Agenda item

To consider and determine amendments to the Constitution of Kirklees Council.

(Report attached)

Contact: Julie Muscroft, Head of Legal, Governance and Monitoring - 01484 221000

(9A) Proposed changes to Overview and Scrutiny

(1) That the refocused approach to Overview and Scrutiny be endorsed, and that the structural arrangements set out in Option 3, as detailed in Paragraph 2.7 of the report, be approved.

(2) That the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee be constituted for the 2015/16 municipal year on a 1:1:1:1 ratio.

(3) That, pursuant to (1) above, the proposed revisions to Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, and Article 6 of the Overview and Scrutiny function in the Council’s Constitution, be approved.

(4) That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Legal, Governance and Monitoring) to make the agreed amendments to the Constitution, and any further consequential amendments as required.

(5) That a Scrutiny Protocol be developed to clarify arrangements for Call in and to include a requirement that the Chair of any Call-in Scrutiny Hearing shall not belong to the same political group as the Executive or the Group that submitted the request for the Call-In.

(9B) Proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution – Report 2

(1) That the proposed changes to the Constitution, as set out in paragraphs 2.2 – 2.4 and Appendices 1 and 3 of the considered report be approved subject to the additions to the Policy Framework described at (6) below.

(2) That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Legal, Governance and Monitoring) to make the agreed amendments to the Constitution, and any further consequential amendments as required.

(3) That a report be submitted to a future meeting of Corporate Governance and Audit Committee regarding the establishment of Corporate Parenting Panel.

(4) That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director (Legal, Governance and Monitoring) to make drafting amendments to the Constitution, as described in paragraph 2.5 of the report.

(5) That the establishment of Policy Sub Committees be considered further at the next meeting of Corporate Governance and Audit Committee, and that a report setting out the detail of such a proposal be submitted to the meeting prior consideration at a future Council meeting.

(6) That (i) Climate Change and Fuel Poverty Policy and (ii) Housing Policy (to include wider matters than the commissioning of housing) be included within the Council’s Policy Framework.

(7) That further discussion regarding the development of a Leisure provision policy to cover leisure, library, parks and open spaces and similar to form part of the Council’s Policy Framework be scheduled for consideration at Policy Committee.

(9C)

(1) That the proposed changes to council procedure rules, as set out in paragraph 2.2 and appendix 1, be approved subject to the removal of council procedure rule 10 (2).

(2) That the information as set out in paragraph 2.3 regarding dismissing  statutory officers be noted and that a further report be submitted to a  future meeting of corporate governance and audit committee.

(3) That the proposed amendment regarding changes to Public Speaking within the Planning Protocol be considered within a review of Planning Protocols.

(4) That the Assistant Director (Legal, Governance and Monitoring), be authorised to make alterations to the constitution, and any consequential drafting amendments, to reflect the approved changes.