The Director of Strategy, Insight and Governance introduced the report on the planned six-month review of the Council’s Constitution, in response to the change of Governance model from May 2022.  The recommended option in the report was to conduct the review via a working group with representation of all groups that would report back to the Committee before recommendations were made to full Council.  The report recommended that the scope of the review would cover Part C of the Constitution as the area with the most issues identified, though there would be consequential amendments to the other parts of the Constitution.

The Committee supported the review, and the use of the working group with political representation across all groups but felt that the working group should determine the scope of the review.  This would include issues identified by officers, including the absence of rules and information, for example on how to conduct call-ins, as well as issues identified by Councillors.

It was noted that the Committee would retain overall responsibility for the review as the working group would report back to them.  It was clarified that the membership of the working group did not need to come from the Committee and that Group Leaders would be asked to nominate members for the group with three Conservatives, and one from each other group.

RESOLVED:

1.  That option 1 in section 3 of the report be approved with a working group appointed to carry out a review of the constitution, reporting to this committee with their findings in March 2023 to ensure any changes can be recommended to council for adoption for the next municipal year; and

2.  That the working group determine the scope of the review.