More Involvement in Council Decisions a Step Closer

Published on: 19 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 21 Sep, 2015

GBC Council Chamber Millmead

Improvements to council decision-making are on the horizon, after the council’s joint scrutiny committee agreed their final recommendations last night (September 17). The report will now be considered by the Executive on September 29 and full council on  October 7.

Cllr Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas), chair of the governance review task and finish group said: “Our recommendations set out a new way of working, which will give councillors and local residents a greater say in how the council makes decisions. The new Executive Advisory Boards (EABs), if accepted, will ensure that Executive members are aware at an early stage in the decision making process of back bench councillors’ opinions through the debate at the EAB.

“The debate will assist any report to the Executive. Residents will be able to put forward contributions to their ward councillor, and when relevant, speak at the EAB meeting.

“We have spoken to many stakeholders, local residents and councillors during the development of these proposals. Involving more councillors early in the decision-making process will make us more accountable and transparent as an organisation.”

The recommendations are:

– to set up two new Executive Advisory Boards. These will replace the existing scrutiny committees and allow full debate by councillors prior to a decision by the Executive. The EABs will report to the Executive at the start of the decision making process about the formulation and development of policies and projects.

– the proposed new EABs are the “Borough, Economy, and Infrastructure EAB” and the “Society, Environment, and Council Development EAB”

– to establish a new “Overview and Scrutiny Committee” which will also be responsible for wider external scrutiny, including the commissioning of task and finish groups on topics which are relevant across the borough. The committee will be able to invite outside organisations to give evidence at scrutiny meetings much like Parliament Select Committees, while still having the power to review the decisions of the Executive, and handle items “called-in” for examination.

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