Agenda item

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer which presented the proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution following the annual review process (for copy of report see file of minutes).

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services informed Cabinet that the process to review the Constitution was similar to the process undertaken in previous years. The report contained tracked changes to appendices to show the proposed changes. A summary of all the proposed changes was outlined in Appendix 15. Many changes were minor in nature. The more substantive changes related to the Audit Committee which included a revised set of terms of reference to reflect CIPFA guidance, and the addition of scrutiny of treasury management performance. It was also proposed to make some substantial changes to Appendix A to the Finance Procedure Rules to reflect a number of changes in the Financial Management Standards.

The Leader of the Council highlighted that the Constitution set out how the Council operated. It was recognised as good practice to review the Constitution regularly. The report provided a summary of the work carried out throughout the year and contained a number of proposed changes to the Officer Scheme of Delegations to ensure that Council business continued to be conducted efficiently and effectively. The proposals would ensure governance arrangements remained fit for purpose and reflected best practice. The review had been subject to cross party input through the Constitution Working Group. The Leader placed on record her appreciation to the Monitoring Officer and her team, along with officers across the Council who had assisted in this piece of work.

Cllr R Bell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance echoed the comments of the Leader of the Council and Seconded the report.

Resolved:

That Cabinet approve the delegation of executive powers as set out in the proposed amendments to the officer scheme of delegation at paragraphs 20 – 40 of the report and recommend that Council agree to the proposed revisions to the Constitution at its meeting on 22 May 2024.