Agenda and minutes

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 October 2014 as a correct record.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 1 October 2014 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

To outline the agreed changes to the above delegation arrangements following the recent Scrutiny Review of Planning, together with minor proposed amendments to the scheme to respond to changes in service titles and in response to legislative changes.

The Working Party is requested to endorse the changes agreed as part of the Scrutiny Review of Planning, together with the additional minor changes set out in the report.

Officer Contact: Emma Curle on 0161 474 3542 or email: emma.curle@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the agreed changes to the delegation arrangements following the recent Scrutiny Review of Planning, together with minor proposed amendments to the schedule of delegation arrangements in order to respond to changes in service titles and to legislative changes.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Working Party recommends that the proposed changes to the Constitution agreed as part of the Scrutiny Review of Planning, together with the additional minor changes set out in the report, be approved.

(2) That, subject to the proposed changes to the Constitution being agreed by the Council Meeting, the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any consequential amendments to the paragraph numbering and the inclusion of numbered paragraphs in Part 5 of Annex 1 ‘Call-Up Procedure for Delegated Applications’.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People

The report outlines the changing requirements for the appointment local authority school governors to governing bodies in Stockport.

The Working Party is requested to consider changes to the Council’s Constitution which would be necessary by the proposals.

Officer Contact: Pam Dunham on 0161 474 3847 or email: pam.dunham@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) advising the Working Party of the statutory requirement for the Governing Bodies of all maintained schools to reconstitute by 1 September 2015 whereby there would be only one Local Authority Governor for each maintained school and Local Authority Governors would be offered as nominees on the basis of their skills and experience, rather than appointments being made on the basis of political affiliation. This would negate the need for Annex 2 to Part 3 – Scheme of Delegation “Appointments to School Governing Bodies” which set out the Council’s current process for making appointments to School Governing Bodies.

The Council’s Governor Representative Group was currently in the process of considering a revised protocol for the future nomination of Governors by the Council.

RESOLVED – That the Working Party recommends that:-

(a) Appendix 4 ‘Area Committee Functions’ of Part 3 – Scheme of Delegation be amended by the deletion of the following paragraph under the Powers and Duties:-

Executive Functions

“3. To nominate Local Authority Governors of schools within the area (in accordance with the Council’s agreed protocol)”.

(b) Annex 2 to Part 3 – Scheme of Delegation “Appointments to School Governing Bodies2” be deleted from the Constitution.

(c) the proposed revised protocol for the nomination of School Governors by the Council be considered by the Group Leaders after it is finalised by the Governor Representative Group.

(d) the current composition of the Governor Representative Group be maintained with 1 Liberal Democrat Councillor, 1 Labour Councillor, 1 Conservative Councillor and 1 Independent Ratepayers Councillor and that the revised Terms of Reference for the Group be submitted to the Annual Council Meeting on 26 May 2015.

(e) the membership of the Governor Representative Group be not extended to include representatives of wider groups such as the Governor Association of Stockport (GOVAS).