(If any) – receive.

Apologies were received from Councillor Gillian Ford (Councillor Gerry O’Sullivan substituting) and from Councillor Damian White (Councillor Philippa Crowder substituting).

Members are invited to disclose any interest in any of the items on the agenda at this point of the meeting. 

Members may still disclose any interest in any item at any time prior to the consideration of the matter.

There were no disclosures of interest.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Committee held on 24 August 2022 (attached) and to authorise the Chairman to sign them.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 August 2022 were agreed as a  correct record.

Report attached.

Governance Committee was asked to approve the appointment of Mr Melvin Wallace as the Council’s representative on Havering Theatre Trust. This was agreed without division and it was RESOLVED:

That Mr Melvin Wallace be confirmed as a representative of the Council on Havering Theatre Trust.

There had been a total of four expressions of interest in a vacancy for a Council representative on Romford Combined Charity. The expressions of interest by Councillors Frost and Anderson were withdrawn at the meeting. Voting for the remaining candidates was as follows:

Councillor Jane Keane – Six votes – Councillors Morgon, O’Sullivan, Wilkins, Williamson, Anderson and Darvill.

Councillor Viddy Persaud – Six votes – Councillors Chapman, Philippa Crowder, Dervish, Frost, Taylor and Goode.

The casting vote of the Chairman was cast in favour of Councillor Keane and it was therefore RESOLVED:

That Councillor Jane Keane be confirmed as a representative of the Council on Romford Combined Charity.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed that any Council appointments on outside bodies would be covered by the Council’s indemnity insurance. The Monitoring Officer was also happy to discuss the duties of Trustees with any Members who wished to.

The Committee AGREED:

1.    The full list of Non-Executive Appointments to Outside Bodies as shown in appendix 1 to these minutes.

2.    That all remaining vacancies will be non-executive appointments to the organisations referred to in this report, for the period until the meeting that deals with appointments for the municipal year, 2023/24 (or such other period as may be relevant in any specific case).

Report attached.

A report proposed that the IT and Audio-Visual systems in the Council Chamber be upgraded and that a number of meetings which were likely to generate lower levels of in-person public interest be moved to alternative meeting accommodation within the Town Hall. It was clarified that the facility to hold a hybrid meeting with both remote and in-person attendees would still be available in the new meeting facility.

The cost of upgrading the systems in the Council Chamber would be in the region of £28k although it was noted that some savings in staff costs could be gained by use of the new meetings for certain Committees. A Member asked for further information on the costs of the proposed upgrade but other Members felt that the Chamber systems were no longer fit for purpose. Officers added that the equipment was more than 15 years old and there was a risk of it failing completely if it was not upgraded. Figures could be obtained on the number of occasions webcasts had failed etc.

Members also felt that there was now more interest in the work of the Council as seen for example in the higher level of response to the budget consultation. It was also possible that more income could be gained from hiring out the Council Chamber.

Voting on recommendation 1 of the report was as follows:

In favour – Councillors Morgon, O’Sullivan, Wilkins, Williamson, Anderson and Darvill.

Against – Councillors Chapman, Philippa Crowder, Dervish, Frost and Taylor.

Abstention – Councillor Goode

Recommendation 1 was therefore AGREED by 6 votes to 5 with 1 abstention.

Recommendations 2 and 3 were AGREED without division.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the current system used in the Council Chamber be upgraded, therefore improving the quality and reducing the risk of equipment failure.

2.    That the following meetings are held in the Council Chamber:

Council, Cabinet, Planning Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Licensing Sub-Committees.

3.    That all other meetings are held in meeting rooms within the Town Hall complex,

Report to follow.

A report updated Members on the review of the Council’s Constitution. A Member felt that the review should ask Councillors what areas of the Constitution should be amended. It was pointed put Group Leaders or their representatives were members of the Constitution working party.

The report was AGREED without division and it was RESOLVED:

1.    That the consequential changes to the Constitution to be made by the Monitoring Officer as set out in Appendix 2 to these minutes be noted.

2.    That the terms of reference agreed by the cross party working group (“the Constitution Review Working Group”) as set out in Appendix 3 to these minutes be noted.