AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE FOR COUNCIL’S NEW DECISION MAKING PLAN

A ‘positive way forward’ has been agreed by the Isle of Wight Council after heads clashed over the way decisions could be made at the authority in the future. In July last year, councillors unanimously voted to investigate whether moving to a committee system would be the right thing for the Isle of Wight Council, as it would allow more members to be involved in the decision-making process. A vote was supposed to take place at Wednesday’s (17th January) full council meeting to see whether councillors agreed in principle with the move. However, it was pulled after a report from a working party was said to be lacking in detail and the authority’s monitoring officer warned any decision that would be made on it would be illegal. The move had angered some councillors, who called it undemocratic and said they were flabbergasted when it was not listed on the agenda. Speaking on Wednesday, Councillor Geoff Brodie, who proposed the move back in July, said taking the item off the agenda had caused ‘much disquiet’ as there was ‘clearly a democratic groundswell of support for change to a committee system’. Cllr Brodie explained a meeting had been held on Tuesday to discuss a way forward where it was agreed a report would be brought to the full council by 1st May at the latest. The report would recommend a politically proportionate committee system could be implemented at the council’s annual general meeting on 15th May. The next stage, Cllr Brodie said, is for the working group to work with senior officials to agree on proposals for constitutional change to enable the transition. A progress report will come in March, confirming the timetable of the move, which will be legally compliant and detail any appropriate public consultation. Councillor Claire Critchison, the chair of the council, said it was a positive move forward for the future governance of the council and looking at different options.