The recommendations were amended and then agreed.

DECISION

1.    To agree the proposed Terms of Reference of the Community Governance Review as set out in Appendix 1 to the report subject to any alterations to the review timetable that the Corporate Director, Governance considers appropriate.

2.    To note that the Terms of Reference trigger a Community Governance Review of the Spitalfields area, based on the map submitted with the original petition.

3.    To note the draft consultation brochure set out in Appendix 2 to the report, the final version of which will be included as part of the consultation documentation.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, GOVERNANCE (A. HUSSAIN)

(Head of Electoral Services (R. Curtis)

(Committee Services Manager (M. Mannion)

(Senior Strategy, Policy and Performance Officer (S. Morton)

The recommendations were amended and then agreed.

The Mayor introduced the report. He set out the background for the review, which was triggered by receipt of a petition.

Cabinet then heard from an organiser for the 23 July 2018 petition and a representative from the National Association of Local Councils, who raised a number of concerns with the proposals including:

·         Approval of the Terms of Reference should be delayed to allow further consideration by petitioners;

·         The proposed consultation area is too wide;

·         Timetable should allow more time for the first phase of consultation;

·         Consultation methods should include public meetings;

·         The phrasing of consultation questions could be misleading;

·         Consideration should be given to a referendum.

Councillor Abdal Ullah, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) also addressed the meeting. He asked if the name of the proposed Town Council could be amended to more closely reflect the current ward name of Spitalfields & Banglatown.

Councillor Andrew Wood, Leader of the Conservative Group also addressed the meeting. He welcomed the proposal for a Town Council in Spitalfields and urged the Mayor to recognise it as a positive step to promote local democracy.

The Mayor noted the Pre-Decision Scrutiny Questions and responses presented. He thanked everyone for the contributions. There was a brief discussion of the points raised by the contributors. The Mayor asked officers to explore if there may be scope to amend the review timetable to better accommodate the petitioners’ request. He agreed the recommendations as set out in the report, with an amendment.

RESOLVED

1.    To agree the proposed Terms of Reference of the Community Governance Review as set out in Appendix 1 to the report subject to any alterations to the review timetable that the Corporate Director, Governance considers appropriate.

2.    To note that the Terms of Reference trigger a Community Governance Review of the Spitalfields area, based on the map submitted with the original petition.

3.    To note the draft consultation brochure set out in Appendix 2 to the report, the final version of which will be included as part of the consultation documentation.