Agenda item

Report attached.

The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Marlene Haworth, the Leader of the Council, regarding the establishment of Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups for the 2023/24 Municipal Year and the appointment of members to those Committees and Groups.

The Leader briefly introduced the report and invited councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP to confirm the Opposition nominations to the various seats available.  Councillor Dad indicated the Labour nominations as shown in the table below.  He also requested that the Cabinet consider making an additional seat available to the Labour Group on the Net Zero Working Group to which he would like to nominate Councillor Kate Walsh.  The Leader asked for this request to be put to her in writing and undertook to give the matter some consideration.  Councillors Smithson and Z Khan added that issues could be fed into that Working Group by councillors at any time without the need to part of its formal membership.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

In June 2015, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013).  The Cabinet Committee determined whether to grant, renew, revoke or vary scrap metal licences pursuant to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, where the applicant or licensee (as the case may be) had informed the Council that they wished to make oral representations.  Meetings took place only as and when required, but this body was needed to enable compliance with statutory requirements.

In December 2017, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Street Naming).  The Cabinet Committee met from time to time and discharged the Council’s functions in respect of the naming and renaming of streets pursuant to Sections 17 and 18 Public Health Act 1925.

In 2018, Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Land and Property) to have oversight of the Council’s land and property holdings.  However, this Committee had not met for at least 18 months and the Head of Regeneration and Housing considered that this Committee was surplus to requirements.

In June 2018, the Cabinet had established the Cabinet Committee (Digital Economy).  The Committee had been intended to provide a forum for Cabinet to consider the impact of the digital economy on the Borough and its town centres in particular.  However, the Committee had not met since that date and might be considered to be surplus to requirements.

In June 2015, Cabinet had established the following three Cabinet Groups which acted in an advisory capacity to Cabinet and did not have any delegated or decision making powers:

(a)    Covenant Commemoration Working Group (formerly Accrington Pals Centenary Commemorations Group – This group had not met since its focus had shifted in 2019 from the Pals Centenary to the Armed Forces Covenant.  However, much of its role had been subsumed into the role of the Council’s Armed Forces Champion.  It was therefore recommended that the group be disestablished.

(b)    Cabinet Public Transport Group – This group had not met since November 2016 and the projects for which it had originally been set up to provide advice upon had either progressed to completion or had undergone a change of priority.  Accordingly, the Head of Planning and Transportation was of the view that the group should be disestablished.

(c)   Cabinet Waste and Recycling Group. -  This Group continued to meet on a regular basis and provided oversight of certain aspects of the Council’s Waste Services.

On 21 September 2022, Cabinet had established theNet Zero Working Group, comprising Councillors Zak Khan (Chair), Caroline Montague and Councillor Josh Allen.  The Working Group’s remit was to support the work of Cabinet in addressing climate change, but it did not have any delegated or decision making powers.  The Group was currently active.

The terms of reference for all of the bodies mentioned above were appended to the report for information and completeness.  However, Cabinet was being requested only to readopt those that related to those bodies listed in the table below.

It was proposed that the following bodies continue into 2023/24, with the membership as shown.  The voting membership of the Committees was limited only to councillors who were Cabinet Members:-

There were no alternative options for consideration or reasons

Resolved                                 (1)   That Cabinet agrees to the establishment of the Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups,as set out in paragraph 3.8 of the report, and with the terms of reference, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

(2)   That the membership of the Cabinet Committees and Cabinet Groups, as set out in paragraph 3.8 of the report, including the Labour nominations reported orally at the meeting, be approved.

(3)   That the following Cabinet Committees and Groups be disestablished.

·      Cabinet Committee (Land and Property)

·      Cabinet Committee (Digital Economy)

·      Covenant Commemoration Working Group

·      Cabinet Public Transport Group.