Agenda and minutes

In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, Councillors of the Council are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.

No disclosures of interests were made.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Governance Committee held on 28 November 2017.

The minutes of the meeting of the Governance Committee held on 28 November 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Report LDS/135 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services is attached.

The Committee considered report LDS/135 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in detail which provided the Council’s draft submission of a pattern of wards to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).  The Chair advised those present that the Committee’s consideration and voting in relation to the report would be divided into two parts, namely (1) consideration of the principles promoting a mixed pattern of Wards (10 Wards served by 3 Councillors and 3 Wards served by 2 Councillors); and (2) consideration of the mixed pattern of Wards as detailed in Appendix A to the report and any proposed amendments thereto.

Consideration of the Principle of Promoting a Mixed Pattern of Wards

Councillor Lamb, as Chair of the Electoral Review Panel, introduced the Panel’s report and advised the Committee that the mixed pattern of Wards proposed in the report was the best option for the Borough.  It was noted that, a uniform pattern of Wards (ie. 12 Wards with 3 Councillors per Ward) would have resulted in the division of the communities of Tilgate and Broadfield to a level which would not meet the community interest requirement.  The view was strongly expressed that the Council’s wish to retain the Borough’s electoral divisions in-line with the neighbourhood principle throughout Crawley had not been possible given the restrictions imposed by the LGBCE, and that the proposal contained within the report was the least-worst option for the Borough as a whole.

RESOLVED

That Full Council be recommended to endorse the Electoral Review Panel’s findings that the Council’s submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England should be for a mixed pattern of Wards (10 Wards served by 3 Councillors and 3 Wards served by 2 Councillors).

Consideration of the Mixed Pattern of Wards

The Committee then considered the second part of report LDS/135 which specifically dealt with the pattern of Wards and proposed ward boundaries within the submission.  In addition to the Electoral Review Panel’s proposal (which was included within Appendix A), the report contained a proposed alternative Scheme by Councillor Crow (Appendix B to the report) and proposed amendments to the Electoral Review Panel’s Scheme by Councillor Lunnon (Appendix C to the report which had been provided as a supplementary agenda item).  At the meeting, the proposed Scheme, alternative Scheme and amendments to the Electoral Review Panel’s Scheme were moved and seconded at the beginning of the debate, but for the purposes of these minutes they have been detailed separately.

Scheme Proposed by the Electoral Review Panel

Councillor Lamb, as Chair of the Electoral Review Panel (seconded by Councillor Joyce) moved the Panel’s Scheme which was included in Appendix A to report LDS/135.  The Committee was advised that the Scheme was based on that produced by Officers to maintain the neighbourhood principle as best as possible.

Alternative Scheme Proposed by Councillor Crow

Councillor Crow (seconded by Councillor McCarthy) moved his proposed alternative Scheme which was detailed as Appendix B to report LDS/135.  Councillor Crow indicated that the alternative  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Committee will receive a verbal update from the Chair of the Constitution Working Group.

Councillor P Lamb, as Chair of the Constitution Working Group, provided a verbal update on the comprehensive review of the Constitution which had been established by the Committee at its meeting on 15 March 2017 (report LDS/126 refers).  The Committee was advised that several re-drafted sections of the Constitution had been sent to him for comments and those sections would be circulated via email to the Working Group imminently.

RESOLVED

That the update provided by the Chair of the Constitution Working Group be noted.

There have been no cases, during the period since the last report, where an item has been protected from the Call-In Procedure on the grounds of urgency as provided for in Scrutiny Procedure Rule 14(k).

Recommendation

That since the provisions relating to Call-In and Urgency have not been used during the past twelve months, no change to the provisions are necessary at this stage.

The Committee was advised that there had been no cases, during the period since the last report, where an item had been protected from the Call-In Procedure on the grounds of urgency as provided for in Scrutiny Procedure Rule 14(k).  The Committee noted that a recommendation to Full Council in relation to this matter would only be necessary if the Committee proposed to make a change to the provisions relating to Call-In and Urgency.

The Committee noted that the Constitution currently required the provisions for Call-In and Urgency to be reviewed on an annual basis, however it was identified that an item had last been protected from Call-In in 2007 and it was questioned whether the current monitoring procedures were fit for purpose.  The Committee was therefore of the view that the provisions relating to Call-In and Urgency only be reviewed in the event that a decision had been protected from Call-In during that municipal year and that the Constitution, due to be considered by the Full Council at its Annual General Meeting, be amended accordingly.

RESOLVED

1.         That since the provisions relating to Call-In and Urgency have not been used during the past twelve months, no change to the provisions are necessary at this stage.

2.         That Full Council be recommended to amend Scrutiny Procedure Rule 14(l) to reflect that the provisions relating to Call-In and Urgency only be reviewed in the event that a decision had been protected from Call-In during that municipal year and that the Constitution, due to be considered by the Full Council at its Annual General Meeting, be amended accordingly.