Meeting date to be confirmed.  This report recommends cabinet to propose the establishment of area committees to council, as the first stage in the wider constitutional review.

The Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance introduced the report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning which outlined the findings of the Policy Development and Review Committee (PDRC) and public consultation on whether area committees should be introduced.  He considered the area committees were vital and stressed the importance of ensuring that they were a success.  He hoped that they would consider more strategic issues rather than just ward issues, and thanked the PDRC for their work. 

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning proposed the recommendations in the report.

Councillor Angela Harrison moved the following amendment:  That recommendation (3) be amended to read that the Special Responsibility Allowances of the chairmen of the new committees come from the budget surplus, and that Members allowances for 2020/21 not be frozen.  This was seconded by Councillor Ben J Martin.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Planning referred to paragraph 4.2 of the report which outlined an alternative option regarding funding for the SRAs.

Some Members considered that allowances should not be frozen and be decided by the Independent Members’ Allowances Panel and not by Members.  He referred to paragraph 3.13 and asked for confirmation that the £4,000 of special project funding would not affect the £2,400 Member Community Grant?  The Chairman explained that they would be separate grants.

Discussion ensued and the Monitoring Officer advised that, if Members were in favour of the proposed amendment, it might be easier to agree recommendations (1) and (2) but refuse recommendation (3) as the budget already existed for the allowances.  Members agreed this course of action.

Resolved:

(1)      That the recommendations from the Policy Development and Review Committee be noted.

(2)      That the proposals for moving forward with area committees as laid out in the report be agreed.