Report of Director of Legal & Democratic Services (to follow)

The Council considered two reports of the Director of Legal & Democratic Services:

(a) Setting out the appointments to the Cabinet and Cabinet Committee and several suggested changes to the Constitution;

(b) Proposed changes to the Constitution, primarily to ensure that Council meetings operate in a more efficient way.

Resolved:

1. That it be noted that, following the Local Elections on 3^rd May 2018, the make-up of the Council is as follows:

·         Conservative Group – 29

·         Labour Group – 11

·         Independent Group – 8

·         Liberal Democrat Group – 2

·         Unaligned Independent (Councillor Aylen) – 1

2. That the changes to the titles and responsibilities of portfolios which have been confirmed by the Leader of the Council as set out in Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be noted and that these changes be reflected in an amendment to Part 3 Schedule 1(a) of the Constitution.

3. That the appointments to the Cabinet (and substitutes) made by the Leader of the Council (including the arrangements for the Deputy Leader) as set out in List A, be noted.

4. That the appointments to the Cabinet Committee (and substitutes) made by the Leader of the Council as set out in List B, be noted.

5. That the following minor changes to the Constitution, be approved:

(a) The quorum of the Cabinet be reduced from 5 to 3 Members;

(b) To reduce the size of Working Parties, Forums and Panels (listed in Part 3, Schedule 2 of the Constitution) which currently have a membership of 9 to 8 Members, while retaining the convention that political proportionality shall apply;

(c) That minor amendments be made to the Terms of Reference of the Health & Wellbeing Board as set out in Appendix 2 to the submitted report and that Schedule 2 of Part 3 of the Constitution be amended accordingly.

(d) That minor amendments be made to the Terms of Reference of the Place Scrutiny Committee and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 15(d)(iii) as set out in Appendix 3 to the report and that Schedule 2 of Part 3 of the Constitution be amended accordingly.

(e) That a minor amendment be made to paragraph 5.1(b)(iii) of the Terms of Reference of the People Scrutiny Committee in Part 3, Schedule 2, with the deletion of the following text – ‘through election amongst voluntary organisations in the Town)’;

(f) That the requirement that the Council nominee(s) to four specific outside bodies shall submit summary reports to the Policy & Resources Scrutiny Committee be deleted and that Article 4.02(3)(e) in Part 2 of the Constitution be amended accordingly.

(g) That amendments be made to Contracts Procedure Rules as set out in Appendix 4 to the report and that Part 4g be amended accordingly.

6. That the Council’s Constitution, including the Scheme of Delegation in Part 3, Schedule 3, be approved.

7. That the changes to the Constitution set out in Section 4 of the report titled ‘Speeding Up Council Meetings’ be approved.

8. That authority be delegated to the Director of Legal & Democratic Services to draft the detailed amendments and additions to the Constitution to achieve the objectives set out in the report titled ‘Speeding Up Council Meetings.’