Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors S Hogben and N Mannion.

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.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd August 2017.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23^rd August 2017 be confirmed as a correct record.

To consider the Joint Member/Officer Working Groups terms of reference.

The Sub-Committee considered draft terms of reference for the Joint Member/Officer Working Groups as appended to the report. These set out the approach to be adopted by the Working Groups in conducting the review, including the reporting arrangements. A key aspect was the need to adopt a consistent approach across all areas of work. The reporting arrangements in place ensured that there was oversight of the whole process.

RESOLVED

That the terms of reference be agreed.

To consider a first draft of the proposed new Part 1 of the Constitution.

The Sub-Committee considered a first draft of the proposed new Part 1 of the Constitution presented in the proposed house style. It was proposed to observe plain English principles when drafting and to adopt a clear, modern approach to layout, utilising hyperlinks where possible.

The Sub Committee asked if the members’ code of conduct and the officers’ code of conduct needed to in the Constitution or if it could be hyperlinked.  It was agreed that Officers would report back after checking the statutory list of documents required in a Constitution.

Members requested that references to the Council’s Alternative Services Delivery Vehicles should be included in the Constitution. It was also suggested that the Constitution should have a search facility.

RESOLVED

That

1.     The overall style and presentation of the constitution and the content of the proposed new Part 1 as appended to the report be approved;

2.     Officers be permitted to use their discretion (this to be exercised with caution) in bringing to the attention of the Sub Committee only matters of substance when constitutional changes are proposed.

The next meeting will be held on Friday, 29^th September 2017 at 10.00 am.

The next meeting would be held on Friday, 29^th September 2017 at 10.00 am in the Municipal Buildings, Crewe (venue to be confirmed).