Issue - meetings

“At meetings of the County Planning & Regulation Committee (PRC), District or City Councillors have historically been allotted their own speaking slot. However, at District and City planning meetings, County Councillors are treated as members of the public and have to share a speaking slot with anyone else who wants to speak. 

In the interest of fairness, this Council instructs the Monitoring Officer and Chairman of the PRC to write to District and City Monitoring Officers and Planning Chairmen advising them that from 1st January 2018 this Council will introduce a policy of reciprocity to ensure parity of treatment. This means that District or City Councils that allow County Councillors their own speaking slot will enjoy the same privilege for their Councillors at County PRC meetings and those that do not, will not get their own speaking slot.

Council delegates to the Monitoring Officer the authority to make the necessary changes to the Constitution to reflect the above arrangements.”

Carried by 39 votes to 1, with 14 abstentions.

Councillor Bartholomew moved and Councillor Roz Smith seconded the following motion:

“At meetings of the County Planning & Regulation Committee (PRC), District or City Councillors have historically been allotted their own speaking slot. However, at District and City planning meetings, County Councillors are treated as members of the public and have to share a speaking slot with anyone else who wants to speak. 

In the interest of fairness, this Council instructs the Monitoring Officer and Chairman of the PRC to write to District and City Monitoring Officers and Planning Chairmen advising them that from 1st January 2018 this Council will introduce a policy of reciprocity to ensure parity of treatment. This means that District or City Councils that allow County Councillors their own speaking slot will enjoy the same privilege for their Councillors at County PRC meetings and those that do not, will not get their own speaking slot.

Council delegates to the Monitoring Officer the authority to make the necessary changes to the Constitution to reflect the above arrangements.”

Following debate, the motion was put to the vote and was carried by 39 votes to 1, with 14 abstentions.

RESOLVED:  Accordingly.