The Director of Law and Governance introduced his report that detailed the wider work that had been undertaken to support the significant change in governance from Leader and Cabinet system of governance to a committee system. This work had been managed through a project team to ensure the appropriate member and officer preparations have taken place in readiness for the adoption of the new governance arrangements at Annual Council on 28 September 2020.

The report of the Director of Law and Governance informed that at Annual Council 14 May 2019, it was agreed that Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee conduct a review of the governance arrangements of the Council, with the objective to produce a report on the options available and a preferred way forward. The Standards Committee established a Governance Member Working Group (GMWG) to take forward the review. A report was presented to full Council 14 October 2019, at which it was agreed to move to a Committee System in the following municipal year on the basis that it provides a governance model which will best serve the Council and the borough.

The report further informed that the GMWG continued to meet, acting as a reference group alongside an officer Project Team working under direction of the Director or Law and Governance. The project was initiated in October 2019 and continued into the New Year towards the scheduled AGM at the start of the municipal year. The Covid-19 emergency led to the cancellation of local elections and normal Council business as emergency management arrangements were introduced to manage business through the lockdown period. As a result of this, the project timeline was reviewed and reconfigured to meet the revised Annual Meeting date of 28 September.

The Director of Law and Governance provided the SCOC with further explanation regarding the extensive work undertaken by Members and Officers in support of the changes to governance arrangements, creation of procedural documentation, targeted support to report authors, information held centrally on a newly created website and briefings to Committee Chairs. He added that these specific measures provided a comprehensive package ensuring full support was provided to Departmental Management Teams and Councillors in respect of new committee process.

The Standards and Constitutional Oversight Committee (SCOC) was asked to note and consider the steps taken to prepare the Authority’s Members and officers for the change in Constitutional arrangements from Annual Council on 28 September 2020.

Members of the SCOC thanked the Director of Law and Governance and echoed his comments regarding the extensive work that had been undertaken.

The Chair expressed thanks to the officers involved highlighting that the new arrangements would help to clearly identify and align the work of Council directorates with committees in a much more transparent way. The Chair added that he was proud of the collaborative approach to the work undertaken over the past 16 months where Members from all political groups and Officers had worked on the project.

The Chair asked that the SCOC express its support of the recommendation contained within the report. Voting unanimously by assent it was:

Resolved – That the report be noted.