To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on13 March 2014, as a correct record.

Resolved:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Governance Committee, subject to the addition of Cllr. Walshe’s apologies, be approved and signed as a correct record.  

Any interest not already registered

Councillor McGarvey declared an interested in Minute 4 that he had been involved in the Badgers Mount working party and had previously been the clerk to Shoreham Parish Council.

There were none.

With the Committee’s agreement the Chairman brought forward consideration of agenda item 7 to take place after agenda item 5.

The Chief Officer Legal and Governance presented a report that detailed the completed draft Order to create the new Council for the Parish of Badgers Mount on 1 April 2015 in time for the Parish and Town Council Elections on 7 May 2015.

Members were informed that there was a typographical error under Citation and Commencement item 1 and that the Order was for 2014 not 2013 and this would be corrected.  They were also advised that item 1, 3 a, and b would come into force on the 1 December 2014 to ensure the calculation of the budget and to enable the election of parish councillors.  The map attached to the draft Order showed the boundary of the new Parish.  Paragraph 5 of the draft Order set out the figure on which the precept would be calculated.  Shoreham Parish Council would transfer £10,000 to the new Parish Council which would form initial reserves.  The new Parish Council would have 5 Councillors and the Monitoring Officer would convene the Council’s first meeting after the elections.  Meetings had taken place with all interested parties who were agreeable to the terms of the draft Order.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Council to establish the Parish Council for the Parish of Badgers Mount on and from 1 April 2014 in the terms of the Established Order.

The Chief Planning Officer presented a report that advised Members that the District Council could be a consultee on planning applications.  It was identified that the current constitution did not sufficiently involve Members in the preparation of the Council’s response and did not contain provision for Members to call consultation responses to Development Control Committee for their consideration.

The report presented two amendments which allowed for the responses to be called to Development Control Committee if there was time or for the Chief Planning Officer to seek the Local Ward Member, Leader and other relevant portfolio Holders and Deputies views if requested by a Member. 

Members discussed whether this would apply to other consultations such as the change is status of a school or the re naming of a school, and if Development Control Committee was the appropriate committee for a decision of this type.  It was mooted as to whether it would be a Portfolio Holder Decision or whether it would go to Cabinet to decide and then recommend to Council.  It was agreed that officers should investigate and report back to the committee and report the consequences of the issue to Cabinet.

It was agreed by Members that the second amendment needed to specify that it was when time frames did not allow and therefore the wording, ‘when timeframes do not allow’ needed to be included after the closed bracket.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Council, subject to the additional wording in the second paragraph, that the proposed amendments to the Constitution be agreed.

In accordance with Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman advised the Committee he had agreed to accept an urgent matter– ‘Community Governance Review’.

The report needed to be considered at this meeting in line with the agreed timetable at the meeting of the Governance Committee on 13 March 2014, so that a decision could be made at Full Council on 22 July 2014 and the Council’s draft proposals could be published by the end of July.  The deadlines needed to be kept in order for any changes to parish arrangements to take effect at the publication of the register of electors by 1 December 2014 and at next May’s local elections. 

The Electoral Services Manager presented the report which advised Members that the Council was required to keep parish council governance under constant review. Submissions had been received from the Parish Councils of Shoreham and Chevening and representations in support had been received during the consultation period.  As per the timetable agreed at the 13 March 2014 Governance Committee meeting the draft proposal would allow an opportunity for further consultation.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Council that

(a)               a new Romney Street Ward be created in the Parish of Shoreham;

(b)               the number of parish councillors for the Romney Street Ward, the Shoreham Ward and The Well Hill Hundreds Ward of the Parish of Shoreham be 1,6,1 respectively; and

(c)                the boundary between the parishes of Chevening and Sevenoaks Weald be amended to the area of Bowzell Green.

It was agreed that the results of the draft proposals from the Community Governance Review and a report on the recording of meetings would be brought to the September 2014 meeting.  The Chairman asked Members if there were other areas that the Committee should include on the work plan.  Members discussed the possibility of looking into the Committee system to provide the results for new Members in May 2015.  The advantages and disadvantages of a Committee system were discussed.  It was agreed that Councillors London and Walshe would look at other Council’s who were using the Committee system and report back to the September meeting.