Plans For Radical Shake-Up Of County Hall Could Be Approved This Week

Plans for a radical shake-up of the Isle of Wight Council could be formally approved later this week.

At full council’s annual meeting this Wednesday, councillors are due to decide whether to approve a new committee system constitution for the council – set to replace County Hall’s current cabinet model.

Councillors agreed to move to a committee system at an extraordinary full council meeting on May 1, 2024.

A full council report signed by County Hall’s chief executive, Wendy Perera, says:

“Following the resolutions of full council at its meeting of March 19, consideration of a ‘call-in’ procedure for major decisions to be considered by full council, together with subsequent proposed amendments to planning procedure rules and code of good planning practice have been completed, considered by members of the audit and governance committee and are now put forward for approval.

“Once full council gives approval to these proposed amendments, they are asked to formally adopt the constitutional provisions necessary to implement the committee system which comes into effect the moment the new constitution has been agreed and adopted.”

Most local authorities have a cabinet system where full council elects a leader who appoints and chairs a panel of executive councillors who meet regularly and can rapidly make decisions, according to national body the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Councillor Hub.

The cabinet model also includes a system of overview and scrutiny where councillors not part of the cabinet can closely examine decision-making.

Councils that operate under a committee model, for example Bristol City Council and Sheffield City Council, have a variety of committees which look after different areas of policy.

Under this system, more councillors are actively involved in making decisions, but decision-making can take longer, the LGA has said.

Full council’s meeting will begin at County Hall at 6pm.