Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Law and Assurance.

At its meeting on 28 November 2018, the Governance Committee agreed to carry out a review of County Local Committees after May 2019.  The Committee is asked to consider and agree the proposed terms of reference for the review.

50.1   The Committee was reminded that at its meeting on 28 November 2018 it had agreed to carry out a review of County Local Committees after May 2019.  The Committee considered a report by the Director of Law and Assurance on the proposed terms of reference for the review (copy appended to the signed minutes).

50.2   The Head of Democratic Services introduced the report referred to the membership of the working group as set out in paragraph 2 of Appendix 1 of the report.  She confirmed that Mrs Millson had agreed to remain a member of the group representing the Horsham district and that Mrs Mullins would be the representative for Crawley.  The Conservative Group Leader would confirm the remaining three names in due course.

50.3  Resolved – That the terms of reference, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

Report by the Director of Law and Assurance.

The Committee is asked to consider whether to recommend to the County Council that the Lindfield & High Weald electoral division, currently part of both the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee (CLC) and the North Mid Sussex CLC, should be entirely within the North Mid Sussex CLC.

26.1   The report by the Director of Law and Assurance (copy appended to the signed minutes) on whether to recommend to the County Council that the Lindfield & High Weald electoral division, currently part of both the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee (CLC) and the North Mid Sussex CLC, should be entirely within the North Mid Sussex CLC was withdrawn. 

26.2   The Committee was informed that when the changes had been approved in 2016 there had been a promise to consider whether any adjustment was required to the CLCs in Mid Sussex in the light of experience once the recommendations had been implemented.  That review would now be undertaken before any proposals for boundary changes were put before the Committee.  It was noted that the distances between towns set out in the Appendix to the report needed to be checked before the item was reconsidered.

26.3   The Leader said the offer to review the situation in Mid Sussex would be honoured but commented that the budget cuts which had led to the reduction in the number of CLCs had been implemented and staff resources had been reduced accordingly.  She also commented that, in terms of amount of business at meetings, recent topical issues in Mid Sussex which had been of significant public interest would inevitably have increased pressure on agendas.

26.4   The Chairman said a Governance Committee working group would be set up to look at the issues raised in relation to Mid Sussex and report back to the Committee in due course.

26.5  Resolved – That a working group be set up to look at the issues raised in relation to Mid Sussex and report back to the Committee in due course.