The Governance Committee met to discuss proposed amendments to the Council's Constitution, including changes to the terms of reference for the Housing Select Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee, as well as adjustments to procedure rules and schemes of delegation. The committee also considered a proposal to allow individual committees to determine their own start times.

Review of the Constitution

The committee reviewed several proposed amendments to the Council's Constitution, which were discussed at a previous Constitution Workshop held on 22nd September 2025.

Amendments to Articles

• Article 6.5 (Overview & Scrutiny): A minor amendment was proposed to remove a remaining reference to Ward Assemblies, as previously agreed by the Council.
• Article 6.7 (Housing Select Committee): The terms of reference for the Housing Select Committee were proposed to be expanded to specifically include the Council's landlord function. This amendment aims to ensure comprehensive scrutiny of the Council's housing responsibilities.
• Article 9.1 (Strategic Planning Committee): Wording that had been omitted from the previous version of the Constitution was recommended for reinstatement. This wording allows the Strategic Planning Committee to consider any application that the Director of Planning, in consultation with the Monitoring Officer, deems appropriate for determination by the committee.

Amendments to Council Procedure Rules

• Deputations: A proposal was made to remove remaining references to deputations from the Council Procedure Rules. Jeremy Chambers, the Council's Director of Law and Corporate Governance, explained that while there were provisions for petitions and public questions, the term deputation was not formally defined within the Council's documents. He noted that no deputations had been received, and the overwhelming view from the Constitutional Workshop was to remove these references. Councillor Hau-Yu Tam expressed concern that this removed a valuable avenue for public testimony, recalling a positive experience with deputations as a young person in Southwark. However, Mr. Chambers clarified that if there was a future desire to allow deputations, a formal scheme would need to be established, similar to the existing petition scheme.

Amendments to Scrutiny Procedure Rules

• Requests for Agenda Items: The Scrutiny Procedure Rules were proposed to be amended to state that requests for items to be placed on an agenda should be made to the Proper Officer, who would then decide in consultation with the relevant Committee Chair whether the item could be taken. Councillor Tam questioned whether the vice-chair or the councillor proposing the item should be involved in the consultation. Mr. Chambers explained that the decision ultimately rests with the Proper Officer, with consultation with the chair serving as a good governance measure, and that the vice-chair's role is to deputise for the chair.

Amendments to Planning Committee Provisions

• Matters Reserved to Planning Committees A and B: A significant omission from the current Scheme of Delegation was identified, where wording that previously reserved certain planning matters to the Planning Committees A and B had not been included in the new Constitution. This included criteria such as applications with ten or more valid planning objections, objections from a councillor, applications not in accordance with development plan documents, or matters deemed more appropriate for committee determination by the Director of Planning. The recommendation is to reinstate this omitted wording to ensure these matters remain reserved to members.

Amendments to Scheme of Delegation

• Rule 19 (Community Education): The reservation of decisions relating to the provision of community education, which would entail the cessation of the service, is recommended to be moved from the 'Adult Social Care & Health' heading to the 'Place' heading.
• Rule 32 (Controlled Parking Zones): Decisions relating to Controlled Parking Zones are recommended to be moved from the 'Finance' heading to the 'Place' heading.
• Rule 31 (Fees and Charges): The rule reserving decisions on increases in fees and charges for services exceeding the rate of inflation to members is proposed to be amended. The new wording would reserve to members any increases greater than specified in the fees and charges policy, providing a clearer and more practical approach. Councillor James-J Walsh, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning, shared an anecdote about having to approve a price increase for tuck shop items due to inflation, suggesting that such minor decisions should not require extensive member time.
• Rule 46 (Contract Variations): An amendment is proposed to the wording regarding extensions, variations, or framework agreements for Category A contracts. The current wording could necessitate a Mayor and Cabinet decision for relatively small variations. The proposed amendment clarifies that such decisions are reserved to members when the value of the extension or variation relates to a Category A Contract and exceeds specific thresholds.

Start Time of Meetings

• Committee Procedure Rules: Following feedback from workshops, a proposal was made to allow individual committees to determine their own start times. The recommendation is that the start time of ordinary committees for each municipal year shall be agreed by each committee at its first meeting following the Annual General Meeting of the Council. This aims to provide flexibility for committee members, acknowledging that different start times may better suit members with caring responsibilities or travel arrangements. Councillor Tam noted that a later start time could disproportionately impact women and disabled councillors, a point echoed by Councillor Walsh who also raised concerns about the potential for discussions to be cut off mid-flow, impacting public attendees.

The meeting also included discussions on the time limit for motions, with a majority view favouring a 30-minute limit, and a commitment to revisit the topic of deputations and other constitutional matters after the May 2026 elections.