CONSTITUTIONAL AND GOVERNANCE REVIEW
January 23, 2025 Council (Other) Approved View on council websiteFull council record
Content
RESOLVED: That Council approves
(1)
The removal of the Planning Control Committee Sub-Committee
meetings from the 2025 calendar.
(2)
That Planning Control Committee meetings commence at 7pm, from
January 2025.
(3)
A Planning Control Committee Council Procedure Rule, that, any item
under the consideration of the Committee, at 10.30 pm, will be the
concluding item of the meeting, with any remaining business to be
considered at the next available meeting (subject to the discretion
of the Chair on a remaining item). Such amendment to take effect
from January 2025.
(4)
The Standards Committee’s Terms of Reference be amended to
include remit to consider and adopt or recommend adoption to the
relevant decision-making body of relevant Ethical Standards Codes,
or Protocols; and undertake any annual review of sections 1-18 of
the Constitution (with the Monitoring Officer), prior to
recommended change to Full Council.
(5)
The proposed amendments to the Council Procedure Rules
(‘CPR’) on Member Motions, Member Questions and Rules
of Debate, as follows:
i.
CPR 4.8.2 (f) and (g) order of business be move to the end of the
meeting.
ii.
CPR 4.8.12(a) Motions on Notice – three Motions per Political
Group – LOST.
iii.
CPR 4.8.12 (c) Motions on Notice – Scope, to be amended to
areas the Council has responsibility for and are relevant to, or
specifically affect the district – LOST.
iv.
CPR 4.8.12 (d) Motions on Notice - Debate to be up to 30 minutes
per Motion.
v.
CPR 4.8.12 Motions on Notice – order of Motions shall be
debated in rotation commencing with the largest opposition group,
followed by the remaining opposition groups in descending order of
group size and the administration group ending the round this order
would be repeated until all Motions have been considered.
vi.
2.5.6 CPR 4.8.14 (e) Content and Length of Speeches
– to be reduced per Councillor to three minutes.
(6)
The delegation to the Monitoring Officer to finalise any amendments
relating to recommendations 2.3-2.5, as approved, in consultation
with the Constitutional & Governance Working Group, and
thereafter to be reported to Councillors via the Member Information
Service.
(7)
The increase of the Non-Executive Delegated Decision financial/
contractual threshold reporting limit to £75K (from
£50K) and instructs the Service Director Resources and
Monitoring Officer to make the necessary amendments to the Contract
Procedure Rules and Financial Regulations (and relevant Guidance
documentation) accordingly.
(8)
(As the non-Decision-making body by vote of assent), that the
Leader will exercise his Executive function, to change the names of
the following Community Forums:
(8.1)
Baldock and District – to become Baldock and Villages
Community Forum.
(8.2)
Royston and District – to become Royston and Villages
Community Forum.
(9)
To amend section 14.6.11(b)(iv)A as
detailed in paragraph 8.6-8.8 (namely):
“all functions of the Local Planning Authority primarily
Planning Policy and Development Control (including enforcement
functions, authorising expenditure of planning obligation monies,
Biodiversity Net Gain, and Environmental Impact Assessment
functions, and Tree Preservation Orders), other than matters
reserved to the Planning Control Committee”
(10)
The revisions to section 14 of the Constitution relating to LGO
decisions and payments, as detailed under section 8.5 of the
Cabinet report, as follows:
14.6.5(a)(xiii) Managing Director’s delegation:
“(xiii) To consider
any report of the Local Government Ombudsman and to settle any
compensation payments up to £2000 (in conjunction with
the section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer)”
14.6.13 Proper Officers Schedule:
“Local Government
Act 1974 S.30(5) To give notice and that
copies of an Ombudsman’s report, in draft and final
are available to the Managing Director, and Monitoring
Officer (where maladministration identified)”
(11)
To amend section 4.8.9(e) Presentations by the
Public as follows:
(e)
Number of presentations: At any one
meeting no person or organisation may make more than two one
presentations per agenda item (or combined referral and main
item) and no more than two such
presentations may be made on behalf of one
organisation.
(12)
To note that the Managing Director has extended the temporary
Service Director
Housing & Environmental Health arrangements, as per his
Delegated Decision of 18
December 2024, until 31 March 2025 – and that section 14 will
be amended
accordingly.
REASONS FOR
DECISIONS: To ensure the arrangements are up-to date and fit
for purpose.
Related Meeting
Council - Thursday, 23rd January, 2025 7.30 pm on January 23, 2025
Supporting Documents
Details
| Outcome | Recommendations Approved |
| Decision date | 23 Jan 2025 |