The Chair, Councillor Bower, will present the Minutes containing recommendations from the meeting of the Constitution Working Party held on 1 November 2021, which will be circulated separately to this agenda.

The Chair of the Constitution Working Party, Councillor Bower, presented the minutes from the meeting of the Constitution Working Party held on 1 November 2021, which had been circulated separately to the agenda on 9 November 2021.

He referred Members to the first recommendation at Minute 9 [New Committee System – Changes to the Constitution – Committee Names – Referral Back and Changes to Service Areas Covered by Committees] explaining that the issue of name changes to Service Committees had been referred to the Working Party by Full Council for further consideration.  Councillor Bower confirmed that there had been little debate over the change in names and so he asked Members to support the recommendations which he then formally proposed.  Councillor Cooper then seconded the recommendations.

Discussion on the recommendations saw some concern being expressed over the proposed change in name from the Environment & Neighbourhood Services Committee to the Environment Committee.  It was pointed out that the reasoning behind changing the names of Committees had been to make them more understandable by the public. When this matter had been debated previously, there were concerns that the issues that this Committee dealt with around car parking and other areas that fell under the ‘Neighbourhood’ category would mean that the new name of this Committee to the Environment Committee would be misunderstood.  This was a concern especially when considering issues such as climate change which was not reported to this Committee but the newly named Policy & Finance Committee. Concerns were also expressed about losing the ‘Residential’ from the Housing and Wellbeing Committee.

The Chair of the Environment Committee, Councillor Edwards, stated that he took these comments on board, however, the Environment Committee had not changed or lost any of the service areas that reported into it.

Other Councillors spoke stating that they strongly felt that the name of the Environment & Neighbourhood Services Committee should remain unchanged to avoid confusion.

Following some further discussion, the Council

      RESOLVED

That the proposal for changing names of some of the Council’s Service Committees be approved as set out below:

      Current Name                                               New Name

Corporate Policy & Performance              Policy and Finance Committee

Residential & Wellbeing Services             Housing and Wellbeing

Committee                                                     Committee

Environment & Neighbourhood                 Environment Committee

Services Committee                                   

Economic Committee                                  Economy Committee

            Councillor Bower then moved onto the next recommendation under Minute 9 explaining that the Working Party had received a recommendation from the then Environment & Neighbourhood Services Committee to have Biodiversity added to the service areas covered by the Environment Committee as set out in Part 3 – Responsibility for Functions in the Constitution. This recommendation was then proposed by Councillor Bower and was then seconded by Councillor Cooper.

            Most of the debate on this item focused on the request put to the Working Party to have Biodiversity Net Gain added to the service areas covered by the Planning Policy Committee.  The Working Party had agreed to refer this back to Officers so that more information could be provided to the Working Party at its next meeting as concern had been raised that Biodiversity Net Gain was adequately covered within the Local Plan questioning the need for this request.

            The Council

RESOLVED

That ‘Biodiversity’ be added to the service areas covered by the Environment Committee at Part 3 – Responsibility for Functions in the Constitution.

Councillor Bower then alerted Councillors to the next set of recommendations at Minute 10 [Public Speaking Rules for the Planning Committee] explaining that the changes to these recommendations were to reinstate and amend an error that had occurred in the redrafting of the Constitution in May 2021. Councillor Bower then formally proposed the recommendations which were then seconded by Councillor Cooper.

            The Chair then invited debate. The first to speak was Councillor Stanley and he confirmed that he wished to make an amendment to public speaking rule 11.3 – this has been set out below with deletions shown using strikethrough and additions shown using bold:

11.3  Any person who has made a written representation on an application and wishes to speak must register their request by 5.00 pm 9.00 am on the Monday Fridaybefore the meeting, by phoning 01903 737512 or by email. It is the responsibility of the individual to check whether the application is to be considered by the Planning Committee [one should be able to register to be automatically notified when the agenda for the Committee is published].

Councillor Stanley then explained his amendment stating that it was being proposed as it would not impact Officer time but would benefit the public by allowing more time to register their request to speak by email over the weekend.

Councillor Gunner then seconded this amendment stating that he had some reservations over the changes proposed to rule 11.3. The amendment proposed by Councillor Stanley was an acceptable compromise.

The Chair invited debate on this amendment which saw wide support from Members and from the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Chapman.

            Voting on this amendment then took place and it was declared CARRIED.

            The Chair then returned to the substantive recommendations and the Council

                        RESOLVED

That the Public Speaking Rules for the Planning Committee as set out in Part 8, Section 3 of the Constitution at Paragraphs 11 – Public Speaking at Planning Committees are amended as set out below.

11.3  Any person who has made a written representation on an application and wishes to speak must register their request by 9.00 amon the Monday before the meeting, by phoning 01903 737512 or by email. It is the responsibility of the individual to check whether the application is to be considered by the Planning Committee [one should be able to register to be automatically notified when the agenda for the Committee is published].

11.4  There is a time limit of 3 minutes for each speaker i.e., Ward Members, Parish Councils, objectors, applicants/agents, or supporters. Objectors & supporters include residents’ groups, community groups or interest groups. A supporter must be an independent third party such as a local resident, not a relative of the applicant or the applicant themselves if their appointed agent is already speaking.

11.5 A speaker can speak for up tothe 3 minutes. The order of speaking will be as follows:

11.7 In the event that more than two speakers have registered to speak in categories 2, 3, or 4, the first two registered persons appearing on the register only will be allowed to speak. Prior to the commencement of the meeting, attendance of those who have registered to speak will be listed. The Chair’s discretion shall apply in the event of any dispute in the matter of which persons may speak.