Agenda item

(Councillor S Jones (Chairman of the Working Group – 2019/20)) To consider the attached report.

Mover: Councillor S Jones, Chairman of the Constitution Working Group

On behalf of the Constitution Working Group, Councillor S Jones presented a report regarding Constitution revisions and amendments. She advised that there were nine recommendations to be agreed.

Report as first moved ADOPTED

            RESOLVED:

1.       (a) That the revision to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation as set out in the report, be agreed; and

(b)That pursuant to Recommendation (1(a)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution.

2.       That existing arrangements for public speaking in respect of planning applications remain the same for the District Development Management Committee.

3.       That the Developer Contributions Strategy identified infrastructure requirements for minor sites where applicable and the involvement of local councils.

4.       (a) That the incorporation of the revised Officer Employment Procedure Rules be approved; and

(b) That pursuant to Recommendation (4(a)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution.

5.       (a) Recommending: that the proposed changes to the Audit and Governance Committee’s Terms of Reference be approved; and

       (b) That pursuant to Recommendation (5(a)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution.

6.       (a) That the transfer of the responsibility for the reviewing of, and recommending revisions to, the Corporate Risk Register from the Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee to the Audit and Governance Committee be approved; and

(b)That pursuant to Recommendation (6(a)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution.

7.       (a) That a change to the current delegations and standing financial instructions to require only one sign off signature (electronic or physical) by the designated budget holder (usually a team manager) for purchases and payments with a value of £24,999 or less that are within budget and only purchases and payments off £25,000 and / or in excess of budget requiring a second signature from a director, be approved. (This was to retain control whilst significantly reducing transaction costs and paperwork pending a major system review and change timetabled for April 2021);

(b)That the issues of real or virtual purchase cards to all budget holders and directors and expect all purchase below £1,000 to be made by this route and where applicable purchases of £1,000 to £4,999 to also be made by this route, be approved. (This was to retain control whilst significantly reducing transaction costs and paperwork pending a major system review and change timetabled for April 2021);

(c)  That pursuant to Recommendation (7(a)) and (7(b)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution; and

(d)That the Audit and Governance Committee review the Financial Regulations in a year’s time.

8.       (a) That existing arrangements remain the same for the Audit and Governance Committee and the Standards Committee with no merger; and

(b) That any future merger will be reconsidered by the Constitution Working Group only at the request of either of the Audit and Governance Committee or the Standards Committee.

9.       (a) That ‘another’ at paragraph 1.3 last sentence be included in this draft revised protocol, to read, ‘Co-opted members can also add value to the scrutiny process by considering service provision from a customer perspective and acting as another channel for questions from outside the authority’;

(b)That the draft revised protocol for the co-option of non-elected Members to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committees pursuant to Recommendation (9(a)) above, be recommended to the Council for approval; and

(c)  That pursuant to Recommendations (9(a)) and (9(b)) above, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make necessary revisions to the Council’s Constitution.