Newcastle City Council governance review launched aimed at 'improving the democratic process'
It is hoped the review will be completed by the end of the municipal year
by James Robinson · ChronicleLiveA "detailed" review of governance is to be carried out at Newcastle City Council aimed at "improving the democratic process".
The process to review governance at the council and refresh the Newcastle Charter - the council's constitution - began in December 2023. However, progress was delayed because of the July General Election.
At Monday's meeting of the local authority's constitutional committee, deputy chief executive Matt Wilton outlined the scope of the review.
He said: "We are proposing to move into a more detailed process and look at the particulars and systems to make sure they are up to date and reflective of a modern organisation. We're going to look at the committee structure, how they cooperate and the nature of decision making roles and processes.
"It will be some things as simple as the timing of meetings. Our members are from a diverse range of backgrounds and some have working lives, so we need to maximise the democratic process.
"We're looking to complete the review within this municipal year so that any changes are made for the start of the next."
Mr Wilton also said external capacity would be brought in to provide "independent external expertise" to test structures and "make informed, impartial and objective recommendations". A procurement exercise is already underway.
Liberal Democrat councillor Colin Ferguson was concerned that there would not be enough cross-party working on the review.
He said: "The thing for me is when this was first discussed we did talk about trying to have some cross-party input into what this process would look like. I don't disagree with having a governance review, but the concern for me is we have already put things in and out of scope.
"For example there is specific reference to retaining the cabinet model. I have no quarrel with that but that isn't something that, from my perspective, opposition councillors have been consulted on.
"This is the right thing to do but we have to do it in a way that brings everybody along. There already seems to have been decisions about what is and isn't in scope.
"We have to do it right - that means members of all political parties are involved at all stages of the process."
Mr Wilton replied: "I think it is fair to say one or two fundamentals like the leader and cabinet model, if we included them in the scope, would increase the amount of time and resource. It hasn't been raised as an issue by any of the groups.
"There is still plenty of opportunity for this committee and members generally to inform what we look at. There is still time to be inclusive in that process."
The governance review comes with the council currently leaderless after the resignation of Nick Kemp amid accusations of bullying. Coun Kemp, who resigned on September 20, says he "strenuously refutes" any allegations of bullying.
The situation surrounding the leadership of the council was not addressed by the committee.
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