Agenda item

To seek Council approval for the Municipal Timetable 2023/2024.

Full Council was required to approve a calendar of meetings prior to the commencement of each new municipal year. Attached as Appendix A to the report was a copy of the draft timetable for 2023/24.

         The draft timetable referenced the formal meetings of the Council, Executive, committees, Executive Advisory Panels, and other standing bodies.The purpose of tabling this report is to provide information to members, officers, and the public of the schedule of meeting dates and allow for arrangements to be made for the booking of venues etc.

         Members noted that in the timetable Full Council meetings were scheduled for 6:00 pm start time, with the Budget Full Council commencing at 10:00 am. Any Extraordinary meetings of Full Council would normally convene at 7:00 pm.

         Members noted that currently there was a review of Scrutiny. The current proposal out for consultation suggested three scrutiny committees. The outcome of the consultation exercise would be reported into the Democracy and Standards Committee, with a final recommendation to Full Council in March 2023. In order to progress the consideration of the Municipal Timetable, it was being proposed that Tuesday evenings were allocated to scrutiny, with the final dates being allocated after Full Council had considered the outcome of the review.

         The proposed dates of Executive Advisory Panels were indicated in Appendix A and allowed for the increase of Panels from five to six. It also allowed for each Panel to meet bi-monthly whilst ensuring that there was no more than one Panel meeting scheduled per week.

         Members noted that the report commissioned by the Council into the Planning Service and undertaken by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS), was discussed by the Executive at their meeting on 22^nd December 2022. The PAS report was a wide-ranging review of the Council’s Planning Service. Included within this were recommendations regarding the governance structure for the Council’s planning committees and suggestions regarding potential amendment. The PAS recommendations were being considered by Members through an implementation board, however the board was not decision-making and potential recommendations in relation to constitutional matters would be taken through the appropriate decision-making channel including Full Council.

         Approval of the timetable by Council did not preclude extraordinary meetings being called if there was a business need to do so. It was noted that whilst Council was being requested to agree the timetable; until a summons and agenda were issued for a meeting the meeting was not lawfully called. Whilst a meeting may be scheduled in the agreed timetable, if there was a lack of business then a summons may not be issued; this was usually in consultation with the appropriate Chair.

The recommendations were MOVED by Councillor Lora Lawman and SECONDED by Councillor Jan O’Hara.

RESOLVED that: -

(i)               The Municipal Timetable 2023/24 be approved, subject to the outcome of the current review of Scrutiny and the review of Planning; and

(ii)              Delegation be granted to the Proper Officer (the “Monitoring Officer”) responsibility for incorporating into the Municipal Timetable meetings of Scrutiny and Planning following the outcome of the respective reviews.