Agenda item

Following a motion to Full Council on 4 November 2019, Members gave consideration to a report which sought to establish an Environment and Sustainability Working Group.  The report further sought the Committee’s approval of the Working Group’s terms of reference and requested that six Members (including the Member Champion for Environment and Climate Change) be appointed to serve thereon.

Debate ensued and all Members were in agreement that the subject matter was very much a debatable one and therefore it was important the Working Group stayed focused, did not drift and had an action plan.

It was suggested that as the Chairman of the Working Group was a sitting member of the Committee she should be permitted to update the Committee at each of its future meetings, if necessary.

There was also a suggestion that the Working Group’s Terms of Reference should be amended to include provision for the Group to invite resident groups professions etc to its meetings if required.  This had been alluded to during public participation, but did not appear to be allowed for in the terms of reference.  In response, Officers apologised for the oversight as it had been intended to include such a provision. 

There was some discussion regarding the name of the Working Group, with some Members being of the view it was important Climate change was referenced.  Officers outlined the rationale for the proposed name, advising they considered it reflected the tangibles and the things the Council could directly affect.  Climate change as a whole was a much bigger issue and not one that any one single organisation could impact. The Group’s initial purpose was to develop a Strategy and this would clearly reflect the climate change element.

With the reference to the earlier suggestion that the Working Group’s Terms of Reference should be amended, the following suggested amendment was tabled: -

“3.7        The working group may commission the services of experts, residents, and partners as it considers necessary.   Such attendees will not be voting Members of the Working Group but will be present on an information sharing/ gathering basis.”

Having being proposed and seconded, on being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

Debate turned to the proposed Membership of the Group.  Some Members of the Committee suggested that nominations should be made outside of the meeting to ensure the most appropriate Councillors were appointed and to ensure any Councillors appointed could commit to the additional workload.

Others Members suggested this approach created unnecessary delay and considered that there had been ample opportunity to consult Members regarding their interest and availability.  Without being constituted, the Group would be unable to meet.

The Vice-Chairman sought procedural advice from the Monitoring Officer regarding the appointments and the suggestions which had been made throughout the meeting.

In response the Committee were advised that the Group did need to be formally constituted.  Appointments could not be made outside of the meeting therefore any such appointment would need ratification at Council or a future Committee meeting if not made that evening.

The terms of reference provided that Councillor Coulson would serve on the Group as the Member Champion, nominations for Councillors Rollings, Bunney and Howitt-Cowan were also tabled.

 It was suggested that the Monitoring Officer could be delegated the function to appoint to the remaining two seats, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee.

In light of the advice provided, the following amendment to recommendation 2 was tabled: -

“ that Committee appoints four Members, including the Member Champion for Environment and Climate Change and delegates authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee to appoint the remaining members.”

Having being proposed and seconded, on being put to the vote the amendment was carried.

Members were keen that such appointments were made as a matter of urgency to ensure the Group could be established and therefore requested that nominations were received from Groups by Friday (6th December) to the Monitoring Officer.

On that basis it was RESOLVED that: -

(a)         an Environment and Sustainability Working Group be established and its draft Terms of References as detailed in Appendix A of the report be approved, subject to the following inclusion: -

“3.7        The working group may commission the services of experts, residents, and partners as it considers necessary.   Such attendees will not be voting Members of the Working Group but will be present on an information sharing/ gathering basis.”; and

(b)          the Committee appoints four Members to serve on the Working Group, including the Member Champion for Environment and Climate Change, namely: -

Councillor Tracey Coulson

Councillor Lesley Rollings

Councillor Stephen Bunney

Councillor Paul Howitt-Cowan

and delegates authority to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee to appoint the remaining members (2).”