The Head of Law and Governance has submitted a report which recommends changes to the Council’s Constitution following an annual review of the Constitution overseen by a “Cross-Party Constitution Group”.

Please note that Appendix 2 to this report will be published as a supplement to the main agenda.

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Council will present the report.

Recommendation: That Council resolves to:

1.     Approve the list of proposed amendments to the Constitution detailed in Appendix 1 and highlighted in Appendix 2. 

2.     Adopt the revised Oxford City Council Constitution as presented in Appendix 2.

3.     Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to amend any further wording that is identified as being inconsistent with the changes approved by Council.

4.     Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to amend the Constitution to include a social media policy, following consideration and approval by the Standards Committee.

Council considered a report of the Head of Law and Governance which detailed recommended changes to the Council’s Constitution following an annual review of the Constitution overseen by an informal Cross-Party Constitution Group.

Councillor Chapman, Board Member for Customer Focused Services, presented the report.

Councillor Simmons, seconded by Councillor Gant, proposed the following amendment which was tabled at the meeting:

Item 9 Constitution Appendix 2 p70; Appendix 1 p8 #49

Section 11.18 (c): alter the word limit on motions to 500 words (from proposed 300 words)

Councillor Chapman accepted the proposed amendment and moved the amended recommendations which were adopted on being seconded and put to the vote.

Council resolved to:

1.        Approve the list of proposed amendments to the Constitution detailed in Appendix 1 and highlighted in Appendix 2 and subject to the inclusion of a further amendment to Section 11.18 (c) to alter the word limit on motions to 500 words. 

2.        Adopt the revised Oxford City Council Constitution as presented in Appendix 2 with the addition of the change at (1) above.

3.        Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to amend any further wording that is identified as being inconsistent with the changes approved by Council.

4.        Delegate authority to the Head of Law and Governance to amend the Constitution to include a social media policy, following consideration and approval by the Standards Committee.