A Histon resident has urged an H&I Parish Council committee to consider the “potential democratic implications” if it decides to make changes to its governance structure.
The Parish Council’s Wellbeing, Recreation and Leisure Committee met on Monday (6 July) and discussed the possibility of a trial meeting as a Working Group rather than as a committee.
While some argue the approach may improve efficiency and streamline processes, others say it reduces transparency, excludes the public from discussions and can lead to recommendations that are insufficiently scrutinised.
‘Serious concerns’
At the meeting’s public participation session, Liz Hill, from Histon, outlined the key differences between Working Groups and Committees, and key areas for the Parish Council to consider if it intends to move forwards with the restructure.
She explained how “Committees are formal groups, recognised in law” and that “they facilitate local democracy as [their meetings] have to be advertised to the community” with agendas and minutes publicly available.
Liz also highlighted the role of the Committee Chair, and how they are advised by a trained Clerk who “ensures business is conducted within the law”.
To conclude, she said: “I contend that… there are no advantages to working parties replacing this committee. Councillors and communities around the whole of England have expressed serious concerns about the potential democratic implications of this.
“The administrative burden of doing this legally and in accordance with the Nolan principles would outweigh any benefits that the Committee might think would stem from it.”
‘No decision’
Councillor Chris Hobbs, the Committee’s Chair, stressed the matter was not for decision at the meeting, but “an opportunity [for members] to share their thoughts”.
Some said they felt current processes with the structure seem bureaucratic, and that three months between Committee meetings is lengthy when an answer is required for a project.
It was also suggested the scope of the Committee is made narrower, and that specific groups are formed to cover sports, and others delve into wellbeing and recreation issues.
Other councillors questioned whether changes to the governance structure are necessary, and mentioned it could create a heavier burden on the monthly Full Council meeting.
Councillor Neil Davies said: “We don’t want Full Council to be overloaded. [Items] go through a committee and it gets scrutinised, but we have had problems still with [issues] going to Full Council not being fully prepared or thought through.”
To which, Cllr Hobbs explained there can be situations where it is faster to get a decision for a project at Full Council, rather than taking the matter through the Committee process.
He said: “For example, we had to stop work on the South Road play area until we had this meeting. We couldn’t do anything with the feedback collected from the public, and the project couldn’t move forward. By going to Full Council, [the project] is moving on a monthly basis.”
Councillor Joe Uttridge suggested a mix of working groups and Committee could be a way forwards.
Other matters
Meanwhile, the Committee also discussed alleged cases of racial abuse at the Rec. Theresa King, the Committee’s Parish Council officer, urged members to encourage victims and witnesses to continue reporting incidents to the Police.
“This has been a bad year in terms of anti-social behaviour,” she said. “The more Police are aware, they then have proof Histon has become a hotspot and they can change their activities. But people have to report to the Police directly, and not through posting on Facebook.”
Also during the meeting, Cllr Steve Carrington became the Committee’s Vice Chair and the village sports clubs were asked to supply data on how their members travel to the Rec for fixtures.
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‘Some said they felt current processes with the structure seem bureaucratic, and that three months between Committee meetings is lengthy when an answer is required for a project’. This is an excuse. Committee meetings can always be called at short notice.