Motion 1, as printed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Speight and seconded by Councillor B Maney. The Motion read as follows:

With the benefit of hindsight and experience and having reviewed the changes instigated to the council constitution O&S rules (Chapter 4), following the full council meeting on 30 October, this chamber seeks an immediate amendment to those changes. Namely that the right be restored to members of an O&S committee to extend the length of meetings if there is still important, appropriate and necessary business to be debated and decided. That decision would be made by a majority vote of eligible members present. It is my interpretation that this change can immediately be approved by the Monitoring officer who was delegated the authority to make agreed revisions that are clerical or minor changes into the Constitution, but that may be open to a different interpretation. I put it forward for speed of process. However, the matter can be referred to the executive (cabinet or GSC) for a final decision.

Councillor Speight stated that an error of judgement had been made when the report had been presented to members and this was now the opportunity to correct it. Concerns that the two and half hours was not always sufficient time for important scrutiny to take place and decisions in the past to extend standing orders had not been taken lightly. Only taken place when serious or appropriate matters needed to be dealt with. The change was required to allow scrutiny chairs with the majority vote of committee members to take extra time if required to undertake the role they were elected to do. Voting against this motion would prevent all three overview and scrutiny committees being able to scrutinise those important issues.

Councillors V Holloway, G Byrne, Jones, Worrall, Johnson, Fletcher, Muldowney, Kerin, L Watson, Halden and B Maney spoke on this item with the following comments made:

·       All legislative bodies had time limits on debates.

·       Timings would be managed by a competent chair working with officers, democratic services and committee members.

·       Ensuring work programme items were suitable for the time allotted.

·       Chairs should be able to decide how long meetings should go on for.

·       If committee members not happy to go beyond the allocated time they say so.

·       Not an officer decision.

·       Concern on the item of urgent business being removed from the agenda.

·       Concern that members were being asked to attend daytime meetings and training sessions.

·       With the number of overview and scrutiny committees being reduced from six to three meant more reports being brought to committee.

·       Concern that not sufficient time was given to read reports.

·       Items being missed or not debated fully as not sufficient time was provided to discuss.

·       Of the 14 overview and scrutiny meetings held this year only two meetings had been affected by the guillotine and items having to be deferred.

·       Would be discussed as part of the already planned scrutiny review.

·       Rules set clear time limits on meetings and are in place for a good reason to allow structure and ensure meetings remained focused, efficient and manageable.

·       The chair should have the right to extend times if required.

·       Concentrate on the time given for pre-meetings to ensure members were prepared to make their points at committee meetings.

At 9.54pm, Members agreed to a motion to extend time.

·       Chairs needed to take responsibility for how meetings were managed.

·       Chairs would be encouraged to attend chair training.

·       New system had not been trialled long enough, look again at reviewing after a full municipal year and look at the stats again then compared to those presented this evening.

·       The process of scrutiny needed to be followed as agreed.

·       Members have the option to vote down extended time if they did not agree that a meeting warranted an extension.

·       Members had been elected to turn up at meetings, debate and make decisions accordingly.  

·       Members should be less concerned on the length of meetings and more concerned about the quality of those meetings.

·       The motion was asking for the right for members to take a vote to extend time.

·       Allow more flexibility on items so they could be heard and scrutinised on.

·       Work programmes were often governed when officers made reports available and when cabinet were making decisions on such reports.

Councillor Speight noted the comments made and called for a requisition vote.

The results were as follows:

For: Cllrs Abbas, Alike, Allen, Anderson, P Arnold, G Byrne, R Byrne, Coxshall, Day, Fox, Gledhill, Halden, Jefferies, Jones, Johnson, Kelly, B Maney, J Maney, Rigby, Sammons and Speight (21)

Against: Cllrs Cecil, Fish, Green, Hartstean, Heath, C Holloway, V Holloway, Hooper, Hurrell, J Kent, Kerin, Liddiard, Manwa, Muldowney, Panjala, Raper, Shinnick, Sisterson, G Watson, L Watson and Worrall (21)

Abstain: Cllr Fletcher (1)

With the equal number of votes for and against, the Mayor used her casting vote and voted against the motion.  Therefore the motion fell.

Motion 2, as printed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Rigby and seconded by Councillor P Arnold. The Motion read as follows:

Due to the current high energy costs, members call on the council to ensure that heating systems put into Council properties are the most cost effective for the tenants.

Councillor Rigby stated that energy prices were very high, alongside the cost-of-living crisis and the withdrawal of winter fuel allowance from many pensioners, it was increasingly difficult for many residents to warm their homes. Councillor Rigby highlighted some of the possible heating systems available and requested that the council ensured that properties were adequately insulated and that running costs to tenants were fully investigated and balanced before any decisions were made.

Councillors Speight, G Byrne, Hooper and P Arnold spoke on this item with the following comments made:

-       The availability of Grant funding.

-       Great motion.

-       Support any means to heat homes in the most efficient way.

-       Council would be prepared to explore wider packages of measures to improve energy performance ratings of the housing stock.

-       Council would continue to explore submissions to Government for sustainable energy grants and funding schemes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock.

-       All new housing stock projects would be fitted with the most up-to-date and efficient heating systems.

-       Portfolio Holder would be happy to hear from members on any offers of advice or support to improve the heating insulation of housing stock.

-       Council’s duty as councillors to look after the elderly and the vulnerable in our borough and give them our full support at all times.

Councillor Rigby summed up by thanking members for their comments. 

The Mayor called a vote on the motion, to which members voted unanimously in favour. The Mayor announced the motion carried.

A full recording of this meeting can be viewed from the following link:

Thurrock Council - Full Council, 29/01/25