Issue - meetings

The Council was reminded of the requirement for it to review its Constitution on an annual basis and that as part of that process it had established a Constitutional Review Working Group [CRWG] to present any recommended changes.

It was reported that the Constitutional Review Working Group of the previous Council had recommended that the Council should, at its Annual Meeting, consider a report on the possibility of appointing a presiding member. However, it was suggested that this be considered at a future meeting to allow initial discussions to be held with the Constitutional Review Working Group of the new Council in the first instance.

It was further reported that whilst no legislation requiring changes to the Council’s Constitution had been introduced during 2021/22 there was a need for Part 6.1 thereof to be amended to reflect the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales’ (IRPW) prescribed amounts to be paid to Councillors for 2020/21, as detailed within the report.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

11.1 in accordance with the determinations made by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales, to adopt the Councillors’ and Co-opted Members’ Salaries and Allowances Scheme for 2022-2023, as detailed within Part 6.1 of the Constitution;

11.2 to adopt the Council Constitution for 2022-2023 subject to any necessary changes to the Constitution arising from decisions made earlier in the meeting;

11.3 that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any minor amendments, correct typographical or drafting errors and ensure all cross-references within the Constitution are correct and that these be reported to the Constitutional Review Working Group as and when necessary.

The Council was reminded of the requirement for it to review its Constitution on an annual basis and that as part of that process it had established a Constitutional Review Working Group [CRWG] to present any recommended changes. The following changes were recommended to Council by the Constitutional Review Working Group:-

Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021

The Local Government and Elections Wales Act 2021 had and would introduce a number of legislative changes and these changes would come into force on different dates. The constitution had been updated to reflect the changes known to date. 

Part 3.2 Scheme of Delegation to officers

The scheme of delegation was currently being updated to reflect the Council’s current organisational structure and any legislative changes.  These changes would go to CRWG separately and be the subject of a further report to Council.

Councillors’ and Co-opted Members’ Salaries and Allowances Scheme (Part 6.1)

Constitutionally, responsibility for adopting a Scheme of Members’ Allowances rested with the Council but the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW) determined  the amounts to be paid with a view to providing a consistent national framework for councillor remuneration. The report contained the IRPW determinations for 2021/22 which were payable from 1^st April 2021. Councillors appointed to new posts Senior/Civic Salaries at the AGM would be paid any revised salary from the start of the municipal year (19^th May 2021).

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

9.1       in accordance with the determinations made by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales, to adopt the Councillors’ and Co-opted Members’ Salaries and Allowances Scheme for 2021/22, as detailed within Part 6.1 of the Constitution;

9.2       to approve the constitutional changes, which have come about as a result of the legislative changes in Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and any additional recommendations put forward by the Constitutional Review Working Group;

9.3       that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any minor amendments, correct typographical or drafting errors and ensure all cross-references within the Constitution are correct and that these be reported to the Constitutional Review Working Group as and when necessary;

9.4  that subject to recommendations 9.1 – 9.3 above, and also the deletion, under ‘Responsibility for Functions, of Function D.7. ‘Duty to provide assistance at European Parliamentary elections’, the Council Constitution be adopted for 2021/22.