Issue - meetings

The terms of reference for Area Committees are attached.

The Committee considered the terms of reference for Area Committee meetings. It was noted that the Committees were properly constituted decision making bodies of the Council and as such would need to adhere to the relevant legal and procedural rules that applied setting out how they operate and their functions. Key functions included development of an area plan setting out priorities for the area, developing partnership working, making proposals for improvements to the physical environment and variation to standard service delivery.  

The chair provided clarity on the role of the Committee in relation to licensing and planning applications. Although formal Planning and Licensing Committees were in place as the designated decision making bodies, the Area Committees would be consulted informally and able to make representations.

Concerns were raised on the potential for the Committee part of the evening to serve as a repeat of the earlier public Area Forum meeting with local residents. The Chair stated that the distinction between the two different meeting formats would become clearer over time, particularly as work in relation to the Area Plans was progressed thereby requiring formal decisions to be made by the Committee. It was emphasised that the Area Committee was classified as a formal meeting which although held in public wouldn’t involve active participation from local residents as the Area Forum earlier in the evening provided the opportunity for local people to get involved and give their views to their ward Councillors. This would then allow informed decisions to be made by the Committee.