Agenda item

A report by the Monitoring Officer had been circulated.

It was moved and seconded

That Council:

1)    Agrees the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix A, save for the wording in relation to local Members (see page 125 of the agenda pack), which is further amended to read:

                  '3.07 Local Members

                  Before becoming involved in a matter relating to another                                 councillors division, councillors will notify and consult with that                         other councillor'

2)    Agrees the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix B;

3)    Agrees the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix C, save for the Petitions Scheme in part 5 which should be further amended to:

·         Remove the minimum number of signatures required for a petition to be submitted;

·         That the time allowed for speakers presenting their petition to Council meetings remain at five minutes;

·         Replace the option for a senior officer to give evidence at the relevant scrutiny committee meeting for a petition of 1,750 signatures or more, with an option for a paper to be presented to the relevant scrutiny committee for a petition of 1,750 signatures or more;

·         Remove the option for a petition to trigger a debate at Council.

An amendment was moved and seconded by the Labour Group as follows:

To delete the fourth bullet point of recommendation 3 – 'remove the option for a petition to trigger a debate at Council'

A recorded vote was successfully requested for the above amendment and upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

Details of recorded vote taken:

Those voting for the amendment:

Councillors M G Allan, Mrs V C Ayling, J W Beaver, K J Clarke, P M Dilks, G J Ellis, R G Fairman, R L Foulkes, J D Hough, D M Hunter-Clarke, R J Hunter-Clarke, N I Jackson, A J Jesson, R C Kirk, C E D Mair, R A H McAuley, D McNally, D C Morgan, N M Murray, Mrs M J Overton MBE, S L W Palmer, R B Parker, Mrs H N J Powell, Miss F E E Ransome, Mrs S Ransome, Mrs J M Renshaw, R A Renshaw and Mrs N J Smith.

Those voting FOR - 28

Those voting against the amendment:

Councillors B Adams, W J Aron, A M Austin, D Brailsford, C J T H Brewis, A Bridges, Mrs J Brockway, M Brookes, J P Churchill, C J Davie, M J Hill OBE, D C Hoyes MBE, M S Jones, J R Marriott, Mrs A M Newton, P J O'Connor, C R Oxby, C Pain, N H Pepper, Mrs S Rawlins, P A Robinson, Mrs L A Rollings, R A Shore, Mrs E J Sneath, Mrs C A Talbot, T M Trollope-Bellew, A H Turner MBE JP, S M Tweedale, P Wood, Mrs S Woolley, L Wootten, R Wootten, N Worth, Mrs S Wray and B Young.

Those voting AGAINST – 35

A vote was taken on the original motion, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

RESOLVED

That Council:

1)    Agree the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix A, save for the wording in relation to local Members (see page 125 of the agenda pack), which is further amended to read:

                  '3.07 Local Members

                  Before becoming involved in a matter relating to another                                 councillors division, councillors will notify and consult with that                         other councillor'

2)    Agree the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix B;

3)    Agree the recommended amendments to the Council's Constitution contained in Appendix C, save for the Petitions Scheme in part 5 which should be further amended to:

·         Remove the minimum number of signatures required for a petition to be submitted;

·         That the time allowed for speakers presenting their petition to Council meetings remain at five minutes;

·         Replace the option for a senior officer to give evidence at the relevant scrutiny committee meeting for a petition of 1,750 signatures or more, with an option for a paper to be presented to the relevant scrutiny committee for a petition of 1,750 signatures or more;

·         Remove the option for a petition to trigger a debate at Council.