Issue - meetings

This report sets out notices of motions ruled in order.

The Council received two Motions submitted under FCR 14 of Appendix 4 of the Constitution.

Motion 1

The Council resolved by majority vote (27 votes for, 3 votes against and the Mayor not voting) to debate this Motion at the meeting.

In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor Julie Morris MOVED and Councillor Alison Kelly SECONDED the following Motion.

Motion

“This council believes that maintaining public trust in the democratic process is essential. A key part of this is ensuring that decisions are made openly and are subject to public scrutiny. Council recognises the concern that there is about the degree to which council, committee, briefing and working group discussions and decisions are being conducted in restricted session.

To help maintain public trust and ensure that residents can be fully informed about how decisions that affect them have been reached, this council is committed to a policy of 'transparency by default' by which all meetings and documentation will be placed in the public domain as standard, with information or discussions only being redacted or restricted very specifically in relation to those issues which fall within the exemptions in the Local Government Act.

To that end, committee reports will, in addition to identifying the relevant exemption in the Local Government Act, also set out a rationale as to why information or discussions are to be restricted, when this is the case. Officers will also bring forward guidelines in relation to all council, committee, briefing and working group discussions and decisions which will enable this approach, to ensure maximum transparency while adhering to legislative requirements, ultimately making this organisation an exemplar public body in terms of transparency and openness.”

Upon being put the motion was LOST with 6 votes for, 23 against, 1 abstention and the Mayor not voting.

Motion 2

The Council unanimously resolved vote to debate this Motion at the meeting.

In pursuance of the Council’s Rules of Procedure, Councillor James Lawrence MOVED and Councillor Julie Morris SECONDED the following Motion.

Motion

“That this Council mandates that the Reg 19 Local Plan include a requirement for energy efficient housing, where all new housing achieves at least a level A of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).”

Upon being put the motion was LOST with 3 votes for, 23 against, 4 abstentions and the Mayor not voting.