Meeting documents

Constitution Sub Committee
Tuesday 30 October 2012 5.00 pm


CONSTITUTION SUB COMMITTEE

30 OCTOBER 2012

PRESENT: Councillors David Burbage (Chairman), Phill Bicknell and John Fido (substituting for Councillor Cynthia Endacott)

Officers: Neil Allen, Ian Hunt, Simon Hurrell, Mike McGaughrin, and Sarah Rayner

Also present: Councillor Christine Bateson
PART I

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Mrs Endacott.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None

MINUTES
    RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 1 June 2011 be approved.

SCHEME OF DELEGATION FOR PLANNING

The Sub Committee considered a report on the proposed amendment of the scheme of delegation to allow for minor changes to approved major development schemes to be decided quickly and efficiently by allowing decision making powers to be delegated to the Chairman, or Vice-Chairman in is/her absence, of the relevant Area Development Control Panel, to decide whether the amendment should be determined at the Panel, or delegated to the Head of Planning and Property Services for decision.

In considering the proposal, some discussion took place on whether the use of the word ‘minor’ could be made clearer, and it was agreed that a further control should be added to enable Members of the Development Control Panel to be advised electronically of the proposed changes so they were aware of them.
    RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the amendments to the Council’s Constitution, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved, subject to the addition in b) and f) that Members of the Development Control Panel be advised electronically of proposed changes.
CONTRACT RULES

Members considered proposed changes to the Contract Rules, as set out in the Constitution. It was noted that the proposals were to amend the Constitution to ensure it accurately reflected that only Heads of Service were able to approve contracts valued under £30,000.

In addition, the proposals also sought to introduce additional controls around consultancy contracts to provide Members with greater visibility, together with ensuring that the use of Officer Decision Forms were extended to all contracts over £2,000, rather than the current threshold of £5,000, to provide additional transparency to residents.

The Procurement Manager reported that the Procurement Team were currently in the middle of a consultation with officers in relation to the Council’s Contract Rules and it was planned to bring a report to the December Council meeting on the outcome of the consultation. She requested that consideration in relation to the additional controls around consultancy contracts and the proposed amendment to the Officer Decision Forms be deferred until the December Council meeting to allow this to be considered at the same time as the wider consultation.

Members did not support this, and commented that the proposals should be agreed at this meeting and implemented immediately.
      RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the amendments to the Council’s Constitution relating to Contract Rules, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the report, be approved.

MEETING

The meeting, which began at 5.00pm, ended at 5.17pm.

CHAIRMAN……………………………………


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