Issue - meetings

Councillor G. N.  Denaro as the Portfolio Holder for Resources referred to the Overview Board Task Group report on Community Involvement with Local Democracy and acknowledged the importance of increasing democratic participation, particularly in the light of recent events at both national and local level.

The increased level of public involvement in the democratic process through the work of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee in relation to petitions and task group exercises was acknowledged and welcomed.

Councillor Denaro welcomed the recommendations within the report, some of which complemented and extended the work already being undertaken by officers from a number of departments within the Authority and in partnership with colleagues from the County Council. Concern was expressed however regarding the current and forthcoming programme of work to be carried out by officers and the potential impact of the additional recommendations.

Councillor Denaro stated that having discussed the proposals with the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services he was satisfied that in the main, existing projects and programmes could be extended to include recommendations of the Task Group and that the resources required were largely internal with officer time and activity able to be re-directed. This would need close working between Heads of Service and their respective officers to extend existing work programmes to take account of additional projects.

Members also wished to see that the impact of the work to be undertaken was measured with an increase in the outturn figures in respect of the 2011 local elections. 

The Cabinet felt that there were significant resources implications which would need to be addressed in the way suggested by the Portfolio Holder.  

At the invitation of the Leader, the Chairman of the Overview Board Councillor S. R. Colella addressed the meeting and referred to the evidence base considered by the Task Group and the significant amount of work undertaken by Members and officers.   

The Leader thanked the Task Group on behalf of the Cabinet for their hard work in producing a very good report.  

RESOLVED that the recommendations of the Community Involvement in Local Democracy Task Group be approved subject to the programme of implementation being drawn up in consultation with the relevant Heads of Service as referred to in the preamble.