Agenda item

Purpose: To consider the appointment and allocation of seats on Committees for the next Municipal Year in accordance with the duty under section 15 of the Local Government Housing Act 1989, to ensure that this reflects the latest political make-up of the Council.

Council considered a report (Agenda Item 13) concerning the appointment and allocation of seats on Committee for the 2026/27 Municipal Year. 

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Vicky Poole and seconded by Councillor Jeff Brooks: 

“That Council:

• Is informed that, under paragraph 8 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, notice has been received that the Members set out in paragraph 5.1 are to be regarded as Members of the Liberal Democrat Group, Conservative Group, and Minority Group respectively.
• Agrees to the appointment of the various Committees and to the number of places on each as set out in Table A, at paragraph 5.5.
• Agrees to the allocation of seats to the Political Groups in accordance with section 15(5) of the Local Government Act 1989 as set out in Table B at paragraph 5.15 of the report.
• Is informed that the number of substitutes on each of the Committees be as set out at paragraph 5.18.
• Is informed that, in respect of the District and Area Planning Committees, the substitute Members are all drawn from Members representing wards within the Committee’s area who are not appointed to the Committee. Where substitutes attend the District Planning meeting, they need to be drawn from the same Area Planning meeting as the Member they are substituting for.
• Approves the appointment of Members to the Committees as set out in Appendix A, and the appointments to Task Groups and Panels set out in Appendix B, which are in accordance with the wishes of the Political Groups.
• In accordance with the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000 as amended, agrees that the Council’s Policy Framework for 2026/27 be as set out in paragraph 5.23 of this report, and that any necessary amendments be made to the Council’s Constitution.
• Is informed that other plans, policies, and strategies requiring approval which are not included in the approved Policy Framework, and which are not otherwise reserved by law to Council, will be the responsibility of the Council’s Executive in accordance with the Local Government Act 2000.
• Is informed that Part 2, Paragraph 6.2 of Article 6 of the Constitution will be amended to reflect any changes made to the Executive by the Leader of the Council at the Annual Council meeting.
• Re-appoint three Independent Persons (standards), namely Lindsey Appleton, Mike Wall and Alan Penrith.
• Appoint Simon Carey as an Independent Person (Audit) to focus on the risk and audit functions of the Audit and Risk Committee and up to two non-voting Parish/Town Councillors on the Personnel and Standards Committee.
• Is informed that the membership of the Health and Wellbeing Board as set out in Appendix C.
• Approve that authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer to make any changes required to the Constitution as a result of the changes to the number of Members of the Council and following the appointments to Committees.
• Is informed about the Council Bodies Rules as detailed at Part 6 of the Constitution detailed at Appendix E.”  

Council noted that some minor changes had been proposed by the Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Ross Mackinnon, to Appendix A to the report – that they proposed that Councillor Ross Mackinnon would be their Member of the Audit and Risk Committee, and that Councillor Biyi Oloko would be their Member on the Personnel and Standards Committee.

The Leader of the Minority Group also raised a point that there was no Member of the Minority Group allocated to Appeals. The Monitoring Officer highlighted that seats were allocated via political proportion, and that, as the appeals panels meet in three Member panels, they would also need to be proportional. Due to the allocations already being set out, the question raised was more substantive than simply moving seats between Committees. 

Councillor Poole introduced the report and highlighted that she was satisfied to incorporate the changes proposed by Councillor Mackinnon. 

A point was raised about the Eastern Area Planning Committee and that there was no substitute available for the Minority Group Member of the committee. In response, the Monitoring Officer confirmed that an amendment to the Constitution allowing Members of different Groups to substitute for the Minority Group Member would be progressing through the governance process before coming to Council for review and final approval.

Overall, as Council were satisfied with the report, they agreed to approve the recommendations.

The Motion was put to the meeting and duly RESOLVED.