Issue - meetings

Report of the Monitoring Officer and Legal Officer.

Considered and Referred by Audit and Governance Committee on 4 September 2023, and Cabinet on 4 November 2023.

Councillor Collier moved and Councillor Gauntlett seconded the recommendations of the report of the Monitoring Officer on updating and aligning the Scheme of Delegations to Officers.

In moving the report, Councillor Collier extended his thanks to the Councillors who had considered the revised scheme as part of the Constitution Working Group and the Audit and Governance Committee, and in particular to Oliver Dixon (Lawyer and Data Protection Officer) for his work on the scheme.

The recommendations were put to a vote and carried unanimously.

RESOLVED –

(1) To consider the draft updated and aligned Scheme at report Appendix 1 and approve all council delegations; and

(2) To note Cabinet’s approval of all executive delegations.

Report of Monitoring Officer

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Chris Collier

(Key decision):

(1) To consider the draft updated and aligned scheme of delegations to officers, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report and approve all executive delegations.

(2) To refer its approval to Full Council for noting.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Monitoring Officer, setting out the need for an updated and aligned scheme of delegation to officers, and outline key amendments.

The document has had extensive consultation prior to Cabinet, including two meetings of the cross-party Constitution Working Group and consideration by the Audit and Governance Committee, held on 4 September 2023.

Thanks were conveyed to officers for their work in producing the report.

Resolved (Key decision):

(1) To consider the draft updated and aligned scheme of delegations to officers, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report and approve all executive delegations.

(2) To refer its approval to Full Council for noting.

Reason for decisions:

Lewes District Council’s existing Scheme has not been fully updated since 2015, leading to lack of clarity over certain officer powers and difficulty with implementation.