The Northumberland County Council meeting on 2 July 2025 was scheduled to cover a range of topics, including the Leader's annual report, a constitutional review, and a report from the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). Additionally, a motion was put forward concerning the constitutional review process itself.

Constitutional Review

The Constitutional Review Group (the Group) was expected to present its recommendations to the council, following a review of constitutional matters that began at the council meeting on 21 May 2025¹. The group's focus included the structure of planning committees, Local Area Committees (LACs), and the potential amalgamation of the Audit and Standards Committees.

Planning Committees

The council was asked to consider reducing the number of planning committees to one Strategic Planning Committee and three local planning committees. The report pack noted that since 2017, planning committees had been aligned with the five area committees, alongside a Strategic Planning Committee. The Constitutional Review Group recognised that this structure posed challenges in ensuring adequate training for all members, as all members were part of planning committees. Additionally, the volume of applications varied significantly across committees. The proposed change aimed to address these issues and achieve savings in special responsibility allowances, staff resources, and meeting costs.

The geographical remit of the three proposed committees would align with the three Development Management Teams. Membership would be proportional to the political groups, with members selected by their respective groups.

Local Area Committees

The report pack noted that the Constitutional Review Group felt that the LACs had been less successful than anticipated, citing limited public interaction and an unclear purpose. As a result, the council was asked to consider replacing the five LACs with five Community Partnership Meetings.

These partnerships would aim to foster dialogue between the community and stakeholders, including the NHS, police, and town and parish councils. The chair and vice-chair would develop the meeting agendas, with a minimum of four and a maximum of six meetings per year. The Community Chest fund would continue to be administered through the Community Partnerships, with each partnership managing one-fifth of the total amount.

Audit and Standards Committees

The council was asked to consider amalgamating the Audit and Standards Committees, with the Standards Committee being abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Audit Committee. The report pack noted that both committees require independent members, which can pose recruitment challenges. Additionally, the Standards Committee had experienced limited business in recent years. The proposed amalgamation aimed to reduce duplication, save resources, and ensure strength and depth within the committee.

The report pack proposed creating an additional independent co-opted member position on the Audit Committee for the current chair of the Standards Committee, who would chair any subcommittees dealing with standards matters.

Motion Concerning the Constitutional Review

Councillor Denise Nicholson put forward a motion expressing concerns about the constitutional review process. The motion stated that the review process had involved:

• Insufficient notice of meetings.
• Lack of timely access to the updated constitution for all members.
• Absence of governance training for newly elected councillors.
• Concerns about transparency, fairness, and inclusivity.

Councillor Nicholson's motion requested that the council defer any constitutional amendments scheduled for the 2 July meeting. Instead, the motion proposed that the amendments be brought to the September meeting, after all councillors had received governance training, members had been supplied with the correct version of the constitution, and the Standards Committee had concluded its investigations into the review process.

Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel

The council was scheduled to consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and decide whether to adopt its recommendations. The IRP conducted a review of the Members' Allowance Scheme, including basic allowances, special responsibility allowances (SRAs), and allowances paid to co-opted members.

The IRP's recommendations included:

• Freezing the basic allowance at the current rate.
• Inviting the IRP to review the report, any changes to council committees resulting from the Constitutional Review Group's work, and provide a further report to the council in November 2025.

The IRP's report, included as an appendix to the meeting documents, provided a detailed analysis of the Members' Allowance Scheme and benchmarking data from regional and national authorities. The report noted that Northumberland's basic allowance was significantly higher than comparable authorities.

The IRP also made recommendations regarding special responsibility allowances, suggesting that the council review its scrutiny committee model, reconsider SRAs for working groups, and eliminate SRAs for group secretaries. Additionally, the IRP recommended that the council consider combining the Audit and Standards Committees and changing the structure of Local Area Committees.

Leader's Annual Report

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Leader of Council, was scheduled to present his annual report, outlining the key issues, achievements, and areas of focus for his portfolio. The report highlighted the ongoing financial pressures on councils and the importance of value for money. It also emphasised the council's focus on tackling inequalities and driving economic growth.

The report detailed the council's achievements over the past year, including securing a significant investment by QTS and the successful opening of the Northumberland Line. It also outlined the council's plans for the coming year, including delivering a balanced budget, using BEST to deliver savings, and continuing to drive improvement across frontline services.