Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

The procedures and guidance around Council appointments to Outside Bodies have not been reviewed since 2013.  This report summarises the procedures and proposes amendments to the way in which representatives are currently appointed to Category B (Non-strategic) and Category C (Local) Outside Bodies.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to:

a)    agree that appointments to Category B non-strategic Outside Bodies, useful to the Council’s work, as they relate to Council functions, be made by the Audit and Governance Committee;

b)   agree that appointments to Category C Outside Bodies that request Council representation or are of primary value to local councillors/the local community, as they relate to Council functions, be delegated to the Monitoring Officer;

c)    approve the Constitutional Amendments in Annex 1 to reflect these changes;

d)   approve the definition of a Strategic Outside Bodies in paragraph 14 of this report;

e)    note the Guidance for Members who are appointed to Outside Bodies adopted by the Audit & Governance Committee on 16 July 2025 (attached at Annex 2);

f)     endorse the list of ‘Strategic’ Category A Outside Bodies in Annex 3;

g)   confirm the appointments to Category B Outside Bodies in Annex 4;

h)   note the list of Category C Outside Bodies in Annex 5.

Recommendations approved with one correction to Annex 3 Category A Outside Bodies:  On the Corporate Parenting Panel, Councillor Gaul replaced Councillor Higgins.

The procedures and guidance around Council appointments to Outside Bodies had not been reviewed since 2013.  Council considered a report summarising the procedures and proposed amendments to the way in which representatives are appointed to Category B (Non-strategic) and Category C (Local) Outside Bodies.

The Chair noted that there was one correction to Annex 3 Category A Outside Bodies:  On the Corporate Parenting Panel, Councillor Gaul replaced Councillor Higgins.

The recommendations were moved by Councillor Smith and seconded by Councillor Shiri, Chair and Deputy Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee.

Following discussion, the recommendations were agreed unanimously.

RESOLVED to:

a)    agree that appointments to Category B non-strategic Outside Bodies, useful to the Council’s work, as they relate to Council functions, be made by the Audit and Governance Committee;

b)   agree that appointments to Category C Outside Bodies that request Council representation or are of primary value to local councillors/the local community, as they relate to Council functions, be delegated to the Monitoring Officer;

c)    approve the Constitutional Amendments in Annex 1 to reflect these changes;

d)   approve the definition of a Strategic Outside Bodies in paragraph 14 of this report;

e)    note the Guidance for Members who are appointed to Outside Bodies adopted by the Audit & Governance Committee on 16 July 2025 (attached at Annex 2);

f)     endorse the list of ‘Strategic’ Category A Outside Bodies in Annex 3 as amended;

g)   confirm the appointments to Category B Outside Bodies in Annex 4;

h)   note the list of Category C Outside Bodies in Annex 5.