Agenda item

To receive the report of the Corporate Director and Monitoring Officer proposing changes to the size and membership of Committees to ensure statutory political balance following the by-elections held on 25 July 2019.

31.1    Council considered the Political Balance on Committees Review. Councillor James stated that, following the results of the by-elections in Barnwood and Podsmead Wards, it was necessary maintain proportionality across Committees. He further stated that this could always be revisited.

31.2    Councillor Hilton commented that it was appropriate to amend the Constitution to provide clarity. He announced that:

          Councillor Hyman would sit on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Planning Committee and would not longer sit on the Licensing and Enforcement Committee;

          Councillor Field would sit on the Licensing and Enforcement Committee and the General Purposes Committee; and,

          Councillor Bowkett would sit on the Audit and Governance Committee.

31.3    Councillor Haigh shared her view that this delegation should not set a precedent and that is was appropriate that Council sets the size of Committees.

31.4    Councillor James announced that Councillor Tracey would sit on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

31.5    RESOLVED:-

(1)   To increase the size of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (from 15 to 17 members), the Audit and Governance Committee (from 7 to 9 members) and the General Purposes Committee (from 7 to 9 members) with immediate effect;

(2)   To receive appointments from each political group represented on the Council to fill the new or vacant seats and reflect the changes on committees;

(3)   To authorise the Head of Paid Service, after consultation with the Monitoring Officer, the amend the Constitution to remove specific references to committee sizes from the Constitution.