Agenda item

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services presented the report and said that at its annual meeting, Council was required to approve the decision-making arrangements for the discharge of functions for coming civic year. He said that the Constitution provided that it was the responsibility of the Leader of the Council to determine the Executive arrangements. The Leader’s determination on the size of the Executive for 2025/26, as well as the portfolio responsibilities, remained unchanged from 2024/25.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services said that later in the agenda there was a suggestion that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee increased their workload by utilising more task and finish groups, and so, in recognition of this, and also to ensure there was political balance across committees, it was recommended that there be an additional seat added to the that committee.

Councillor Dumont proposed that the recommendations in the report be supported. Councillor Burt seconded the proposal.

Councillor Deering said that they were happy with the proposals with one exception and the Conservative group felt that the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should be from their group. He therefore proposed that Councillor Wyllie should be Chair of this committee. Councillor Williamson seconded this proposal.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared LOST.

The Council then voted on the original proposal that Councillor Jacobs should be Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – That Councillor David Jacobs be Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2025/26.

The motion to support the recommendations in the report having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – That (A) That the Scrutiny Committees, Regulatory Committees and Joint Committees with the number of voting Members listed in paragraph 2.1 be appointed;

(B)       That the political balance of the Council at Appendix A be agreed

(C)       That the membership and Chairman of Scrutiny Committees, Regulatory Committees and Joint Committees be as set out in Appendix B, with Members being appointed in accordance with the wishes of the political group to whom the seats on these bodies have been allocated;

(D)      That the intention of the Leader of the Council to appoint Members to the Executive (in addition to the Leader) with the portfolio responsibilities as detailed in Appendix C be noted;

(E)     That the programme of Council meetings, as detailed at paragraph 4.1, be approved;

(F)        That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make changes in the standing membership of committees, joint committees and panels in (A) above, in accordance with the wishes of the political group to whom seats on these bodies have been allocated;

(G)      That the action to be taken by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader, under delegated authority, concerning the appointment of representatives to outside bodies, be noted; and

(H)      The Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make such amendments to the Council’s Constitution as may be necessary to account for the decisions in (A) to (G) above.