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 other bodies as the Council considers appropriate, to deal with matters which are neither reserved to full Council nor are executive functions.

 

Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution entitled Responsibility for Council Functions, sets out the Council’s Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and other bodies currently in place.  Detailed below are certain Committees, some of which are 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 is required to be appointed by the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting which is scheduled for 28 June 2018. In terms of the Lay Membership of this Committee, the current Lay Member Ms J Williams was reappointed for a further term at the Annual Meeting of Council on 17^th May 2017, and in accordance with the Measure, she is allowed to do a maximum of two terms on the Committee in this capacity. 

 

 The Standards Committee comprises eight members, namely:-

 

            Four Independent Members (No current vacancies);

            Two County Borough Council Members (Two vacancies);

            Two Town/Community Council Members (One vacancy);

 

There is currently a vacancy for a Town and Community Councillor on the Standards Committee, and it was therefore recommended that delegated power be granted to the Monitoring Officer to undertake any necessary processes to facilitate and appoint a Town and Community Council representative onto the Standards Committee.

 

The Council currently has in place an Appointments Committee in order to interview and appoint JNC level staff, which includes designated positions such as the Chief Executive, Directors and Heads of Service.  The membership of this Committee is as detailed below:-

 

·          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

 

The Appointments Committee will also facilitate the JNC Determination and JNC Appeals Panels.  These will comprise of 3 members each with the Leader or Deputy Leader chairing the panel, supported by 1 representative each from the Conservative and Independent groups. Substitution of Appointments Committee members is permissible but only for the

whole of an appointments process. The JNC Panels cannot be substituted and must be comprised from the original membership of the Appointments Committee.

 

The Measure also established procedures whereby Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs are nominated and appointed.  The Measure requires 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.  In line with the political composition of the Council, and the formula used under the Local Government Measure with regard to the allocation of Overview and Scrutiny Chairs, these should be allocated to the following political groups:

             

 

A recent change to the political composition of the Council has not affected the allocation of Overview and Scrutiny Chairpersons as above.

 

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

 

The remainder of the report, gave details regarding Registered Representatives on Committees; how the composition of the Development Control Committee must be derived, and that the Chairperson of the Democratic Services Committee should not be a Member of the majority group.

 

The current remit and functions of Committees and other bodies of the Council remain unchanged as detailed in Part 3 of the Constitution – Responsibility for Council Functions and were attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

 

Political balance is essential to determine the allocation of seats on Committees. The current political balance of Committees and other bodies is shown at Appendix 2 of the report.

 

The current committee structure is shown at Appendix 3 of the report.

 

The existing membership of committees which will form the basis of any changes to the membership of the committees is attached at Appendix 4 to the report. 

 

It was moved and seconded that the appointment of Chairpersons of certain Committees etc, (where outlined below) be carried out by way of a series of recorded votes, and therefore, an electronic vote was undertaken on this, the result of which was as follows:-

 

For                                 Against                           Abstain

 

 

           

RESOLVED:                 That Council:-

 

(1)        Appointed the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees as the Council considers appropriate to deal with matters which are neither reserved to the Council nor are executive functions;

 

(2)       Determined the size and terms of reference for those Committees as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

 

(3)       Determined the allocation of seats to political groups in accordance with the political balance rules as set out in Appendix 2 of the report;

 

(4)       Determined which political groups represented at Council are entitled to make which appointments of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairpersons;

 

(5)       Received nominations and appointed Councillors to serve on each of the Committees, Panels and other bodies (as indicated);

 

·           Appeals Panel

·           Appointments Committee (Chairperson – The Leader)

·           Audit Committee

·           Democratic Services Committee

·           Development Control Committee

·           Licensing Committee

·           Licensing Act 2003 Committee

·           Town and Community Council Forum

·           Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1

·           Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2

·           Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 3

·           Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

         (6)        Received nominations and appointed the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the following Committees, Panels and other bodies (as indicated) with it being noted that the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting will appoint a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson:-  

 

1)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor JE Lewis be nominated Chairperson of the Appeals Panel. A recorded vote was carried out on this appointment as well as the remainder of appointment of Chairpersons to the undermentioned bodies, the results of which were contained in the Appendix to these Minutes:-

 

                      Councillor JE Lewis was therefore appointed Chairperson of  the Appeals Panel (Details of recorded vote attached).

 

                      Councillor N Burnett was nominated as Vice-Chairperson of the Appeals Panel with there being no further nominations. This appointment was subsequently carried by way of ascent.

                   

2)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor E Venables be nominated Chairperson of the Democratic Services Committee.

 

                      Councillor E Venables was appointed Chairperson of the Democratic Services Committee (Details of recorded vote attached.) There was no Vice-Chairperson of this Committee

 

3)     It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor G Thomas be nominated Chairperson of the Development Control Committee.:-

 

                      Councillor G Thomas was therefore appointed Chairperson of the Development Control Committee. (Details of recorded vote attached.)

 

                      Councillor RM Granville was nominated as Vice-Chairperson of the Development Control Committee with there being no further nominations. This appointment was subsequently carried by way of ascent.

 

4)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor D Lewis be nominated Chairperson of the Licensing Committee/ Licensing Act 2003 Committee. (Details of recorded vote attached.)

 

                      Councillor D Lewis was therefore appointed Chairperson of  the Licensing Committee/Licensing Act 2003 Committee.

 

                      Councillor PA Davies was nominated as Vice-Chairperson of the Licensing Committee/Licensing Act 2003 Committee with there being no further nominations. This appointment was subsequently carried by way of ascent.

 

5)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor HJ David be nominated Chairperson of the Town and Community Council Forum. (Details of recorded vote attached.)

 

                      Councillor HJ David was therefore appointed Chairperson of  the Town and Community Council Forum.

 

                      Councillor CE Smith was nominated as Vice-Chairperson of the Town and Community Council Forum with there being no further nominations. This appointment was subsequently carried by way of ascent.

 

6)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor CA Webster be nominated Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1. (Details of recorded vote attached)

 

                      Councillor CA Webster was therefore appointed Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1.

 

7)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor CA Green be nominated Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2. (Details of recorded vote attached)

 

                      Councillor CA Green was therefore appointed Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2.

 

8)    It was moved and duly seconded that Councillor JC Spanswick be nominated Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 3. (Details of recorded vote attached)

 

                      Councillor JC Spanswick was therefore appointed Chairperson of Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee 3

 

          (7)       It was noted that there were no Vice-Chairperson appointments to the above Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

 

          (8)       That approval be given for delegated power to be granted to the Monitoring Officer to facilitate and appoint one Town/Community Council representative on the Standards Committee, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4.3 of the report.