Issue - meetings

Councillors noted that the Pre-Election Period was the period prior to an election from the date of the notice of the election to the close of polls on polling day. There were statutory restrictions that applied to council publicity during the Pre-Election Period.

The Pre-Election Period Publicity Policy sought to ensure that the Council acted lawfully in relation to the use of Council resources in the lead up to an election, to provide guidance to Councillors and Officers and to limit Council and Committee meetings and other decision-making which took place during the Pre-Election Period to those which were strictly necessary and business as usual.

At its meeting held on 22 March 2022, the Executive had considered this matter and endorsed the recommendation to adopt the Policy.

Upon the motion of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Joss Bigmore, seconded by the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Julia McShane, the Council

RESOLVED: That the Pre-Election Period Publicity Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council, be approved with immediate effect.

Reasons:

To protect the interests of the Council, and to provide guidance to Councillors and Officers on publicity and the use of Council resources during the Pre-Election Period.

Decision:

To recommend that full Council (on 5 April 2022) approves the Pre-Election Period Publicity Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Executive, with immediate effect.

Reasons:

To protect the interests of the Council, and to provide guidance to Councillors and Officers on publicity and the use of Council resources during the Pre-Election Period.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

·       To not adopt the Policy and continue with the status quo.

·       To ask for amendments to be made to the Policy and a further version to be drafted.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

The Pre-Election Period was the six week period prior to an election. There were statutory restrictions in Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986 that applied to the council publicity during the Pre-Election Period.

The Pre-Election Period Publicity Policy sought to ensure that the Council acted lawfully in relation to the use of council resources in the lead up to an election, to provide guidance to councillors and officers and to limit council and committee meetings and other decision-making taking place during the Pre-Election Period to those which were strictly necessary and business as usual.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report.

It was proposed that only the Planning Committee, the Licensing Committee and Licensing Sub-Committees would be scheduled during this period. The municipal calendar for 2022-23 had already been approved by full Council with this policy in mind.

The Policy highlighted specific guidance for councillors and officers in carrying out their roles including delegated decision making. The Policy also specifically limited initiating public consultation processes during the Pre-Election Period.

The Policy also made provision for extraordinary Full Council and/or Special Committee meetings to be arranged if, in the opinion of the Joint Chief Executive and Monitoring Officer, it was considered to be in the Council’s interests to hold them for urgent items of business.

The Executive

RECOMMEND (to Council on 5 April 2022):

That the Pre-Election Period Publicity Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Executive be approved with immediate effect.

Reasons:

To protect the interests of the Council, and to provide guidance to Councillors and Officers on publicity and the use of Council resources during the Pre-Election Period.