Agenda item

The Committee received a report from the Assistant Director (Delivery).

The report referred to the County Council resolution in May 2020 to withdraw from the Joint Development Control Committee (JDCC) after July 2020. The effect of their withdrawal would mean the JDCC as then constituted would no longer be quorate.

The corporate processes for the establishment of the new Joint Development Control Committee, composed of members from both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council had now been completed and the previous JDCC dissolved.

The changes made to the Terms of Reference, Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation at each stage of the corporate processes were summarised in the officer’s report.

Members of the new Joint Development Control Committee were asked to consider the Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation in order that the Committee could proceed with business.

Recommendations

i)     To confirm the Standing Orders for the Joint Development Control Committee.

ii)     To confirm the Scheme of Delegation for the Joint Development Control Committee.

iii)    To agree that the Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation will be reviewed on an annual basis.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

i.     Indicated the wording to the appointment of Chair and Vice Chair should be re worded under p13 (Standing Orders) of the agenda pack, paragraph 1.1 and 1.2.

ii.     Suggested under Appendix A, Public Speaking Rights, p18 of the agenda pack there needed to be clarity on the order of public speakers.

iii.    Would be helpful to highlight at which point of the public speaking the Committee could ask for points of clarification.

The Assistant Director (Delivery) said the following in response to Members’ questions:

i.     Noted the request for the rewording of the election and vice chair for the municipal year; this would be brought back to the next meeting for approval.

ii.     When considering raising the quorum it should not be set too high as there was a possibility that the meeting may not be quorate.

iii.    Previous Standing Orders requested a minimum of 3 members from Cambridge City Council and 3 members from South Cambridgeshire District Council as part of the quorum composition.

iv.    Points of clarification should be at the discretion of the Chair and used in exceptional circumstances. There could be an issue where the points of clarification took longer than the committee debate.

v.    Noted the request to include clarity on the order in which the public speakers addressed the committee; the wording would be presented to the Committee at the next meeting for approval.

 

Councillor Smart proposed the following amendment under item 4, Financial Implications, p4 of the officer’s report (agenda page 6), additional text underlined, deleted text struck through.

 

4. Implications

a) Financial Implications

The JDCC is managed by Cambridge City Council at present and the cost of the JDCC meetings are covered within the existing budgets. These costs may will form part of the shared services charging agreement.

On a show of hands, the amendment was unanimously carried.

Resolved (unanimously):

The JDCC is managed by Cambridge City Council at present and the cost of the JDCC meetings are covered within the existing budgets. These costs will form part of the shared services charging agreement.

Follow the suggestion that the quorum of the committee be raised, Councillor Sargeant proposed a vote be taken on increasing the quorum to four, six or keeping the Quorum to three as stated in the officer’s report. After an informal count of the proposals the following was proposed.

Councillor Daunton proposed and Councillor Bradnam seconded the following amendment under item 6, Quorum, p14 of the agenda pack additional text underlined, deleted text struck through.

The quorum of a meeting will be three six with no less than: -

1 3 Member from South Cambridgeshire District Council and

1 3 Member from Cambridge City Council

On a show of hands, 6 votes to 0.

Councillor Smart proposed that the quorum remained the same as stated in the officer’s report which was as follows:

6.1 The quorum of a meeting will be three with no less than: -

1 Member from South Cambridgeshire District Council and

1 Member from Cambridge City Council

On a show of hands, 6 votes to 0.

As the vote was tied the proposals went to the Chair’s casting vote, whose casting vote resulted in a resolution providing for the following:

The quorum of a meeting will be six with no less than: -

3 Member from South Cambridgeshire District Council and

3 Member from Cambridge City Council.

The Committee:

Resolved unanimously:

i.     To confirm the amended Standing Orders for the Joint Development Control Committee, subject to the further approval of the re-wording, for the election of Chair and Vice Chair, and order of public speakers, at the next JDCC meeting.

ii.     To confirm the Scheme of Delegation for the Joint Development Control Committee.

Iii.    To agree that the Standing Orders and Scheme of Delegation will be reviewed on an annual basis.