The Monitoring Officer presented a report which sought approval for the appointment of Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and bodies as the Council considered appropriate to deal with matters which were neither reserved to full Council nor were executive functions.

 

Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution entitled Responsibility for Council Functions, set out the Council’s Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and other bodies currently in place. Certain Committees were governed by provisions of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, in terms of their composition and/or appointment of Chairpersons. 

 

The Measure made a number of requirements in relation to the Audit Committee’s membership, including Lay Membership and the appointment of the Chairperson. The Chairperson under the Measure, was required to be appointed by the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting which was scheduled for 29 June 2017.    

 

In terms of the Lay Membership of this Committee, it was proposed that the current Lay Member Ms J Williams remained as the lay member. Ms. Williams had completed one term of office in this role, and in accordance with the Measure she was allowed to do a maximum of two terms on the Committee in this capacity. Council were asked to note that not more than one Member of the Audit Committee may be a Member of the Executive (and should not be the Leader), whilst the Chairperson of the Committee must also not be a Member of the Executive group. 

 

The Democratic Services Committee must comprise solely of Councillors and could not include more than one member of the Executive, who must not be the Leader of the Council.  It was a function of Council to appoint the Chairperson of this Committee, who must not be a Member of any of the political groups represented on the Executive. 

 

It was proposed that Council made certain changes in respect of its appointment to the Standards Committee. The Committee comprised eight members, namely:-

 

            Four Independent Members (No current vacancies);

            Two County Borough Council Members (Two vacancies);

            Two Town/Community Council Members (Two vacancies);

 

The Independent Members and the Town and Community Council Members had previously been appointed by Council for a 4 year term of office, and none of these members had yet completed this term other than the representative of Pencoed Town Council, Councillor J Hancock. Councillor AE Davies was also formerly a Member of the Standards Committee as a representative of Porthcawl Town Council. However, following the recent elections she was no longer a Member of the Town Council and therefore she could not remain a Member of the Committee in this capacity.   It was therefore recommended that delegated powers be granted to the Monitoring Officer to undertake any necessary processes to facilitate and appoint two Town and Community Council representatives to the Standards Committee as replacements for the above Members.

 

Council was also requested to nominate two County Borough Councillors to sit on the Standards Committee, having regard to the following requirements in terms of the representation of County Borough Council Members only:-

 

·         The Leader may not be a member of the Standards Committee;

·         Not more than one Cabinet Member could be a member of the Standards Committee;

·         A County Borough Council Member could only be re-appointed for one further term;

·         Membership of the Standards Committee was not subject to political balance requirements.

          

The Council currently had in place an Appointments Committee in order to interview and appoint JNC level staff, which included designated positions such as the Chief Executive, Directors and Heads of Service. In order to ensure that this Committee was politically balanced in accordance with the composition of political groups that formed the Council, it was recommended that the Committee comprised of the following membership:-

 

·          Leader (Chairperson)

·          Deputy Leader

·          Cabinet Member (of relevant portfolio to the post)

·          1 x Conservative Member

·          1 x Independent Member

·          1 x Plaid Cymru Member

 

Due to the revised composition of the Committee as detailed above, Part 3, 2 (a) of the Constitution entitled Responsibility for Council Functions which  contained the role, remit and terms of reference of Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and other bodies, required amending to reflect the proposed political group changes on the Committee as outlined in the report.  

 

The Measure also established procedures whereby Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs were nominated and appointed. The Measure required that as a minimum the Chairpersons of these Committees be appointed based on the size and political balance of each of the groups that make up the Council. To that end, with 4 Overview and Scrutiny Committees existing in the Authority, the Chairpersons of these were allocated to the following political groups:

         

             Labour – 1

             Conservative – 1 chairperson

             Independent Alliance – 1 chairperson

 

The Chairperson of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee was unallocated and therefore in accordance with the Measure, was to be appointed by the members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee from one of the Chairpersons of the Scrutiny Subject Committees but it could not be the Chairperson representing the Executive group.

