Agenda item

To receive the recommendation from the Governance Committee held on 13 October and, if approved, to adopt the recommendations contained therein:

Public Speaking at Full Council and Formal Cabinet Meetings (resolution of Governance Committee is online at Minute No GO/16  )

To receive the recommendation from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 7 December in the event that the recommendation is agreed by the Committee:

Final report of the Off Street Parking Task and Finish Group (report of the Chairman of the Task & Finish Group is online at: Agenda Item 4 )

Standards Committee:  To receive a verbal update from the Chairman of the Committee regarding the appointment of a second Independent Person

Public Speaking at Full Council and Formal Cabinet Meetings

Two members of the public addressed the Committee in objection to the recommendation from the Governance Committee.   

Councillor Andrew Baldwin, Chairman of the Governance Committee, gave the background to the recommendation, which would bring consistency between the procedures for public speaking at full Council meetings and those for formal Cabinet meetings. The Majority Group considered there was no need for members of the public to make statements on agenda items, and that it was appropriate for questions to be relevant to the business of the meeting. He outlined the number of ways in which members of the public could contact the Council and Councillors. 

Councillor David Skipp, Vice Chairman of the Council and member of the Governance Committee, questioned why there should be limitations on the subject of public questions when there were mechanisms to prevent vexatious or inappropriate questions.  He was concerned that the recommendation was inconclusive and moved that:

The recommendation be deferred back to the Governance Committee or further consideration and debate on the rules and procedures for public engagement at meetings. 

Councillor Frances Haigh seconded the motion.  After further debate, the motion was declared lost. 

The Chairman of Governance Committee advised that the Committee had already agreed that procedures relating to public engagement at meetings would be clarified in the constitution.  The substantive motion was then put and declared carried. 

RESOLVED

That the following wording be added to the Constitution at 4a.8 (Council procedure rules: Questions by the Public)

‘A maximum time of 15 minutes is to be allowed in the meeting to receive oral questions and answers (not statements) which, in the opinion of the person presiding at the meeting, are relevant to the business to be transacted at that meeting.  A copy of any such questions must be submitted in writing no later than three working days prior to the relevant meeting.  Questions can only be asked by residents who are identified as such from the voters list, or from anyone who satisfies the Monitoring Officer that they work wholly or in substantial part in Horsham District.  As deemed appropriate, in the absolute discretion of the person responding, answers may be given either orally or else in writing within three working days of the relevant meeting

REASON

To ensure that the opportunity for members of the public to speak at Council meetings is not exploited by campaigning organisations or individuals to further a cause not directly related to the business of that meeting.   

Final Report of the Off Street Parking Task & Finish Group

Councillor Tony Bevis, Chairman of Overview & Scrutiny Committee introduced the report of the Off Street Parking Task & Finish Group. He considered that there had been insufficient debate of the recommendation of the report because the Committee meeting had been curtailed.  He was uncomfortable with the recommendation and therefore invited the Chairman of the Task & Finish Group, Councillor Brian Donnelly, to move the recommendation.

Councillor Donnelly presented the report, which recommended that the Council develop its own Parking Standards matrix to inform the allocation of parking provision for new developments.  This would allow decisions to diverge from the criteria set by West Sussex County Council Highways Authority.

Councillor Claire Vickers, Cabinet Member for Planning & Development acknowledged the amount of work that had been done to produce the report, but considered that further consultation and research was required.  She proposed that the recommendation be deferred back to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to give more time for discussion to ensure the report is complete and accurate.  Councillor Ray Dawe seconded the motion.

After further debate, the motion was put and declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the report of the Off Street Parking Task & Finish Group be taken back to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for further consideration before being brought to a future Council meeting.

REASON

To allow more time for consultation and research before the report is finalised.

Appointment of a second Independent Person

Councillor Brian Donnelly, Chairman of Standards Committee, announced that the Committee had appointed Michael Rumble as a second Independent Person to the Committee.  The Localism Act 2011 required that local authorities appoint at least one Independent Person to give their view to the Monitoring Officer on Code of Conduct complaints. 

Councillor Donnelly confirmed that Councillor Peter Burgess had sat on the Standards Committee in his capacity as a Cabinet Member, as required by the constitution.  Now that Councillor Burgess had left the Cabinet, the Leader of the Council proposed that Councillor Philip Circus, Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste & Recycling replace Councillor Peter Burgess on the Standards Committee.