Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks

Contact: Democratic Services 01732 227247  Email: democratic.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 24 KB

To agree the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 2 February 2017, as a correct record.

 

Minutes:

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting of the Governance Committee held on 2 February 2017, be approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

 

 

2.

Declarations of Interest

Any interest not already registered

Minutes:

There were none.

 

3.

Actions from the previous meeting

Minutes:

There were none.

 

4.

Ruling by the Chairman regarding Urgent Matters

Minutes:

In accordance with Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Chairman advised the Committee he had agreed to accept an urgent reference from the Planning Advisory Committee.  The matter was urgent as this was to be considered at Cabinet on 13 July 2017.  The item was taken as Agenda Item 6 (Minute 6 below).

 

5.

Review of the Scheme for Members' Allowances pdf icon PDF 33 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed two members of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel (JIRP), Gary Allen and Chris Oliver, to the meeting.  The Chief Finance Officer introduced the covering report and then the JIRP presented their report which detailed their Members’ Allowance review.

 

A Member raised the concern that allowances were not paid hourly and therefore Members that attended every meeting were being paid the same allowance as Members that rarely attended meetings. The subject was debated, but Members agreed that that it would have been difficult to have completed the report based on an hourly rate because of the time Members dedicated to their Wards and not just to meetings. Overall, the Members agreed that the report was fair.

 

The Chairman thanked Messrs. Allen and Oliver for attending and the Panel for a clear and detailed report.

 

Resolved: That

 

a)   the report be noted;

 

b)   it be recommended to Council that

 

i)   the revised Schedule of Recommended Members Allowances as detailed on page 19 and 20 of Appendix A to the report, be agreed;

ii) in future the allowances be updated in line with any increases in the remuneration of Council staff;

 

iii)                the current travel expenses scheme based upon the HMRC approved rate, continue;

 

iv)the existing scheme for meal and subsistence allowances, which excludes tea allowance, continue; 

 

v)  the IT allowance not be paid to Councillors after the next election; and

 

vi)the recommendations take effect from April 2018.

 

c)    the Committee formally record its thanks to Gary Allen, Max Lewis and Chris Oliver for their work in preparing ‘A Review of Council Members’ Allowances for Sevenoaks District Council’.

 

6.

CIL Spending Board - Reference from the Planning Advisory Committee pdf icon PDF 20 KB

Reasons for Urgency:

 

The reference was made by the Planning Advisory Committee on 22.06.17 who agreed to refer the draft Protocol to the Governance Committee. As the Governance Committee papers were despatched prior to the recommendation of Planning Advisory Committee, the papers had not been available five clear working days before the meeting. The Governance Committee is not due to meet until November 2017, and therefore the delay of the consideration by Governance Committee would cause further delay in the Community Infrastructure Levy Spending Board meeting. The Chairman has agreed to it being taken as an urgent matter so that the Governance  Committee’s Comments will be available in advance of the July Cabinet meeting.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a reference from the Planning Advisory Committee which had been referred for consideration and comment.  Accompanying the reference was a short explanatory report which the Chairman had agreed to take as an urgent item. 

 

Members considered the report.  In response to a question it was confirmed that the quorum of 5 was a quarter of the number of members, as per the standard Constitution rules.  It was thought preferable that not all of the Members on the board should be the same as the Development Control Committee, so that other Members would have the opportunity to join Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Spending Board.  A Member expressed concern that the money in the CIL Spending Board fund should be monitored closely so that the money that came in first was used first to prevent funds being lost after 10 years.

 

          Resolved: That

 

a)     the reference be noted; and

 

b)     no objection be raised with the principles of the proposed draft protocol.

 

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7.

Work Plan pdf icon PDF 11 KB

Minutes:

It was noted by Members that there is not currently anything to be discussed at the meeting on 7 November 2017 and therefore the Chairman will decide by the end of October 2017 whether or not the meeting on 7 November 2017 will go ahead.

 

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