Agenda item

Report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance

TO FOLLOW

Further to Minute No. 15 (2) of 13 September 2016 the Committee considered the report of the Head of Regulation and Compliance that presented formally the final report of the Area Committees Working Group.

The Working Group was established with the following Terms of Reference and Objectives:-

·       Review the findings of the public consultation exercise undertaken on the role of Area Committees, and the other issues set out in the report submitted to the Cabinet on 23 June 2016

·       Review modern methods of engagement between councils and their councillors and councillors and their communities, including the operation of community forums by other local authorities, the use of social media and guidance on its use

·       To consider whether a programme of communication training for members should be developed with particular emphasis on the social media aspects of modern communication in their role as ‘Community Champions’

·       Review ways of communicating information about councillors’ expenditure in their wards and associated decision making processes

·       To consider whether a system of escalation for the public where a councillor cannot be contacted, does not respond to contact or does not make themselves available for surgeries etc. can be developed

·       To consider whether methods for citizens to formally engage with its Council are made as simple and effective as possible through the provisions within the Council Constitution for petitions, questions attendance at meetings etc.

·       To consider how section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy funding would be spent in a revised Area Committee structure

·       To consider the remit of Area Committees

The Working Group met on numerous occasions to undertaken such review and its Final Report was attached as an appendix to the report. At its final meeting the Working Group considered submissions from Councillors Jamieson, McGuire and Thomas and such submissions are detailed in paragraph 6 and Appendix 3 of the Final Report. The Working Group recommended that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee consider the submissions detailed in paragraph 6 and Appendix 3 and determine the most appropriate course of action thereon.

Councillor Carla Thomas, Lead Member of the Working Group presented the Working Group’s Final Report to the Committee.

Members of the Committee asked questions/made comments on the following issues:-

·       It was acknowledged that all three Area Committees were different and that some worked better than others; that Southport Area Committee operated well and that the Final Report reflected this; that the frequency of Area Committee meetings may need to be increased; disagreement was made to the statement “Bearing in mind the generally negative comments of witnesses to the current structure” contained in Councillor Thomas’s preamble to her recommendation on page 79 of the Final Report; that there was no need for change regarding Southport Area Committee; that Area Committees should be better publicised; and that a one size fits all approach should not be adopted and that Southport Area Committee should remain in its current form

·       Concern was expressed about recommendation (3) C made by Councillor Thomas relating to complaints from constituents about elected Members as there was no evidence that such a recommendation was required; concern was expressed about recommendation (3) E made by Councillor Thomas relating to any Ward budget over £10,000 not spent at the end of the Municipal Year being transferred to the Cabinet Member – Communities and Housing for inclusion in the Community Transition Fund. It was suggested that on occasions funding needed to be rolled over to other years to fund larger schemes such as pedestrian crossings; that it was clear from witness evidence that South Sefton and Central Sefton Area Committees were not functioning well and it was suggested that these areas could look at alternative structures; however, Southport Area Committee does work well, was established via a local referendum and should be retained

·       The Area Committee system was a pillar of the governance modernisation proposals in 1999, but that it was time to modernise

·       Three options had been proposed by political parties and it was clear that a consensus would not be reached on a common recommendation

RESOLVED:

That the Working Group’s Final Report be referred to Cabinet with a request that Cabinet select an option as detailed in paragraph 6 and Appendix 3 of the Final Report.