To reverse the decision taken on 3 April 2020 with respect to the suspension of Call-in arrangements for Area Committees, Planning Review Committee, executive and ward member spend / CIL. 

Specifically to make the following changes to the Constitution:

Part 17

What decisions can be called in?

17.1

Delete: No decisions can be called in

Re-instate:The following decisions can be called in:

·         resolutions by the Cabinet

·         key decisions taken by officers

·         ward member spend (Part 4.6)

·         planning decision taken by area planning committees

·         decisions on planning applications that were going to be taken by the Head of Planning Services

and parts 17.2 – 17.9 inclusive

The previous decision to suspend the Call-in arrangements was taken at the outset of the COVID-19 lockdown in order to reduce demand on the officer resource base within the Council. The assessment after 1 month is that the re-instatement of Call-in arrangements will not have a detrimental impact on resilience of the Council services and will promote open debate and transparent decision making.

Other option considered:

Not to re-instate the Council’s various Call-in arrangements and to maintain the suspension of such arrangements for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 4 April 2020 the Government passed legislation to allow local authorities to hold remote meetings [The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.] 

During April officers developed proposals and made practical arrangements to support remote meetings commencing in the week beginning 18 May 2020. 

The preferred option is to re-instate the Call-in arrangements in parallel with the introduction of remote meeting arrangements.