Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive (to follow)

That the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council amend the Council’s response to the consultation as set out in appendix two of the report to reflect the Council’s wish to become a unitary authority.

Councillor Woods as the relevant Portfolio Holder circulated a report that set out the Council’s proposed response to the Department of Community and Local Government’s consultation entitled “Strengthening Local Democracy”.  He considered that the best way to strengthen local democracy would be give local Councils more responsibility, the ability to raise its own taxes and to review the local government electoral system to give the public a real choice.

Councillor Church noted that the consultation document was a diversion from the real issues which for Northampton would be the creation of a unitary authority.  He suggested that the Council’s response to the consultation document should be framed with that objective in mind.

RESOLVED:         That the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council amend the proposed response set out in Appendix 2 of the report to reflect the Council’s wish to become a unitary authority.