Agenda item

"This Council recognises that the current constitutional arrangements may not be well-suited to a situation of ‘No Overall Control’ and resolves to consider possible changes to its Constitution and to its Governance arrangements.

The Chief Operating Officer is instructed to bring a Report to a Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023 setting out the options and necessary actions that would be need to be taken into account to discontinue the existing Leader and Cabinet system of decision making and to revert to a Committee system with effect from the start of the civic year beginning in May 2023.  The Report of the Chief Operating Officer is to also set out the statutory framework, possible options for political governance structures, timescales and detailed implications of any change.

This Council also authorises:

(a)     The establishment of a cross party working group to thoroughly investigate the options for any change in the political system of governance. The working group is to comprise 3 Labour, 2 Conservative and 1 Our West Lancashire Members and is to be chaired by Councillor David Whittington. The cross party working group is expected to report its findings to the Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023.

(b)     An all Member briefing on the options for change and their implications to be provided with the support of the Centre for Governance & Scrutiny and/or the Local Government Association.

(c)     That the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Cross-party working group be authorised to commission the above independent review and that it be funded by allocating appropriate reserves."

The following Motion was considered at the request of the Member indicated:

"This Council recognises that the current constitutional arrangements may not be well-suited to a situation of ‘No Overall Control’ and resolves to consider possible changes to its Constitution and to its Governance arrangements.

The Chief Operating Officer is instructed to bring a Report to a Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023 setting out the options and necessary actions that would be need to be taken into account to discontinue the existing Leader and Cabinet system of decision making and to revert to a Committee system with effect from the start of the civic year beginning in May 2023.  The Report of the Chief Operating Officer is to also set out the statutory framework, possible options for political governance structures, timescales and detailed implications of any change.

This Council also authorises:

(a)     The establishment of a cross party working group to thoroughly investigate the options for any change in the political system of governance. The working group is to comprise 3 Labour, 2 Conservative and 1 Our West Lancashire Members and is to be chaired by Councillor David Whittington. The cross party working group is expected to report its findings to the Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023.

(b)     An all Member briefing on the options for change and their implications to be provided with the support of the Centre for Governance & Scrutiny and/or the Local Government Association.

(c)     That the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Cross-party working group be authorised to commission the above independent review and that it be funded by allocating appropriate reserves."

An Amendment, circulated prior to the meeting, was moved and seconded.

A vote was taken, the Amendment was LOST.

A Further Amendment, circulated prior to the meeting, was moved and seconded.

A vote was taken, the Further Amendment was LOST.

During the debate Councillor Owens altered the second paragraph of his Motion, to include the words "or any alternative legal system'" with the agreement of the meeting and the seconder of the Motion.

A vote was taken the Altered Motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED    A.   That this Council recognises that the current constitutional arrangements may not be well-suited to a situation of ‘No Overall Control’ and resolves to consider possible changes to its Constitution and to its Governance arrangements.

B.   That the Chief Operating Officer is instructed to bring a Report to a Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023 setting out the options and necessary actions that would be need to be taken into account to discontinue the existing Leader and Cabinet system of decision making and to revert to a Committee system, or any alternative legal system, with effect from the start of the civic year beginning in May 2023.  The Report of the Chief Operating Officer is to also set out the statutory framework, possible options for political governance structures, timescales and detailed implications of any change.

C.   That this Council also authorises:

(a)     The establishment of a cross party working group to thoroughly investigate the options for any change in the political system of governance. The working group is to comprise 3 Labour, 2 Conservative and 1 Our West Lancashire Members and is to be chaired by Councillor David Whittington. The cross party working group is expected to report its findings to the Full Council Meeting no later than February 2023.

(b)     An all Member briefing on the options for change and their implications to be provided with the support of the Centre for Governance & Scrutiny and/or the Local Government Association.

(c)     That the Chief Operating Officer in consultation with the Chairman of the Cross-party working group be authorised to commission the above independent review and that it be funded by allocating appropriate reserves.