Decision details

1.1    The Cabinet recommended that Council approve the following updates to the committee structure:

·        That Parish Forum is removed as a constituted committee and become informal meetings to aid information flow and training.

·        The District Board is removed as a constituted committee. Any statutory function carried out by this meeting is delegated to officers and relevant plans and decisions notified to Cabinet members and committees where appropriate.

·        That the structure for Overview & Scrutiny with the four existing committees be changed to a single Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

·        That the proposed Overview & Scrutiny Committee consider items earlier in the decision making process to aid policy development and review whether stated outcomes from decisions, strategies and policies have been achieved via effective use of member task groups.

·        That mandatory training is developed for all the scrutiny committee members and additional mandatory training for chair, vice chair and task group chair roles. Gender neutral terms will be used for all Committees from this point.

·        Full Council will appoint the Chair. The Vice-Chair will be nominated by the Leader of the Opposition and all task group Chairs are appointed by the Chair of O&S.

·        That an Independent Review Panel (IRP) is commissioned to assess the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) payable to any roles affected by this review. Any findings are kept within existing budgets.

·        That an evaluation of the effectiveness of the new committee structure be undertaken after the next District Council Local Elections in 2023.

·        That the relevant sections of the Constitution be updated to reflect the new committee structure with clear but adaptable processes to support effective decision making.