Issue - meetings

This report sets out notices of motions ruled in order.

The Council received one Motion submitted under FCR 14 of Appendix 4 of the Constitution.

Motion 1 was PROPOSED by Councillor James Lawrence and SECONDED by Councillor Alex Coley.

The Council resolved by a majority vote (with 27 votes for dealing with the motion at the meeting, 1 abstention and the Mayor not voting)   to consider this motion at the meeting.

Motion

“Council notes that:

I. Urgent decisions (UDs) taken by officers where the Constitution enables them to do so are decisions of the Council.

II. The Council currently does not publish any decision notice for decisions taken as a matter of urgency, and no background information is disclosed.

III. The Live Register of Delegations references UDs as the decision-maker for delegating a number of functions, in the same manner as would be done for a decision of a Committee or of Full Council.

IV. Part 3 of The Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 state that for a decision that would have otherwise been taken by a local government body or committee, but has been delegated to an officer under express authorisation, a record must be made which includes: the decision date, decision, reasons for decision, and alternatives considered. This record must be available for public inspection on the local government body’s website and at its offices.

V. The Seven Principles of Public Life state that public officials should take decisions in an open and transparent manner, and information is not to be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons to do so.

VI. Tandridge, Runnymede and Spelthorne are Surrey district and borough councils that operate a committee system and publish UDs in some form.

This Council therefore resolves to:

1. Nominate the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee to develop and implement a process for the publication of UDs (subject to the exemption procedure as provided for by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).

2. Request the Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee provide an update of actions taken as a result of Resolution 1, as part of the next available Chairs’ Statements to Full Council.”

Upon being put the motion was AGREED with 27 votes for, 1 abstention and the Mayor not voting.

Accordingly, the Council resolved to:

(1)       Nominate the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee to develop and implement a process for the publication of UDs (subject to the exemption procedure as provided for by Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972).

(2)       Request the Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee provide an update of actions taken as a result of Resolution 1, as part of the next available Chairs’ Statements to Full Council.”