Plans for a radical shake-up of the Isle of Wight Council could be formally approved this week – and tomorrow night’s meeting might bring some surprises too.
At tomorrow’s (Wednesday’s) Full Council annual meeting, local councillors are due to decide whether to approve a new committee system constitution for the Isle of Wight Council – set to replace County Hall’s current cabinet model.
Councillors agreed to move to a committee system at an extraordinary full council meeting on 1st May 2024.
But there are also rumours that there could be a shake-up of the controlling party, but time will tell on how the Council will look moving forward.
A Full Council report signed by County Hall’s chief executive, Wendy Perera, says:
“Following the resolutions of full council at its meeting of March 19, consideration of a ‘call-in’ procedure for major decisions to be considered by full council, together with subsequent proposed amendments to planning procedure rules and code of good planning practice have been completed, considered by members of the audit and governance committee and are now put forward for approval.
“Once full council gives approval to these proposed amendments, they are asked to formally adopt the constitutional provisions necessary to implement the committee system which comes into effect the moment the new constitution has been agreed and adopted.”
Most local authorities have a cabinet system where Full Council elects a leader who appoints and chairs a panel of executive councillors who meet regularly and can rapidly make decisions, according to national body the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Councillor Hub.
The cabinet model also includes a system of overview and scrutiny where councillors not part of the cabinet can closely examine decision-making.
Councils that operate under a committee model, for example Bristol City Council and Sheffield City Council, have a variety of committees which look after different areas of policy. Under this system, more councillors are actively involved in making decisions, but decision-making can take longer, the LGA has said.
Full Council will meet at 18:00 at County Hall.
Personally I am looking forward to the day when
the island gets a mainland Mayor running the show.
There is no action on the island, just a load of
hot air.