Agenda item

Report:  See pages 51 - 83 of the main agenda

In accordance with council assembly procedure rule 2.10(2) the Mayor formally moved the recommendation contained within the report.

Following debate (Councillors Paul Bates, Richard Livingstone, Adele Morris and David Hubber), the recommendations were put to the vote and declared to be carried.

RESOLVED:

That the following constitutional changes be agreed:

Annual and Local Elections 2010: Council Assembly Procedure Rules

1.  That council assembly procedure rule 1.1 (notice and summons of meetings) be amended as follows for the May 2010 annual meeting of council assembly if parliamentary and local elections are held on the same day in 2010:

Add new rule 1.1 (1b) to read:

‘In the event that the parliamentary and local elections are held on the same day, the chief executive will give notice to the public of the time and place of any meeting in accordance with the access to information rules.  At least five clear working days before the meeting, the chief executive will send a summons signed by him or her by post to all members of the council or leave it at their usual place of residence. .......’

Renumber the existing rule 1.1 (1) as 1.1 (1a).

2.  That the amendment be applied to the annual meeting in 2010 only.

Article 10: Designation of scrutiny officer

3.  That Article 10 of the constitution be amended in accordance with the requirements of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 by inserting a new section designating an officer as scrutiny officer to support the work of the overview and scrutiny committee.  The detailed changes are set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

Part 3M: Standards Committee - Politically restricted posts

4.  That the roles and functions of the standards committee in relation to politically restricted posts be amended in clause 14 as follows:

Insert ", hearing appeals" after "granting" to read

"To consider the granting, hearing appeals and supervision of exemptions from political restrictions". 

Community Council Procedure Rules

5.  That revised community council procedure rules, within Part 4 of the constitution, be adopted as set out in Appendix 2 of the report.

6.  That as a consequence of the above resolution a set of committee procedure rules be approved, by deleting sections and references to community councils in the current committee and community council procedure rules.

Consequential changes

7.  That officers be authorised to undertake any consequential and cross referencing changes arising from changes to the constitution.