The Executive Director of Resources submitted a report setting out proposed arrangements for holding online meetings of the Audit & Governance Committee and the Traffic Management Sub-Committee as permitted by the Coronavirus Act 2020 and subsequent Regulations that had come into force on 6 April 2020.  The protocols for these meetings were attached to the report at Appendix A for the Committee’s approval. 

The report recommended that the Committee retain the membership of the Audit & Governance Committee; reduce the membership of the Traffic Management Sub-Committee; and agree the quorum thresholds for the new online meetings.  It was also recommended that provision should be made to allow substitutes where a member of the Committee could not attend the online meeting.

Resolved –

(1)      That the protocols for meetings of the Audit & Governance Committee and Traffic Management Sub-Committee, drafted in accordance with the provisions of The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020’, and attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved;

(2)      That the provisions agreed in (1) above be applied only to those Committee and Sub-Committee meetings required to be held, or held, before 7 May 2021 and the Assistant Director of Legal & Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, be authorised to end or make amendments to the arrangements prior to 7 May 2021;

(3)      That, during these arrangements, the attendance of members at the Audit & Governance Committee and Traffic Management Sub-Committee be as follows:

(a)      Audit & Governance Committee (8)

Councillors (Labour 5; Conservative 2; Green 1);

(b)      Traffic Management Sub-Committee (10)

Councillors (Labour 6; Conservative 2; Green 1; and Liberal Democrat 1)

(4)      That the quorum for the Audit & Governance Committee and the Traffic Management Sub-Committee both be set at three members.