Agenda item

In accordance with The Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, the Council is required to review the allocation of seats to political groups under s.15 Local Government and Housing Act 1989, in certain prescribed circumstances.  This includes following the service of a notice to the proper officer under Regulation 9 by a member wishing to join a political group on the Council and the acceptance of that application by the group concerned, accompanied by a further notice under Regulation 17(c) requesting a review.

Following the recent by-election in the Baxenden ward, it is anticipated that the relevant notices will be received prior to the Council meeting.

If a review is triggered, this may result in adjustments being required to the size of committees and the political balance on those committees.  There may also be consequential amendments to the councillors appointed to serve on those committees.

Further information on any changes being proposed will be available at the meeting.

(Update report attached)

The Council considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, on the outcome of a review of the allocation of seats to political groups and seeking approval to consequential amendments to committee sizes and any changes proposed to the appointment of individual councillors to serve on those committees.

Review of Allocation of Seats

In accordance with The Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, the Council was required to review the allocation of seats to political groups under s.15 Local Government and Housing Act 1989, in certain prescribed circumstances.  This included following the service of a notice to the proper officer under Regulation 9 by a member wishing to join a political group on the Council and the acceptance of that application by the group concerned, accompanied by a further notice under Regulation 17(c) requesting a review.

Following the recent by-election in the Baxenden ward, the relevant notices had been received in connection Councillor Heap joining the Conservative Group and a request for a review of the allocation of seats.

The review had resulted in minor adjustments being proposed to the size of committees to maintain to the overall political balance and consequential amendments to the seats available for councillors to serve on the various committees affected.

Allocation of Seats

The total seats available across the Council should now, in so far as is practicable, be divided between the political parties in the following ratio: 63.6% (Labour and Co-operative) 36.4% (Conservative).  The same ratio should be applied, in so far as is practicable, to the allocation of seats on each individual committee/sub-committee.  Members were reminded that at the Council’s Annual Meeting on 23^rd May 2024, it had been agreed to gift a small number of seats to the Green and Independent members on the larger committees, as this would not materially affect the overall political balance.  It was not proposed to alter this arrangement.

The basic calculation to allocate seats to committees of various sizes remained as had been indicated at the Annual Meeting and was as shown in Table 1 below.  At that time the Council had noted that some adjustment to the ratios shown might be required in the final allocation of seats across the Council, to take into account the following principles as required by the legislation:

(a)     Not all seats to go to the same group;

(b)     If a Group had a majority on the Council, it should receive a majority of seats on each committee;

(c)     Total number of seats across all bodies must be proportionate (subject to (a) and (b));

(d)     Seats on each body must be proportionate (subject to (a) to (c)).

Table 1

*           NB. Adjusted to provide for 1 Green and 1 Independent seat

Following the review, there were two amendments proposed to the size of committees/sub-committees since the Annual Meeting in 2024, in respect of the following Committees:

• Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee (increase from 7 to 8 seats, providing an additional Conservative seat)
• Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (increase from 7 to 8 seats, providing an additional Conservative seat)

The proposals would increase the total number of available seats across all committees and sub-committees from 86 to 88.

A summary of the updated committee sizes was as set out in Table 2 below. 

Table 2

Appointment of Councillors to Individual Committees

Nominations had been sought from the Conservative Group for the committee vacancies created by the review.  Any consequential changes to the appointments to other committees/sub-committees could also be dealt with at the same time.

In the event that nominations were not put forward at the Council meeting, a delegated authority to the Chief Executive to make the appointments in consultation with the relevant political group leader would be required.

Resolved                                 (1)   To note the outcome of a review of allocation of seats to political groups.

(2)   To approve the political composition and size of committees and sub-committees of the Council, as set out in Paragraph 4.5 of the report, and the consequential amendments required to committee sizes at Appendix 1 of Part 3 (Responsibility for Functions) of the Council’s Constitution.

(3)   To authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant political group leader, to approve any changes submitted in respect of the membership of committees and sub-committees, so as to give effect to the wishes of that political group.