North Yorkshire Council
Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee
12 September 2024
Outside Bodies – Position Statement
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To update Members on the current position regarding Council appointments to Outside Bodies in the Harrogate and Knaresborough area.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 In 2023, the Council carried out a review of the Outside Bodies to which it appointed Members. The review identified those which aligned with the strategic and operational priorities of the Council, streamlined the number, and reduced the workload on Members, which had reduced from 319 to 90 following Local Government Reorganisation.
2.2 This followed a recommendation from the cross-party Constitution Working Group to the Executive. The Executive considered this on 17 October 2023, and made a recommendation to Full Council, which was approved on 15 November 2023.
2.3 As a result of these changes, the Council stopped appointing Members to some Outside Bodies based in the Harrogate and Knaresborough area, although Members could continue to sit on these bodies in a personal capacity if they wished to do so. Members of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee have requested a report summarising these changes.
3.0 CATEGORY 2 AND 3 OUTSIDE BODIES
3.1 Appointments to Category 2 and 3 Outside Bodies were made by the relevant Area Constituency Committees in May 2022 for the final year of North Yorkshire County Council, and then for a period of 4 years from the start of the new Unitary Authority to May 2027. This was also further reviewed at the relevant Area Constituency Committee Meetings throughout June 2023.
3.2 Category 2 outside bodies typically operated across the geographic area of more than one Electoral Division. The Constitution stated, with regard to Category 2 outside bodies, that:
· those appointed should be Councillors;
· some Officer briefing or other support may be provided;
· any report back will be to the Area Constituency Committee (which may report to the Executive on it, if appropriate); and
· expenses will be paid to Councillors unless they are payable by the body appointed to.
3.3 Category 3 outside bodies typically operated across a smaller geographic area, usually within a single Electoral Division. The Council’s Constitution stated, with regard to Category 3 outside bodies, that:
· the person appointed is expected to be a member of the local community, but may be the local Member;
· the local Member will make a nomination to the relevant Area Constituency
· Committee;
· there will be no Officer support;
· there will be no report back (unless the local Member deems it necessary) and any report back will be to the Corporate Director of Resources; and
· expenses will not be paid by the Council.
3.4 The Members’ Working Group on the Constitution made the following recommendation to Executive, which was ultimately agreed at Full Council on 15 November 2023 (Minute 42/24, point 11):
Remove all the Category 3 Outside appointments completely and review the remaining Category 1 and Category 2 appointments against the agreed set of criteria and ascertain which bodies align with the strategic and operational priorities of the Council. This would reduce the number significantly. As there is no requirement for Elected Members to report back to Council for these positions, there is no feedback or understanding of what the Outside Body is achieving or how that fits with the Council’s objectives, if at all.
3.5 The following criteria were applied to determine whether an Outside Body would remain as appointed to by the Council:
Does the Outside Body fit with these and align with the Council’s priorities?
• Place and Environment
• Economy
• Health and Wellbeing
• People
• Organisation
These ambitions allow us to focus on local areas providing local services and access, local accountability, action, and empowerment.
Questions:
1. Does the body specifically require Elected Member representation? Can it continue without Elected Member representation, i.e., a local representative?
2. Is the remit and/or purpose of the body clear and within the strategic remit of the Council? Is it beneficial to us?
3. Does it make decisions on policy or finance significant to the Council or impact on the local place?
Yes to all three questions - body remains
Yes to Q1 & 2 – body remains
No to Q2 or all – body removed.
4.0 CURRENT STATUS OF OUTSIDE BODIES IN THE HARROGATE AND KNARESBOROUGH AREA
4.1 Below is a summary of the current Outside Bodies to which the Council still appoints Members:
|
Outside Body |
No of Seats |
Appointed By |
Current Member(s) |
|
Harrogate and District Community Action - Board of Trustees |
1 |
Executive |
Cllr S Gibbs |
|
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust |
1 |
Executive |
Cllr N Brown |
|
Harrogate and District Community Action |
1 |
Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee |
Cllr S Gibbs |
|
Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership |
6 |
Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee |
Cllr P Broadbank Cllr P Haslam Cllr A Warneken Cllr M Walker Cllr H Gostlow Cllr M Schofield |
|
The Local Fund |
1 |
Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Committee |
Cllr S Gibbs |
4.2 The list of Outside Bodies is updated and available to view publicly at any time in the Council’s Constitution, at Part 3, Schedule 5, Appointments to Outside Bodies.
5.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
5.1 None.
6.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 None.
7.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
7.1 None.
8.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
8.1 None.
|
9.0 |
RECOMMENDATION
|
|
9.1 |
That the report be noted.
|
APPENDICES:
None.
BACKGROUND PAPERS:
Amendments to the Council’s Constitution (report to Full Council, 15 November 2023).
NYC Constitution (Version 8, July 2024).
Report Author – Edward Maxwell, Senior Democratic Services Officer