Issue - meetings

The Committee noted that Council Procedure Rule 24 (v) required the appointing body to review annually, the continuation of task groups appointed by them. Although the Councillors’ Development Steering Group had been set up originally as an Executive working group, it was agreed in 2015 that the Steering Group, which met quarterly, would report on its work to this Committee.

The Corporate Governance Task Group had been established by the Committee in November 2019 to review a number of corporate governance related matters and had met on ten occasions in 2022-23.

The Committee considered a report which reviewed the work carried out by the Steering Group and the Task Group over the past twelve months, and the work to be undertaken over the next twelve months. The Committee was asked to agree that the Councillor Development Steering Group should continue its important work and continue to be representative of all political groups on the Council.

The Committee was also asked to consider disbanding the Corporate Governance Task Group and to establish, jointly in conjunction with Waverley Borough Council’s Standards and General Purposes Committee, a new Joint Constitutions Review Group (JCRG) with an overall objective of aligning key parts of the Councils’ respective constitutions, where it was appropriate to do so.

Having recorded their thanks to the members and former members of the Corporate Governance Task Group, the Committee

RESOLVED:

(1)         That the Councillor Development Steering Group should continue its work and that the numerical allocation of seats on the Steering Group to each political group shall be one member per group for the 2023-24 municipal year as follows:

Cllr Katie Steel

Cllr James Walsh

Cllr Catherine Young

1 x Conservative Group member (to be confirmed)

1 x Guildford Greenbelt Group member (to be confirmed)

(2)         That the Corporate Governance Task Group be disbanded.

(3)         That a new Joint Constitutions Review Group be established jointly in conjunction with Waverley Borough Council’s Standards and General Purposes Committee, and Guildford’s membership shall comprise:

Cllr Joss Bigmore

Cllr James Jones

1 x Conservative Group member (to be confirmed)

1 x Liberal Democrat Group member (to be confirmed)

(4)         That the draft terms of reference of the Joint Constitutions Review Group, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report submitted to the Committee, be approved.

(5)         That the Committee notes the purpose of the Joint Constitutions Review Group, which will be to review the Guildford Borough Council Constitution, alongside the Waverley Borough Council Constitution, and to report back with their recommendations to both the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee at Guildford and the Standards and General Purposes Committee at Waverley.  The Corporate Governance and Standards Committee will then have the opportunity to consider any recommendations from the Joint Constitutions Review Group relating to this Council’s Constitution and may make appropriate recommendations to the Council to approve any changes.

(6)         That, from among those councillors appointed, the Committee, appoints a co-chairman of the Joint Constitutions Review Group.

Reasons:

·      To comply with the requirement for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21

The Committee noted that Council Procedure Rule 24 (v) required the appointing body to review annually, the continuation of task groups appointed by them. Although the Councillors’ Development Steering Group had been set up originally as an Executive working group, it was agreed in 2015 that the Steering Group, which met quarterly, would report on its work to this Committee.

The Corporate Governance Task Group had been established by the Committee in November 2019 to review a number of corporate governance related matters and had met on nine occasions in 2021-22.

The Committee considered a report which reviewed the work carried out by the Steering Group and the Task Group over the past twelve months, and the work they were likely to undertake over the next twelve months. The Committee was asked to agree that the two Groups should continue with their important work and that all five political groups should continue to be represented on them.  Rather than seeking to appoint nominated substitutes from each political group, it was suggested that any

appointed member of either the Steering Group or the Task Group may be substituted by any other member of their political group.

Having considered the report, the Committee

RESOLVED:

(1)        That the Councillors’ Development Steering Group should continue its work and that the numerical allocation of seats on the Steering Group to each political group be agreed as one member per group as follows:

Cllr Colin Cross

Cllr Angela Gunning

Cllr Jo Randall

Cllr Pauline Searle

Cllr Catherine Young

(2)        That the Corporate Governance Task Group should continue its work and that the numerical allocation of seats on the task group to each political group be agreed as one member per group as follows:

Cllr Nigel Manning

Cllr Ramsey Nagaty

Cllr Will Salmon

Cllr Deborah Seabrook

Cllr James Walsh

(3)        That in respect of both the Councillors’ Development Steering Group and the Corporate Governance Task Group, any appointed member may be substituted by any other member of their political group.

(4)        That the membership of the Corporate Governance Task Group shall continue to include a co-opted Independent Member (Murray Litvak) and a Parish Member (Julia Osborn) of this Committee.

(5)        That the terms of reference of the Corporate Governance Task Group be amended by the addition of the following:

“(h) Any other matter within the terms of reference of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee and which the Task Group considers should be addressed”.

Reasons:

·       To recognise the important work that both groups undertake in respect of councillor training and development and reviewing various corporate governance related matters on behalf of this Committee.

·       To comply with the requirement for this Committee to review the continuation of the Councillors’ Development Steering Group and the Corporate Governance Task Group, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 24 (v).

The Committee noted that Council Procedure Rule 24 (v) required the appointing body to review annually, the continuation of task groups appointed by them. Although the Councillors’ Development Steering Group had been set up originally as an Executive working group, it was agreed in 2015 that the Steering Group, which met quarterly, would report on its work to this Committee.

The Corporate Governance Task Group had been established by the Committee in November 2019 to review a number of corporate governance related matters and had met on ten occasions in 2020-21, and twice already in 2021-22.

The Committee considered a report which reviewed the work carried out by the Steering Group and the Task Group over the past twelve months, and the work they were likely to undertake over the next twelve months. The Committee was asked to agree that the two Groups should continue with their important work and that all five political groups should be represented on them.

Having considered the report, the Committee

RESOLVED:

(1)        That the Councillors’ Development Steering Group should continue its work and that the numerical allocation of seats on the Steering Group to each political group be agreed as one member per group (plus a nominated deputy) as follows:

Cllr Colin Cross

Cllr Angela Gunning

Cllr Jo Randall

Cllr Pauline Searle

Cllr Catherine Young

(2)        That the terms of reference of the Steering Group be amended as follows:

“To continue to support councillors in their ongoing development and training needs through a clear, structured Action Plan for councillor development that responds to the corporate priorities of the Council fundamental themes that support the vision of the Corporate Plan: Place-making, Community and Innovation.”

(3)        That the Corporate Governance Task Group should continue its work and that the numerical allocation of seats on the task group to each political group be agreed as one member per group (plus a nominated deputy) as follows:

Cllr Nigel Manning

Cllr Ramsey Nagaty

Cllr Will Salmon

Cllr Deborah Seabrook

Cllr James Walsh

(4)        That the following matters be added to the work currently being undertaken by the Task Group in considering proposals to promote transparency, and effective communications and reporting:

To discuss and consider:

(a)    the Council’s Constitution regarding the definition and processes for 'Key Decisions' so that any bids, tenders or other activities that may lead to key decisions in future are included in the Forward Plan or communicated to relevant Ward Councillors in a sufficiently timely manner for transparency;

(b)    how we can ensure that any meetings involving lead councillors, officers and the private sector are minuted and available in the public domain; and 

(c)    steps we can take to ensure that any failings in transparency or procedure are communicated to the public by the Council as soon as identified.

(5)        That the membership of the Corporate Governance Task Group shall continue to include a co-opted Independent Member (Murray Litvak) and a Parish Member (Julia Osborn) of this Committee.

Reasons:

·       To recognise the important work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8