Issue - meetings

That:

·         Policy and Resources Committee agree the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan.

·         That public access to the report be immediate.

The Committee considered a report presenting the proposed Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan following the Local Government Association Peer Review.

In discussing the recommendations relating to governance and culture, Members raised concerns regarding the visibility of work being undertaken by officers prior to reports being presented to Committee. Some Members expressed the view that the current arrangements did not provide sufficient opportunity for wider Member involvement in policy development and suggested that a more comprehensive forward plan would assist Members in preparing for forthcoming items and enabling earlier engagement. Reference was made to the current work programme which did not provide sufficient advance warning of all items likely to be brought before Committee.

The relationships between Members and Officers were raised and an informal mediation process was suggested as this could be beneficial in circumstances where difficulties arose before formal complaints procedures became necessary. The Chief Executive advised that concerns would normally be addressed informally in the first instance and referred to the existing Member/Officer protocol and code of conduct arrangements.

The Committee also discussed actions relating to the Local Plan. Members debated how the Action Plan should reflect the implications of the Secretary of State’s direction regarding additional housing allocations. Concern was raised regarding the wording of the action plan and whether it adequately reflected local preferences and concerns about housing numbers and concerns were raised around the recommendations contained within the Peer Review report and wording relating to balancing local and national need alongside local preferences be reinstated was requested.

The Chair acknowledged that parts of the Peer Review recommendations had been superseded by the subsequent Ministerial Direction and proposed amendments to clarify that work on the evidence base related onto the additional sites directed by the Secretary of State. It was also proposed that the original wording from the Peer Challenge be reflected within the detail section together with reference to the subsequent Ministerial Direction.

Following debate, the Committee agreed the amendments.

The recommendation was put to the vote and declared CARRIED, the voting being For 8, Against 0 and Abstentions 6.

RESOLVED:

That the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan be approved, subject to the amendments agreed at the meeting, and that public access to the decision be immediate.

The original wording from the peer review be included.

A note added that the recommendation had been superseded by the Ministerial Direction.

The actions should explicitly reflect that work related only to the Minister’s seven additional sites.