Meeting: County Council (County Hall, Durham - Council Chamber - 06/08/2008 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A5 Notices of Motion
In light of the fact that there is limited information or involvement of Members in the LGR process.
This Council accepts that it is vital for all Members to be involved in shaping the new unitary authority.
The Council therefore resolves to hold regular meetings on the progress towards LGR, at least monthly, to provide a real opportunity for all Members to be involved and contribute to the decision making process. These meetings shall be open to members of the public.
In order to ensure clarity and transparency all meetings will have full minutes taken, be formally circulated to all Members and be available on the Council’s web site.
Councillor Temple to move This Council recognises that Article 10 of the Constitution confirms the existence of Member Area Panels and states that, “These Panels provide a link between local communities and the Council, enabling the Council to be more responsive to local needs and facilitate partnership working at the local level with other public and voluntary agencies”.
Mindful of the important democratic role played by these Panels and the fact that three months have passed since the election of the current Council, the Council resolves:
1. That a meeting of each Member Area Panel be called within 30 days of the date that this Motion is debated.
2. That a schedule of subsequent meetings be arranged for each Member Area Panel at intervals not exceeding two calendar months
Councillor Martin to move This Council notes:
(a) The recent decision by the Schools Adjudicator to overturn the Council’s admissions criteria relating to Durham Johnston School.
(b) Comments by the Adjudicator
1) to the effect that the policy of using associated transport arrangements was intrinsically unfair,
2) criticising the Council for its confusing and inconsistent use of the terminology,
3) criticising the Council for the inadequacy of its consultation arrangements, and
4) suggesting that the use of catchment areas or feeder schools might be more appropriate in the mixed urban/rural environment of the area,
(c) That there are a small but significant number of other secondary schools in the County which are over-subscribed and for which these may also be significant issues in deciding which children gain admission, and
(d) That while the Schools Forum, which is tasked with advising the Council on admission criteria, has representation from teachers and from parents, there is no effective mechanism for the wider community to make representations on these key matters.
This Council resolves therefore to undertake, at an early date, a wide-ranging consultation exercise with all schools within the County, all local communities and other stakeholders before placing the issues before the Schools Forum in early 2009 so that the decision on Admission Criteria for the September 2010 entry may be as fully informed as possible.
Councillor Shuttleworth to move That this Council retains its current title of Durham County Council, and this is confirmed at the next Full Council Meeting. Any re-branding/name change will cost Council Taxpayers in excess of £4m, and this is an unacceptable waste of money for the people of County Durham.