Agenda item

A report of the Cabinet to consider recommendations of the Cabinet in respect of changes to the Constitution relating to procedures for dealing with planning applications and other planning matters, and to the composition of the Audit Committee.

A report of the Cabinet to consider recommendations of the Cabinet in respect of changes to the Constitution relating to procedures for dealing with planning applications and other planning matters, and to the composition of the Audit Committee, was submitted (item 6.1 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

The motion was proposed by Councillor Ashcroft and seconded by Councillor Miah.

The following amendment was proposed by Councillor D Taylor and seconded by Councillor Seaton:

The Conservative Group would like all references to three minutes removed from Appendix A and all references to five minutes added back in.

Following a vote, the amendment was defeated.

The following amendment was proposed by Councillor Seaton and seconded by Councillor D Taylor:

To remove the suggested sentence at the end of the paragraph:

“In addition, if, following a call-in which has not been withdrawn, officers believe that the issues raised by the ward councillor in his/her call-in have been addressed, officers will submit the recommendation report, which is prepared for each application, to the ward councillor. The report, which will contain a summary of the main issues regarding the application, will enable ward councillors to consider whether they wish to maintain or withdraw their call-in of an application. Ultimately, the Chair (or vice chair in their absence) will decide if the item will be added to the committee agenda.”

Following a vote, the amendment was defeated.

The following amendment was proposed by Councillor Bokor and seconded by Councillor Baines:

The Conservative Group would like an addition to Appendix A:  “Single-member wards - if the councillor has a disclosable interest to allow them to nominate a fellow ward councillor to call in the planning application on their behalf.”

Following a vote, the amendment was defeated.

It was proposed by Councillor D Taylor and seconded by Councillor Seaton that a named vote be taken on the substantive motion.

For the motion – Councillors Ashcroft, Blackshaw, Bottomley, Bradshaw, Cory-Lowsley, Forde, C Forrest, S Forrest, Goode, A Gray, B Gray, Hamilton, Haynes, Infield, Jadeja, Jones, Lawrence, Lennie, Maynard, Miah, Needham, O’Neill, Palmer, Roberts, N Taylor, Tillotson, Woodward and Worrall.

Against the motion – Councillors Baines, Bokor, Braker, Brookes, Campsall, Charles, Harper-Davies, Dent, Fox, Fryer, Hadji-Nikolaou, Jackson, Knight, Lowe, Matthews, Monk, Northage, Rattray, Seaton, Smidowicz, Snartt, D Taylor and Westley.

H=The substantive motion was passed and it was

RESOLVED

1.    That the changes to the Constitution set out in Appendix A to the Cabinet report (attached as an Annex and revised in Appendix A to include an amendment agreed by Cabinet) be made with effect from 1st December 2023 and that the Monitoring Officer be given delegated authority to make any further consequential changes that arise elsewhere in the Constitution;

2.    That the composition of the Audit Committee, set out in section 12.3 of the Constitution, be changed from one independent person to two independent members of the Audit Committee..

Reasons

1.    To implement improvements to procedures for dealing with planning applications and other planning matters following an independent service review.

2.    To enable the authority to meet the best practice set down by CIPFA the constitution of the authority needs to be amended to enable the committee to appoint two co-opted independent members.