Minutes:
Members were advised that the first Motion on Notice that had been submitted for consideration at this meeting would be debated at this stage. This would ensure that, should the Motion be approved, the action that would be required as a consequence could be implemented at the Annual Council meeting during consideration of the Appointments to Committees 2026/27 (Including Political Balance) report.
The following Motion on Notice was presented by Councillor D. Nicholl for Council’s consideration:
“Council resolves to amend the constitution with immediate effect so that Chairs and Vice Chairs of the Council’s formal committees for each municipal year are elected at the Annual Meeting of the Council.”
The Motion was proposed by Councillor Nicholl and seconded by Councillor S. Robinson.
In proposing the Motion, Councillor Nicholl explained that other Councils in Worcestershire appointed the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of their Committees at their Annual Council meetings. He expressed the view that this approach could be considered more transparent than appointments made at the first meeting of a Committee in the municipal year, which was the current arrangement at Bromsgrove District Council. He also expressed the opinion that this approach might ensure that the number of chairing roles allocated per political group at the authority reflected a balanced position.
In seconding the Motion, Councillor S. Robinson commented that contrary to concerns expressed by some Members, she did not feel that the Motion was proposing a top-down approach to appointments of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees. The political balance would continue to apply to relevant Committees and only Members nominated to sit on those Committees by their group leaders, in accordance with the political balance figures, would be eligible to be nominated to be the Chairmen or Vice Chairmen of those Committees. Members were also asked to note that the approach proposed in the Motion would help to ensure that all or at least a majority of Members would be in support of the appointments agreed at the Annual Council meeting.
Members discussed the proposed Motion in detail and in doing so commented on the following:
· The need for clarity as to whether every Member of Council would be provided with an opportunity to vote on the appointments of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to Committees or just the members of those Committees. Members were informed that the intention was to provide all Members with an opportunity to vote at the Annual Council meeting on these appointments.
· The arrangement whereby Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees were currently appointed by their colleagues at the first meeting of the Committee in the municipal year. The suggestion was made that this helped to demonstrate that the Councillors appointed to these positions had the confidence of their colleagues on the relevant Committee.
· The historic arrangements for appointing Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to Committees, which had reflected the approach proposed in the Motion. It was suggested that a decision had been made to change this arrangement some years ago due to concerns about Council imposing Chairmen and Vice Chairmen on Committees.
· The extent to which a Chairman and a Vice Chairman could be considered to be more accountable to the members of a Committee if they were appointed to chair that Committee by those Members.
· The need for the most appropriate Councillors with relevant skills to be appointed to Chairmen and Vice Chairmen positions of Committees.
· The value of political groups working together whilst the Council was under no overall control to identify which Members should be appointed as the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of particular Committees.
· The need for the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Audit, Standards and Governance Committee to be independent from the Cabinet and the extent to which it would be appropriate for Cabinet Members to engage at the Annual Council meeting in appointing the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of these Committees.
· The extent to which Cabinet Members could be excluded from voting on the appointments of the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Audit, Standards and Governance Committee if this was determined at the Annual Council meeting.
· The constitutional changes arising from the proposals detailed in the Motion and whether Committee Members would have the power to overturn the appointment once determined at the Annual Council meeting. Members were informed that if the authority decided that appointments of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees should be a Council function Committees would not have the power to overturn decisions on appointments made at the Annual Council meeting.
· The appointment of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen to Committees at Annual Council meetings at other local authorities under No Overall Control. Members commented that this included Redditch Borough Council and it was noted that as a consequence, due to shared services, Council staff would be familiar with the arrangements that needed to apply.
· The extent to which appointment of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Committees at the Annual Council meeting could be viewed as political in nature and whether this was appropriate for quasi-judicial Committees.
· The extent to which the distribution of Chairmen and Vice Chairmen’s appointments to Committees at the authority in recent years was a fair reflection of the political balance at the Council.
· The live streaming of full Council meetings and the extent to which appointments of Committee Chairmen and Vice Chairmen made at the Annual Council meeting would be more transparent to the public than at Committee meetings that were not live streamed.
· The fact that meetings of the formal Committees, such as the Overview and Scrutiny Board and Licensing Committee, were open to the public to attend to observe proceedings.
· The previous discussions Members had held about specific Chairman and Vice Chairman roles and the extent to which these discussions had been productive.
On being put to the vote, the Motion was lost.