Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest which requires they leave the room under Paragraph 7.4 of the Code of Conduct, can speak on the item, but must leave the room before the debate and vote.
Decision:
(1) The Chairman announced that Members of the public and the press may use their devices to film/photograph, or do a sound recording of the meeting, but she asked them to not use flash and to disable any beeps or other sound notifications that emitted from their devices. In addition, the Chairman had arranged for the sound at this particular meeting to be recorded;
(2) The Chairman reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question;
(3) The Chairman asked that, for the benefit of any members of the public present at the meeting, Officers announce their name and their designation to the meeting when invited to speak;
(4) The Chairman advised of changes to the order of business on the agenda, including that, following exclusion of the press and public, Item 15 (the Part 2 item on the North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street) will be considered in advance of Item 13 (the Part 1 item on the same matter). The press and public will be invited back into the room for the debate on the Part 1 item; and
(5) At the Chairman’s invitation, the Chief Executive read out the following statement in respect of the Forward Plan and the items on North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street:
“A member of the public has noticed that the Council’s Forward Plan, published on 22 December 2017, contained an error, in that the date of decision for this item was shown as “23 January 2017” and not “23 January 2018”.
The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was consulted under Paragraphs 15.16 and 15.17 of the Council’s Constitution regarding this matter. She accepted that there had been a typographical error, and had no objection to the matter being considered at the Cabinet meeting this evening. The typographical error was corrected in the version of the Forward Plan published on 19 January 2018.
I am content that the Council has therefore complied with its Constitutional requirements despite the typographical error on the original Forward Plan.
I have been further advised that 28 days clear notice was not provided as notification of consideration of the Part 2 report on Hitchin Town Hall and neither was a further 5 days clear notice published prior to this meeting for consideration of this report, as per Regulation 5 of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) Regulations 2012.
As these requirements have not been met, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been consulted and, in the circumstances, has agreed to the Part 2 report being considered this evening on the basis that the meeting is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred. The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is satisfied that compliance with this Regulation is impracticable and that Paragraph 15.16 of the Constitution cannot be followed. The Chairman is authorised to provide this agreement under Regulation 5(6) of the Regulations and Paragraph 15.17 of the Council’s Constitution.”
Minutes:
(1) The Chairman announced that Members of the public and the press may use their devices to film/photograph, or do a sound recording of the meeting, but she asked them to not use flash and to disable any beeps or other sound notifications that emitted from their devices. In addition, the Chairman had arranged for the sound at this particular meeting to be recorded;
(2) The Chairman reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question;
(3) The Chairman asked that, for the benefit of any members of the public present at the meeting, Officers announce their name and their designation to the meeting when invited to speak;
(4) The Chairman advised of changes to the order of business on the agenda, including that, following exclusion of the press and public, Item 15 (the Part 2 item on the North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street) will be considered in advance of Item 13 (the Part 1 item on the same matter). The press and public will be invited back into the room for the debate on the Part 1 item; and
(5) At the Chairman’s invitation, the Chief Executive read out the following statement in respect of the Forward Plan and the items on North Hertfordshire Museum and Hitchin Town Hall: Acquisition of 14/15 Brand Street:
“A member of the public has noticed that the Council’s Forward Plan, published on 22 December 2017, contained an error, in that the date of decision for this item was shown as “23 January 2017” and not “23 January 2018”.
The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was consulted under Paragraphs 15.16 and 15.17 of the Council’s Constitution regarding this matter. She accepted that there had been a typographical error, and had no objection to the matter being considered at the Cabinet meeting this evening. The typographical error was corrected in the version of the Forward Plan published on 19 January 2018.
I am content that the Council has therefore complied with its Constitutional requirements despite the typographical error on the original Forward Plan.
I have been further advised that 28 days clear notice was not provided as notification of consideration of the Part 2 report on Hitchin Town Hall and neither was a further 5 days clear notice published prior to this meeting for consideration of this report, as per Regulation 5 of The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) Regulations 2012.
As these requirements have not been met, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been consulted and, in the circumstances, has agreed to the Part 2 report being considered this evening on the basis that the meeting is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred. The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is satisfied that compliance with this Regulation is impracticable and that Paragraph 15.16 of the Constitution cannot be followed. The Chairman is authorised to provide this agreement under Regulation 5(6) of the Regulations and Paragraph 15.17 of the Council’s Constitution.”