Agenda item

To receive a Notice of Motion in respect of transparency and accountability of Borough Council business submitted by Councillor April Clark on behalf of the Green Group.

Notice of Motion attached

Consideration was given to a Notice of Motion pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No. 5.27 submitted by Councillor A Clark on behalf of the Green Party in the following terms:

Transparency and Accountability Motion

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council has stepped up to the challenge of continuing to perform our duties and serve our community - including rapidly identifying, testing and executing a new system of meeting and voting online that meets current regulatory and constitutional requirements. It is a great credit to the Officers and all the Members who have demonstrated flexibility and versatility in order to ensure the success of this new way of working together.

We therefore propose that we amend the way that this Council records the business of its meetings beyond the pandemic response period, in order to continue to:

-       encourage and enable the greatest possible participation in meetings and local democracy by Members and Residents alike,

-       build trust between Residents and Members who represent them, and

-       enable greater understanding of how the Council conducts its business and makes decisions.

The measures proposed are all designed to complement the Council’s Digital Strategy, and to bring the meeting practices of the Council in line with many other local authorities that have already put such measures in place successfully. At such time as we find ourselves able to meet again in person, the investment already made in the microphone system in the Council Chamber at King’s Hill, as well as a portable system available for meetings held in the Angel Centre, to provide a hearing loop, mean that only a small estimated additional investment will be required, if any, in order to put these measures in place. Electronic voting has also recently been tested by Members with positive feedback on the functionality and security of the system proposed.

We believe these measures will also ensure that we respond to the potential equality impact on residents who would like to observe and participate in meetings by asking questions, as well as Members. This especially applies to those with caring responsibilities, short- and long-term disabilities, pregnancy and post-natal care, unavoidable work commitments, illness or who are on low incomes without access to affordable transport in the evenings.

To ensure that the objectives above are addressed, this motion proposes that:

(1)          Every Council Meeting, Cabinet, Advisory Board and Committee Meeting be live streamed on a secure internet connection, as well as recorded, beyond the pandemic period. Recordings should be made available on the Council’s website for members of the public to access within 2 working days of the meeting having taken place.

(2)          Electronic voting be introduced for every Council Meeting, Cabinet Meeting, Advisory Board and Committee Meeting. 

(3)          Recorded votes be extended to every Council Meeting, Advisory Board and Committee Meeting on Member request.

(4)          As long as government regulation continues to allow (especially in the instance that the current concession introduced during the pandemic response period be made permanent), that the option for full remote participation in meetings, including remote voting for Members of Council, Cabinet and Advisory Boards, be continued.

Councillor M Coffin proposed, seconded by Councillor N Heslop, an amendment to the Motion as follows:

The Conservative Group has long argued that it is essential for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to make its proceedings as accessible as possible to all members of the council and members of the public, and has taken action to ensure this is the case.

We note the suggestions made by Green Party Councillors. However, all of these suggestions are already under consideration or have been implemented.  Borough Councillors had the option to attend a trial for an electronic voting system in October 2019, and any member can request their vote be recorded in minutes and on any item under Part 4, Section 1, Paragraph 8.6 of the constitution when voting at Council.

At present, regulations made by the government under Section 78 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 enable the council to allow remote participation in meetings until 7 May 2021. We will await further guidance from the Government about whether it is able to extend this. In the interim, a review of virtual meetings is included in the work programme for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as part of our recovery phase from the pandemic.

On 30 June 2020, Decision Notice D200039CAB was taken by Cabinet which resolved that Management Team be asked to conduct a review of all the Borough Council’s assets, including use of the Gibson Building, to cover all areas as well as the need, function and capability of the Council Chamber and Committee Room for Council, Cabinet, Advisory Board and Committee meetings, in line with the Digital and Climate Change Strategies.

Any decision on recording meetings should only be agreed following the outcome of this review, considering the likely costs of installing a system in all locations where Council, Cabinet, Advisory Board and Committee meetings take place. This must consider the full costs of installation at all venues (currently the Gibson Building and Angel Centre), and our commitments in the Digital Strategy and Climate Change Strategy.

We therefore move that the motion be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider further.

Members signified consent to this amendment and it was

RESOLVED:  That the Notice of Motion (as amended) proposed by Councillor M Coffin and seconded by Councillor N Heslop be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to consider further.