A report by the Director of Law, HR and Asset Management advised Members that the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 had received Royal Assent on 12November 2009.  On 16December 2009, the Government had published a commencement order for sections of the Act coming into effect at various dates between December 2009 and April 2010. The commencement of the duty on councils to promote local democracy, the requirement to publish a petitions scheme, and the changes to the operation of construction contracts, had all been delayed until an unspecified date.

It was clear that plans must be put in place to implement the requirements within the Act.  Therefore, a summary of what must happen across the Council and what plans must be put in place to implement the relevant sections of the Act were detailed in the report for Members’ information.

The role of the Statutory Scrutiny Officer was detailed in Appendix A to the report also for Members’ information

RESOLVED: That

(1)  comments be received on the proposed approach for implementing the requirements of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009, as outlined above;

(2)  the commencement of the duty on Councils to promote local democracy, the requirement to publish a petitions scheme, and changes to the operation of construction contracts had been delayed until an unspecified date be noted; and

(3)  Council be recommended to appoint the Head of Legal and Member Services as the Council’s statutory scrutiny officer.