Agenda item

Cabinet

Ceremonial Council

Development Control Board

Licensing and Regulatory Board

Overview and Scrutiny

Personnel Board

Standards Committee

Assembly received and noted the following Annual Reports 2011/12:

(i)  The Cabinet introduced by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Smith.

(ii)   The Ceremonial Council introduced by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Smith, in the absence of the Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor McKenzie.

(iii)  The Development Control Board introduced by Councillor I S Jamu.  Assembly noted that every ward in the borough had representation on the Board and that all Board Members had a duty to attend training.  Councillor Jamu expressed his thanks to Members and officers for their hard work over the last year.

(iv)  The Licensing and Regulatory Board introduced by Councillor L Waker, who advised the Assembly that the Board had dealt with a variety of applications and reviews and that at each meeting updates were requested on applications that had been approved previously.  Councillor L Waker emphasised that if Members had any questions on licensing matters they should take them to the Divisional Director for Environment, Robin Payne, rather than to Board Members, to enable Board Members to maintain their independence.

(v)  Overview and Scrutiny introduced by Councillor Rodwell, who thanked the Chairs of the Select Committees.  Councillor Rodwell advised Assembly that last year had been very productive.  He referred in particular to the Living and Working Select Committee report on the Private Rented Sector that had been presented earlier in this meeting and to the success of the review by the Public Accounts and Audit Select Committee (PAASC) into delayed housing benefits claims, which saw the service become community focused within three months.  Compliance had been an issue throughout all of PAASC's work.  In conclusion, Councillor Rodwell said that the work of Overview and Scrutiny was a testament to all of the Councillors involved and thanked all officers who had supported this work.

(vi)  Personnel Board introduced by Councillor Burgon, who thanked officers, Masuma Ahmed and Michelle Coleman, for the support they had provided to the Board.  Councillor Burgon advised Assembly that the Board had met to consider a total of 14 appeals against dismissal, none of which had been upheld. The Board had heard two appeals against the imposition of final written warnings, both of which had been partially upheld. One of the final warnings had been downgraded to a second written warning and the length of time the other warning would remain on the individual’s record had been reduced.  Councillor Burgon noted her thanks to the Members of the Board for their help and support.

(vi)  Standards Committee introduced by Kevin Madden, Independent Chair.  Mr Madden thanked all officers who had supported the Committee, in particular the Monitoring Officer, Tasnim Shawkat, and the Democratic Services Officer, Margaret Freeman, for her ever-efficient organisation.

  Mr Madden highlighted two key issues in the report:

(1)  That only one new complaint had arisen in the last year and that this was a credit to all Members and reflected well on the Council.

(2)  The legislative changes as a result of the Localism Act 2011 which abolished the present Standards regime.  Mr Madden advised that the Standards Committee had discussed the new legislation and the new Code of Conduct for Members that would be adopted by Assembly when the Regulations were published.  He noted that the general principle of respect for others would no longer be a compulsory element of any new code and stated that the Committee hoped that the Council's new Code would retain the best of the old.

In conclusion, Mr Madden stated that whatever arrangements were put in place, it was important to keep a focus on what had been the main feature of the Standards Committee's terms of reference, namely the promotion and maintenance of high standards of conduct by Members and employees, to retain the trust and respect of the people we serve.