Council adopts new system
Thursday, 12th July 2001.
CHANGES to the way St Edmundsbury Borough Council is run will make it more open and councillors more accountable for their decisions, according to Haverhill councillor Gerry Kiernan.
Coun Kiernan, who was leader of the council under its former Labour administration said he felt the Leader and Cabinet option approved by councillors this month was the best way forward.
All councils have been told by the Government to change the way they operate and 61 per cent of residents who voted earlier this year, favoured the Leader and Cabinet system rather than an elected mayor.
The new structure will feature a single party cabinet, made up of five, six or seven members of the leading political group, chosen by the leader of the council.
There will also be three themed overview and scrutiny committees, the full council which will largely decide policy issues a standards committee and a development control and licensing committee. If approved by the Government, the changes will come into operation next May.
Coun Kiernan welcomed last minute changed to make chairman of the scrutiny committees come from opposition groups rather than the majority party, so that the Council would be more balanced.
"I think everyone feels it is going to be difficult getting into a completely new system, but there was no option but to change. At present decisions are made within party groups, but there is no legal basis for this.
"This will create a proper system for doing so, and scrutiny committees which can call back decisions they want the cabinet to reconsider. It will make it easier for the public to see who has made decisions and it should also make decisions quicker and more efficient.
Coun Kiernan, who was leader of the council under its former Labour administration said he felt the Leader and Cabinet option approved by councillors this month was the best way forward.
All councils have been told by the Government to change the way they operate and 61 per cent of residents who voted earlier this year, favoured the Leader and Cabinet system rather than an elected mayor.
The new structure will feature a single party cabinet, made up of five, six or seven members of the leading political group, chosen by the leader of the council.
There will also be three themed overview and scrutiny committees, the full council which will largely decide policy issues a standards committee and a development control and licensing committee. If approved by the Government, the changes will come into operation next May.
Coun Kiernan welcomed last minute changed to make chairman of the scrutiny committees come from opposition groups rather than the majority party, so that the Council would be more balanced.
"I think everyone feels it is going to be difficult getting into a completely new system, but there was no option but to change. At present decisions are made within party groups, but there is no legal basis for this.
"This will create a proper system for doing so, and scrutiny committees which can call back decisions they want the cabinet to reconsider. It will make it easier for the public to see who has made decisions and it should also make decisions quicker and more efficient.
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