Agenda item

Councillor Coley submits a report that presents an operational framework for the establishment of Area Committees in Leicester and a guidance document to support Councillors in their role as members of Area Committees. The Cabinet is asked to make a number of recommendations to Council for the implementation of Area Committees.

The relevant minutes extract from the Finance, Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee held on 28 April 2004 is attached to the report.

Councillor Blackmore submitted a report that presented an operational framework for the establishment of Area Committees in Leicester and a guidance document to support Councillors in their role as members of Area Committees.

Councillor Blackmore commented that the Cabinet had listened to a range of views and these informed the decision on the boundaries for the Area Committees. He also commented that there was opportunity for further discussion before this report was considered by Council to give further consideration to where the initial area committees would be held.

The relevant minutes extract from the Finance, Resources and Equal Opportunities Scrutiny Committee held on 28 April 2004 was attached to the report.

RESOLVED:

that the following be recommended to Council for approval:-

(1)the Terms of Reference for Area Committees and their incorporation into the Council’s Constitution; 

(2)the Rules of Procedure for Area Committees and their incorporation into the Council’s Constitution;

(3)the final boundaries for Area Committees and the city centre, be as shown at Appendix B, Map A of the report; 

(4)that there be a phased introduction of Area Committees;

(5)that the criteria for selecting initial areas for Area Committees, as detailed in the report be agreed;

(6)that on the basis of the agreed criteria the first areas in which Area Committees operate be:-

Area 2 – Humberstone, Hamilton & Thurncourt

Area 6 – Aylestone, Eyres Monsell & Freemen

(7)that Area Committees do not have delegated decision making powers in the first instance, pending the review of the initial areas;

(8)that the suggested minimum standards for community engagement (public involvement in Area Committees and consultation by Area Committees), be approved;

(9)that ‘promoting community cohesion’ be an eighth role for Area Committees; and

(10)that the detailed operational guidance; ‘Toolkit for Area Committees’, be endorsed.