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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee note and endorse the Annual Report 2023/24 attached at Appendix 1 and commend the same to Council.
Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee endorse the Democratic Services structure set out in Appendix 1 and note the report.
Resolved: It is recommended that members consider the Council’s current petition scheme and highlight any changes they feel should be considered.
Resolved: It is recommended that Democratic Services Committee consider the protocol for public speaking and highlight any changes that might be required.
Resolved: · It is recommended that members note the feedback from the Annual Member Survey 24/25. · It is recommended that members consider the Annual Training and Development Programme for Elected Members for the 25/26 Civic Year in their next meeting, based on the feedback provided from the survey. · It is recommended that members authorise the Head of Democratic Services to consult with other officers on potential actions to be taken in response to the survey.
There were no declarations of interest.
The minutes of the meeting held on 17th February 2025 were approved as a true and accurate record.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee note and endorse the Annual Report 2023/24 attached at Appendix 1 and commend the same to Council.
Officers provided an overview of the report contained within the agenda pack. Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee note and endorse the Annual Report 2023/24 attached at Appendix 1 and commend the same to Council.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee endorse the Democratic Services structure set out in Appendix 1 and note the report.
Officers provided an overview of the report, as contained within the agenda pack. The Chair extended thanks to the Democratic Services Team for their dedication, hard work and commitment. Resolved: That the Democratic Services Committee endorse the Democratic Services structure set out in Appendix 1 and note the report.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: It is recommended that members consider the Council’s current petition scheme and highlight any changes they feel should be considered.
The Head of Legal and Democratic Services provided an overview of the report, as contained within the agenda pack. Members observed that elected members received a number of online petitions from the public; however, none of these have been local authority E-Petitions. It was noted that any E-Petition receiving over five hundred signatures would prompt a debate. Members requested additional information regarding this process. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services confirmed that any petition meeting the threshold would be considered by full council for a public debate. A timed discussion would be held at council to allow for consideration of the item. Cabinet Members or Scrutiny committees may advance matters within their respective forums, if deemed appropriate. In some cases, the debate could result in Cabinet directing officers to provide additional detail. The E-petition process ensures transparency regarding the issue under consideration and offers an opportunity for deliberation and agreed actions to address the points raised within the petition. Members noted that a recent online petition had gathered over 4.5k signatures, through a third party platform. If the local authority E Petition scheme had been used, this would have generated a debate. Members referred to the three petitions mentioned in the report and noted that none had met the threshold for a response. Members enquired what action was taken in those circumstances, are the public advised of alternative ways their views can be communicated. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services confirmed that the three petitions mentioned in the report triggered a response from the Head of Service. The Head of Service considered the request and explained why that particular course of action had been taken. Copies of responses are published on the Council Website which is publicly accessible. Members enquired whether the ability of the public to ask questions in meetings is publicised. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised members that public participation at meetings was promoted as much as possible. There was a need to maximise the potential for utilising different forums for engagement. A potential focus for the Democratic Services Committee could be to further promote these different elements in order to encourage public participation in democratic processes. Further information on public speaking will be provided under agenda item six. Members referred to paragraph 23 of the report and asked for clarification on the financial aspects. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services advised members that the financial implications of accommodating petitions are expected to be minimal. However, there may be occasional costs for translation services or accessibility adaptations. The council is aware of these potential costs and will monitor them as needed to ensure inclusivity in meetings. Resolved: It is recommended that members consider the Council’s current petition scheme and highlight any changes they feel should be considered.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: It is recommended that Democratic Services Committee consider the protocol for public speaking and highlight any changes that might be required.
The Head of Legal and Democratic Services provided an overview of the report contained within the agenda pack. It was noted that since the policy has been in place only one member of the public has requested to speak at Council. The council is working to further promote the petition scheme and Public Speaking Protocol to ensure members of the public are aware of different opportunities to speak directly to councillors and voice their concerns on various matters. Members questioned whether all councillors communicated with their local residents to advise them of issues in their wards and how local residents can be involved in the democratic process. The Head of Legal and Democratic Services proposed to e-mail all members to remind them of the E Petition scheme and Public Speaking Protocol. Members could then communicate this information to their local residents, as required. Resolved: It is recommended that Democratic Services Committee consider the protocol for public speaking and highlight any changes that might be required.
Decision as recorded
Resolved: · It is recommended that members note the feedback from the Annual Member Survey 24/25. · It is recommended that members consider the Annual Training and Development Programme for Elected Members for the 25/26 Civic Year in their next meeting, based on the feedback provided from the survey. · It is recommended that members authorise the Head of Democratic Services to consult with other officers on potential actions to be taken in response to the survey.
The Democratic Services Manager provided an overview of the report as contained within the agenda pack, and thanked members for their candid responses to the survey. Members asked why the summary of responses excluded the Cabinet Member responses. The Democratic Services Manager confirmed that Cabinet Members were surveyed separately at a later time and responses were still being collated. Responses will be available for committee members and would shape the support provided to Cabinet Members going forward. Members expressed gratitude to the Democratic Services Team for the work undertaken in conducting the annual survey. Resolved: · It is recommended that members note the feedback from the Annual Member Survey 24/25. · It is recommended that members consider the Annual Training and Development Programme for Elected Members for the 25/26 Civic Year in their next meeting, based on the feedback provided from the survey. · It is recommended that members authorise the Head of Democratic Services to consult with other officers on potential actions to be taken in response to the survey.
There were no urgent items.
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