Issue - meetings

To update the governance and public participation arrangements for the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee, following recent updates to the Epsom & Ewell Constitution.

The Committee received a report looking to update the governance and public participation arrangements for the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee, following recent updates to the Epsom & Ewell Constitution.

The following matters were considered by the Committee:

a)            Advertising meetings and informing the public on how to submit questions and statements: The Democratic Services Officer confirmed that the meetings of the Committee are advertised to the public on the calendar of meetings poster in the Mansion House café and on Epsom & Ewell’s website. He explained that the public information page on meeting agendas, the Committee’s page on Epsom & Ewell’s website, and the calendar of meetings poster provide information on how to submit questions to the Committee. He confirmed that said information would be updated accordingly, should the Committee be minded to agree to the recommendation. 

b)            The Chair’s discretion to accept questions and statements submitted at meetings without prior registration: The Committee expressed that they felt it was important to be able to receive questions and statements that had not been submitted within the registration deadline.A Member enquired as to whether members of the public would have the ability to address the Committee with questions or statements at a meeting if they had not registered to do so prior to the meeting. The Democratic Services Officer suggested that such questions and statements could be accepted at a meeting at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair confirmed that he would be inclined to exercise his powers as Chair to accept such questions and statements. The Committee agreed that the public information page on meetings’ agendas, the Committee’s Epsom & Ewell website page, and the calendar of meetings poster should be updated to inform the public that questions and statements at meetings of the Committee can be accepted without prior registration at the discretion of the Chair.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)          Discard the protocol for ‘Public Participation at Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee’ and agree that the Epsom & Ewell Committee Rules of Procedure and Protocol for Public Speaking apply to the Nonsuch Park Joint Management Committee, pending a new joint management arrangement.