Issue - meetings

B Report of the Chief Executive.

Cabinet endorsed the Northamptonshire Councils’ Charter.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet and welcomed the report.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and commented that the Council should not sign up to the Charter.  He noted that the Council had an existing policy of unitary Government for the Borough which appeared to be at odds with this proposal including the intention to parish the whole of the Borough.  He queried the costs involved in holding further Parish Elections and creating three tiers of Government within the Borough, how the money would be found for it and how the proposal would fit in with the new Neighbourhood Management Areas.

Councillor P D Varnsverry as the appropriate Portfolio Holder submitted a report which considered the proposed Northamptonshire Council’s Charter and whether the Council should sign up to it at the Local Councils’ Conference on 16 June 2010.  He further commented that the Charter had been developed over the previous year by Parish Councils, Town Councils, Districts, Boroughs and the County Council.  He noted the Appendix which indicated that the Charter was not legally binding but would be key to joint working to achieve shared objectives at a time of financial restraint.  He also noted the nine workstreams proposed and which were set out in the Appendix some of which were already Council policy.

The Chief Executive observed that the concept of unitary Government referred to the activities of principal authorities.  Parish Councils were not classed as principal Councils.  The Council was already committed to a community governance review of the parishes which would follow on from the final outcome of the Boundary Commission’s recommendations and which would involve consultation with the public; the Council would be likely to support local people if they wanted further Parish Councils.  The Chief Executive also stated that it was NALC’s aspiration for five new Parish Councils to be established across Northampton, Wellingborough, Corby and Kettering.  He believed that the report was consistent with existing Council policies.

RESOLVED:                        That the Northamptonshire Council’s Charter be endorsed.