The Constitutional Review Working Party of Thanet Council discussed several key topics, including the length of council meetings, the scheduling of agenda items, and the process for minuting meetings. The committee agreed to add the topic of meeting lengths to the agenda for the September meeting and decided to review the processes for motions, petitions, and questions in future meetings.

Length of Council Meetings

Councillor Fellows raised the issue of extending the length of council meetings, suggesting that the current time limits might be insufficient given the reduced number of full council meetings throughout the year. Councillor Pugh supported this, noting that meetings rarely extend past 10 o'clock and emphasising the importance of allowing more time for public questions and motions. The committee agreed to add the topic of meeting lengths to the agenda for the September meeting.

Councillor Scobie shared an anecdote about a nearby council that extended a meeting past midnight by adjourning and resuming immediately after midnight, suggesting that such practices should be avoided. The committee agreed that any changes to meeting lengths should be carefully considered to avoid similar situations.

Scheduling of Agenda Items

The committee discussed the scheduling of various agenda items, including motions, petitions, and questions. Councillor Creighton suggested reviewing the length of time allocated for these items, and Councillor Scobie agreed that a comprehensive review was necessary. The committee decided to address these topics in the September and November meetings, with a focus on ensuring that the processes for motions, petitions, and questions are clearly defined and fair.

Councillor Crittenden proposed moving the discussion on joint leaders of political groups to the November meeting to allow more time for other topics in September. The committee agreed to this change, ensuring that the September meeting would focus on the length of different elements of council meetings and the processes for motions and petitions.

Minuting of Meetings

Councillor Austin raised a concern about the way meetings are minuted, noting that a previous request for changes had not been addressed. The committee acknowledged that this issue was not within the scope of the current meeting but agreed to discuss it further outside the meeting.

Future Work Programme

The committee reviewed the CRC Work Planning Report and agreed to add the topics discussed to the work programme for future meetings. The committee emphasised the importance of a flexible work programme that allows for the addition of new topics as needed.

The meeting concluded with the committee agreeing on the proposed changes and scheduling the next steps for addressing the discussed topics. The full content of the meeting can be found in the Public reports pack.