the forecasts.

At the informal meeting on 22^nd September, members had also considered and endorsed a first draft of the council size submission. Officers undertook to ensure that each subsequent draft of the submission would show clearly, by the use of tracked changes, any amendments agreed by members to the previous draft.

Members now considered a revised draft council size submission, showing those sections of the submission that had been added, deleted or changed since the Sub-Committee’s meeting on 22^nd September. The submission included the results of a survey of all members regarding their workload. Further proposed changes to the submission had been circulated to members following publication of the agenda.

Officers advised that the revised submission stated that a reduction from the current council size of 82 was likely to result in unsustainable pressures on Members and that the current size of 82 members continued to reflect sufficient capacity in terms of members to electorate ratio and still provided sufficient room for growth.

Members agreed a number of amendments to the council size submission:

Members asked whether, once the Council had approved its recommendation on council size and had forwarded its submission to the Boundary Commission, there would be any scope or flexibility to adjust the council size figure if  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.