Agenda item

To consider various issues concerning the Council’s political management structure and the Constitution for 2024/25.

Council considered various matters relating to the Member level decision making structure of the Council and the Council’s constitution for the forthcoming Municipal Year.

It was moved, seconded and RESOLVED:

1.         That the Terms of Reference, as detailed in the appendices to the report; and the size and political composition for the following bodies that form the non-Executive Member level decision making structure of the Council be approved subject to the rules of proportionality where appropriate for 100 Committee places where applicable (relevant Committees are identified thus*) -

·           Overview and Scrutiny Committee* (Appendix A) – 14 Members (11 Labour Members, 2 Liberal Democrat Group, 1 Conservative Member)

·           Community Select Committee* (Appendix B) – 10 Members (8 Labour Members, 2 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           Environment and Economy Select Committee* (Appendix C) – 11 Members (9 Labour Members, 2 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           Planning & Development Committee* (Appendix D) – 14 Members (12 Labour & Co-operative Members, 2 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           Licensing Committee (Appendix E) – 14 Members (12 Labour Members, 2 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           General Purposes Committee* (Appendix F) – 14 Members (12 Labour Members,  2 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           Appointments Committee* (Appendix G) - 8 Members (7 Labour Members, 1 Liberal Democrat Members)

·           Standards Committee* (Appendix H) – 8 Members (6 Labour Members, 1 Liberal Democrat Member, 1 Conservative Member)

·           Audit Committee* (Appendix I) – 10 Members (8 Labour Members, 1 Liberal Democrat Member, 1 Conservative Member) + 1 Co-opted non-elected member

·           Statement of Accounts Committee* (Appendix J) – 8 Members (7 Labour Members, 1 Liberal Democrat Member)

·           Joint Consultative Committee* (Appendix K) – 3 Members (2 Labour Members, 1 Liberal Democrat Member)

* Indicates where those bodies covered by the rules of proportionality for the purposes of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups), Regulations 1990 – total Committee places being 100

2.         That, in accordance with a proposal from the Leader of the Council, the name of the “Executive” be changed to “Cabinet”.

3.         That the Borough Solicitor be authorised to make consequential amendments to the Constitution to reflect the proposal set out in Resolution 2 above.

4.         That the membership of the Cabinet and the individual Portfolios, as set out below, be noted including the addition to the Housing Portfolio of the “Member responsible for complaints”, in accordance with the Housing Ombudsman’s and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s recently published Complaints Handling Code:

Councillor Richard Henry – Leader, Transforming Stevenage

Councillor Jeannette Thomas – Deputy Leader, Resources & Transformation

Councillor Sandra Barr – Co-operative Council and Neighbourhoods

Councillor Lloyd Briscoe – Economy, Skills and Transport

Councillor Jackie Hollywell – Housing

Councillor Conor McGrath – Stronger Communities

Councillor Loraine Rossati – Culture, Leisure and Wellbeing

Councillor Simon Speller – Environment and Performance

3.      That the various Cabinet bodies appointed by the Leader, detailed in Paragraph 4.4 of the report and the relevant Terms of Reference for each body set out in Appendix L to the report, be noted.

4.      That the dates for Council meetings for the Municipal Year 2024/25, as shown at Paragraph 4.9 of the report, be approved, and that the calendar of formal meetings shown at Appendix M to the report, be noted.