Agenda item

[To agree revisions to the Constitution for approval by Council]

The Group Manager Corporate Administration presented the report, which sought agreement for a number of changes to the Constitution for approval by Council.

Resolved:

            That Council be recommended:

1.    To make amendments to job titles and responsibilities to reflect the Council’s recent senior management restructuring, particularly:

a)    To remove references to the role of Chief Executive, replacing it with ‘Head of Paid Service’;

b)    To remove references to the role of Strategic Director – Education and Enterprise, replacing it with ‘Strategic Director for Place’;

c)    To remove references to the role of Strategic Director – Community, replacing it with ‘Strategic Director for People’;

d)    To remove references to the role of Assistant Director (Finance), replacing it with ‘Director of Finance’;

e)    To remove references to the role of Chief Legal Officer, replacing it with ‘Director of Governance’, and

f)     To amend the section on management structure to reflect revised arrangements.

2.    To amend the budget and policy framework documents listed in the glossary.

3.    To remove the requirement for Standards Committee to consider proposed changes to the Constitution.

4.    To remove the requirement for the Monitoring Officer to make paper copies of the Constitution available, other than at the Civic Centre or in response to specific requests.

5.    To include a delegation to the Leader of the Council to approve permanent changes to the membership of Scrutiny Panels and other committees part way through a municipal year, subject to consultation with relevant group leaders.

6.    To include the following within the portfolio of the Cabinet Member for Governance and Performance:

To work with the Returning Officer/Electoral Registration Officer to oversee the Council’s Electoral Services functions, including electoral registration and co-ordination of elections.

7.    To delete from the Cabinet (Resources) Panel’s delegations, responsibility to agree bids for external funding.

8.    To include a delegation to the Head of Paid Service to appoint a Deputy Electoral Registration Officer.

9.    To include a delegation to the Strategic Director for People to accept guardianship applications under the Mental Health Act 1983.

10.To amplify the delegation to the Strategic Director for Place in respect of planning enforcement, including additional wording ‘including in relation to listed building and conservation areas, advertisement control including discontinuance notices, and serving Section 215 notices.

11.To include within the delegations to the Strategic Director for Place, the power to enter into agreements under Section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972.

12.To include a summary of indemnity provided to employees in the event of a claim being made against them arising from their work on behalf of the Council.

13.To include a delegation to the Monitoring Officer to amend the Constitution to reflect changes in the Council’s senior management structure.

14.To include the appointment of the Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer as one of the functions reserved to the Council.

15.To delete F14 (delegations to the Strategic Director for Place), which requires planning applications that need a Section 106 agreement to be reported to Planning Committee.

16.To amend the existing delegation (E49) to the Strategic Director for Place in respect of fleet management arrangements to read as follows:

‘The operational and business management of the Council’s functions relating to fleet management and leasing, vehicle compliance, vehicle maintenance and passenger transport services, including setting, recovering and rebating charges as appropriate.’

17.To change the Proper Officer for the purposes of appointment and/or dismissal of senior employees to the Director of Governance.

18.To include a delegation in the Constitution to the Strategic Director for Place ‘to agree capital expenditure and operational decisions regarding investment in the Council’s housing stock, in consultation with the Asset Management Group’.

19.To amend references to the ‘Procurement Code’ to read ‘Contract Procedure Rules.

20.To amend the Financial Procedure Rules to confirm that all expenses must be accompanied by a receipt.