 

Registered representatives of the Church and School Governors would be included with any of the Subject Committees which were dealing with an Education topic. There was now a Primary school vacancy on the Committee, by virtue of Mr. Tim Thomas who previously occupied this role now being an Elected Member of Bridgend County Borough Council.   The recruitment and appointment of this post would be undertaken in due course.

 

RESOLVED:                 That Council:-

 

(1)      Appointed the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees as the Council considered appropriate to deal with matters which were neither reserved to the Council nor were executive functions as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report. 

 

(2)      Determined the size and terms of reference for those Committees with the exception that the terms of reference of the Subject and Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committees would be presented to a subsequent meeting of Council.

 

(3)      Approved the allocation of seats to political groups in accordance with political balance rules, based on the percentages shown in Appendix 3 of the report.

 

(4)      Received nominations from the political groups and appointed Councillors to serve on each of the following Committees and other bodies, details of which were shown at Appendix 1 to these minutes.

 

Appeals Panel

Audit Committee

Licensing Committee

Development Control Committee (noting the provisions of paragraph 4.8.1 of the report)

Town and Community Council Forum

Scrutiny Subject Committee 1(Education)

Scrutiny Subject Committee 2(Social Services)

Scrutiny Subject Committee 3

Democratic Services Committee (noting the provisions of paragraph 4.3.1 of the report)

Appointments Committee (noting the provisions of paragraph 4.5.1 of the report)

Standards Committee (noting the provisions of paragraph 4.4.3 of the report)

           

(5)      Having received nominations which were duly seconded, appointed Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons to the following Committees, Panels or other bodies (as indicated) with it being noted that the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting would appoint a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson:-

                       

                                     Chairperson                          Vice Chairperson   

 

Appeals Panel             Councillor John McCarthy    Councillor Janice Lewis

 

 Appointments               Councillor Huw David           N/A

 Committee

 

Democratic Services     Councillor Malcolm James   N/A

Committee                     (Councillor Sadie Vidal was also nominated and   seconded and following an electronic vote Councillor Malcolm James was appointed). 

 

Development Control    Councillor Gary Thomas     Councillor Rod Shaw

Committee

 

 Licensing  Act 2003     Councillor David Lewis        Councillor Mike Kearn

 Committee  

 

Licensing Committee    Councillor David Lewis        Councillor Mike Kearn

 

Town & Community      Councillor Huw David           N/A

Council Forum

 

(6) Approved that the current Lay Member on the Audit Committee Ms. J Williams remained as a Member of this Committee for a second term of office, in accordance with a provision of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, and having regard to paragraph 4.2.2 of the report in terms of the composition of the Committee.

 

(7)      Approved that delegated power be granted to the Monitoring Officer to facilitate and appoint two Town/Community Council representatives on the Standards Committee, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4.4.2 of the report.

 

(8) Approved the amendment of Part 3, 2 (a) of the Constitution entitled Responsibility for Council Functions to be amended in order to reflect the revised composition of the Appointments Committee, in accordance with paragraph 4.5.4 of the report and note that an amendment of the Constitution relating to Scrutiny will be provided at the next meeting of Council.

 

(9)      Elected Chairpersons from those Members appointed to the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4.6 of this report and noted that the Chairperson of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee was unallocated and therefore would be appointed by the members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee from the existing Chairpersons appointed to the Scrutiny Subject Committees but noting that it could not be the Chairperson representing the Executive group.

 

Chairperson                          Vice Chairperson   

 

 

Scrutiny Subject            Councillor Alex Williams        N/A

Committee 1

 

Scrutiny Subject            Councillor Cheryl Green        N/A

Committee 2

 

Scrutiny Subject             Councillor John Spanswick   N/A

Committee 3

           

(10) Noted that recruitment and appointment of a replacement Registered Representative would be undertaken in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4.7.1 of the report.

 

(11) Appointed Councillors David Lewis and Councillor Mike Clarke to sit on the Standards Committee. (Councillors Altaf Hussain and Tom Beedle were also nominated and seconded and following two electronic votes Councillor David Lewis and Mike Clarke were appointed).