Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Simon Myers, Gary Fielding and Richard Webb.

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 11 and 18 June 2024, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and confirmed by the Chairman as a correct record.

There were no declarations of interest.

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to St John Harris, Principal Democratic Services Officer, stjohn.harris@northyorks.gov.uk and supplied the text by midday on Thursday 4 July 2024, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·          at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·          when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Leader who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

There were no public questions or statements.

Recommendations

Refer this report to Full Council and recommend that Full Council approve:

       i.                  The submission of a formal request to the LGBCE for a single member division review, as part of subsequent phases of the Electoral Boundary review process.

     ii.                  The 2030 Electorate Forecast for submission to the LGBCE.

    iii.                  The Member Working Group’s recommendations within the draft Council Size Submission document (Appendix D) for a council size of 89 members.

    iv.                  The submission of all required information to the LGBCE.

     v.                  Delegated authority to the Assistant Chief Executive – Local Engagement to make any required minor amendments to the Electorate Forecast for accuracy, in consultation with the Chairman of the BRMWG, prior to submission.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement seeking the Executive’s approval to refer the recommendations of the Boundary Review Member Working Group (BRMWG) to Full Council to allow them to be submitted to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).

With the permission of the Chair, Councillor John Weighell, Chair of the BRMWG introduced the report, noting that of the two key recommendations in the report, the Member Working Group unanimously supported a council of single member divisions, whilst reaching a majority decision of 6-4 on the council size of 89.  With the permission of the Chair, Councillor Philip Broadbank, another member of the BRMWG, also addressed the meeting.  He commended the chairmanship and conduct of the BRMWG whilst expressing his personal view that the council size should be marginally larger than 89 in light of the council’s geographical and population size, the size of comparator local authorities such as Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham and Coventry, and the many large rural divisions in North Yorkshire.  Councillor Weighell thanked Councillor Broadbank’s contribution to the Member Working Group whilst articulating his opposing personal view that increasing the council size would lead to problems in dividing up communities in some towns and villages across divisions in order to reduce electoral imbalance.  Councillor Mark Crane, Executive Member for Open to Business and member of the BRMWG noted a wide range of council sizes had been considered by the Member Working Group, and felt that it was an achievement that the BRMWG had managed to coalesce around a figure of 89.  Other members commented, all recognising the complexity of the calculations and the depth of the work undertaken by the Member Working Group.  The Chair thanked them for their hard work.

Resolved (unanimously) – that the Executive refers this report to Full Council and recommends that Full Council approve:

       i.                  The submission of a formal request to the LGBCE for a single member division review, as part of subsequent phases of the Electoral Boundary review process.

     ii.                  The 2030 Electorate Forecast for submission to the LGBCE.

    iii.                  The Member Working Group’s recommendations within the draft Council Size Submission document (Appendix D) for a council size of 89 members.

    iv.                  The submission of all required information to the LGBCE.

     v.                  Delegated authority to the Assistant Chief Executive – Local Engagement to make any required minor amendments to the Electorate Forecast for accuracy, in consultation with the Chairman of the BRMWG, prior to submission.

Recommendations

That, subject to any comments Members may have:

1. the proposed amendments to the Constitution set out in Part A of Appendix 1 be recommended to full Council for approval;

2. Members note the amendments to the Constitution set out in Part B of Appendix 1 to this report, made by the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services under his delegated powers, for reporting back to full Council for information;

3. the proposed amendments to the Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules as set out in Appendix 2 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

4. the proposed amendments to the definition of a Key Decision, as set out in Appendix 3 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

5. the proposed amendments to the Financial Procedure Rules as set out in Appendix 5 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

6. the proposed consequential amendments to the Executive Members’ Delegation Scheme as set out in Appendix 6 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services presenting (i) amendments to the Constitution made by the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services under his delegated powers, and (ii) proposed amendments to the Constitution for approval by full Council.

Councillor Heather Phillips, Executive Member for Corporate Services, presented the report summarising the key amendments proposed.

Resolved (unanimously) – that:

1. the proposed amendments to the Constitution set out in Part A of Appendix 1 be recommended to full Council for approval;

2. Members note the amendments to the Constitution set out in Part B of Appendix 1 to this report, made by the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services under his delegated powers, for reporting back to full Council for information;

3. the proposed amendments to the Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules as set out in Appendix 2 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

4. the proposed amendments to the definition of a Key Decision, as set out in Appendix 3 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

5. the proposed amendments to the Financial Procedure Rules as set out in Appendix 5 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval;

6. the proposed consequential amendments to the Executive Members’ Delegation Scheme as set out in Appendix 6 to this report be recommended to full Council for approval.

Recommendations

       i.         That the Executive appoints Councillor David Jeffels to the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and that Councillor Keane Duncan is taken off the committee.  Councillor John Cattanach is to remain the substitute member.

     ii.         That the Executive endorses the appointment of Councillor David Jeffels to the vacant position of Flooding Champion, that has been made by the Leader.

Considered – A report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking the Executive’s approval/endorsement of two appointments.

Resolved (unanimously) – that:

1. That the Executive appoints Councillor David Jeffels to the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee and that Councillor Keane Duncan is taken off the committee.  Councillor John Cattanach is to remain the substitute member.

2. That the Executive endorses the appointment of Councillor David Jeffels to the vacant position of Flooding Champion, that has been made by the Leader.

Recommendations

The Executive is asked to note the report and consider any matters arising from the work of the Area Constituency Committees detailed above, that merit further scrutiny, review or investigation at a county-level.

Considered –  A report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services providing an overview of the key issues considered at recent meetings of the Area Constituency Committees.  Councillor Heather Phillips, Executive Member for Corporate Services, presented the report noting the productive meeting of the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the  Area Constituency Committees held the day before.  Councillor Phillips emphasised the importance of collaboration between the Area Constituency Committees and the council’s scrutiny function, whilst the Chair, who had also attended the meeting, commented that the Chairs had a requested a review of the Area Constituency Committees’ Project Development Fund allocations later in the year, to help assess the success of the scheme.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

Considered –

The Forward Plan for the period 1 July 2024 to 31 July 2025 was presented.

Resolved -   That the Forward Plan be noted.