Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Legal & Democratic Services (attached).

The Council received a report from the Governance Working Group on the matters it had discussed at its meeting on 30 September 2022.

The Working Group had reviewed and made a number of recommended changes to mandatory training, as set out in Article 13 of the Constitution. This principally referred to clarifying how often, or recently, specific forms of training would need to be received in order to make decisions on those matters. More specific changes included clarification that mandatory training on HR matters was only required in relation to participating in Hearing or Appeals Sub Committee meetings. Furthermore, it was proposed to remove the requirement for Equality Training to be undertaken in order for a councillor to make any decision; whilst the intent of this requirement was recognised, it was not considered to be proportionate nor enforceable.

A number of changes had been proposed to the Protocol for Nomination/ Appointment to Outside Bodies, one of the Documents Which Supports the Constitution. This included a streamlined process for making appointments to positions reserved to portfolio holders, plus clarifying that ward councillors would be prioritised for appointments where the outside body was location specific. A schedule of minor changes to the Constitution had also been recommended for consideration by the Council.

RESOLVED that

(i)     Article 13 – Decision Making at Part 2 of the Constitution be updated as set out at Annex A to the agenda report;

(ii)   the Protocol for Nomination/ Appointment to Outside Bodies, one of the Documents Which Supports the Constitution, be updated as set out at Annex B to the agenda report; and

(iii)  minor amendments to the Constitution, as set out at Annex C to the agenda report, be agreed.