The Town Council undertakes it work through a number of Committees and Sub-Committees. However Committees and Sub-Committees have no delegated authority and all recommendations are considered by and determined by the Full Council.
Currently each Committee has seven members, comprising a Chairman together with six other Town Councillors. The representatives to each Committee and Sub-Committee are appointed after the Annual Meeting each year on a proportional representation basis.
The Council amended Standing Orders in January 2015 to provide that Chairs of Committees are elected annually at the first meeting of the Committee after the Annual Council meeting.
The Council reviewed its Committees at its Annual Meeting on 18th May, 2017 resulting in the 7 Committees listed below:
Finance and Management
Festivals and Events
Planning Development and Environment
Community Engagement and Grants
Community Safety
Personnel
Complaints
Committees are appointed on a PR basis although Council agreed on 18th May, 2017 that Personnel and Complaints would not form part of the PR calculation i.e. PR is calculated on the other 5 Standing Committees only. For 2017/18 the representation on the Personnel and Complaints Committees will be Labour x 3, MBI x2, UKIP x 1 and Liberal Democrat x 1.
It should also be noted that the MBI and Other Independent Groups have agreed to be considered as one Group for Administrative purposes for the purposes of making appointments to the Committees as set out above.
The PR calculation used to determine the Committee memberships for 2017/18 is set out in the following document:
PR 2017-18 after Heysham North Nov 2017
The membership of Committees per Group for 2018/19 is set out in the table below.
MTC Committee Memberships 2018-19
Terms of Reference: These were reviewed and agreed by the Council on 18th May, 2017 as set out below. They may also be viewed in the follpowing pdf document – MTC Committee Terms of Reference
| Groups | Labour | MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group | Liberal Democrat |
| Finance and Management | D. Clifford Janice Hanson B. Hughes (Vice Chair) | G. Dennison R. Dennison P. Heath (Chairman) | J. Pilling |
| Festivals and Events | I. Clift C. Cozler (Vice Chair) T. Metcalfe (Chair) | J. Ashworth V. Boyd-Power G. Dennison | J. Pilling |
| Planning Development and Environment | John Hanson D. Hutton D. Whitaker (Chair) | J. Bates (Vice Chair) R. Cleet P. Heath L. Page | |
| Community Safety | T. Brown John Hanson (Chair) M. Pattison D. Whitaker | T. Anderson L. Davies J. Bates | |
| Community Engagement Grants | T. Brown (Chair) C. Cozler T. Metcalfe | A. Ashworth J. Ashworth (Vice Chair) G. Dennison | |
| Personnel | Janice Hanson (Vice Chair) John Hanson D. Hutton | S. Burns R. Dennison (Chair) T. Heath | J. Pilling |
| Complaints | Janice Hanson John Hanson D. Hutton | June Ashworth J. Bates R. Dennison | J. Pilling |
The memberships of each Committee and Sub-Committee and their Terms of Reference as agreed by Council are;
| Committee | Terms of Reference | Committee Members |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Management | 1. To manage and provide recommendations to the Council on issues relating to the management and finances of the Council including the annual budgetary process, arrangements for internal and external audit, the annual precept, management of financial risk, satisfactory contractual arrangements and arrangements for the payments of accounts
2.To manage the Council’s website and make appropriate recommendations to Council. 3. To review the Council’s policies and procedures on an annual basis and submit any recommendations to Council 4.To give guidance to the Council’s committees on budget availability and systems to be put in place to manage those budgets. 5.To consider at each meeting a payment schedule and update report on the budget position at that time and to make any recommendations to Council in respect of issues arising. 6.To consider and make recommendations to Council on the Grants decisions taken by the Grants Sub-Committee 7.To organise through the Town Clerk a programme of member training 8. To be responsible for the production of a Corporate Plan and Town Plan making appropriate recommendations to Council 9.To manage the ward budgets in conjunction with ward members and the Town Clerk. 10. To be responsible for all staffing issue and to make recommendations to Council where appropriate | Labour: Darren Clifford, Janice Hanson, Brendan Hughes
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: Glenys Dennison Roger Dennison, Tricia Heath (Chair) |
| Planning Development and Environment | 1. To consider planning applications that involve 3 or more domestic properties, commercial developments above the value of £1m and any strategically important application and to make recommendations to Council on the Council’s response. 2. To consider any other Planning Application requested by members of the Council. 3. To consider any planning policies and strategies covered by the Morecambe Town Council area of responsibility and to make recommendations to Council on the Council’s response. 4. Liaison with Allotment holders and Associations and to manage allotment provision through service level agreements agreed with respective Allotment Associations. 5. Members of the Committee to represent the Town Council at meetings with other agencies to discuss Allotment issues 6. To review the allotment provision within Morecambe together with a waiting list for allotments 7. Preparation of budgets for the maintenance of allotments for consideration by the Council each year during the budgetary process 8. To consider and make recommendations to Council with regard to any environmental issues affecting Morecambe 9. To consider environmental issues referred from Council for investigation and consideration for report back to Council 10. To prepare an annual report each year for consideration by the Council. 11. To meet monthly | Labour: John Hanson, Debbie Hutton, and David Whitaker (Chair)
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: John Bates, Roger Cleet, Tricia Heath and Linda Page |
| Community Engagement and Grants | 1. To prepare for Council’s consideration a strategy for regular Community engagement which would seek to increase the involvement of the Community in decision making and partnership working with the Council on projects within the town.
2. To manage the Council’s Community Engagement Strategy 3. To administer the Council’s Community Award Scheme 4. To prepare relevant criteria for the award of grants by the Town Council 5. To prepare the relevant application forms and guidance notes based on (1) above | Labour: Tracy Brown (Chair), Claire Cozler and Terrie Metcalfe
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: Alex Ashworth, June Ashworth and Glenys Dennison |
| Festivals and Events Committee | 1. To promote festivals and events in accordance with budgets set by Finance & Management Committee and Full Council with the aim of adding value to the Town for businesses, visitors and local people. 2. Invite organisations to present ideas on festivals and events. 3. To seek the views of the business community and the public on how the festivals and event programme should be developed. 4. To ensure that contracts in accordance with the Council’s financial regulations and standing orders are properly entered into for all festivals and events which receive funding from the Council. 5. To consider recommendations from the Festivals Advisory Panel and prepare relevant criteria for the award of funding by the Town Council for festival and event provision including preparation of the relevant application forms and guidance notes, and to prepare an annual timetable for the advertisement, receipt and consideration of funding applications. 6. To ensure that Morecambe Town Council receives adequate and due publicity from its involvement in festivals and events which the Council funds and supports. 7. To instigate an evaluation of festivals and events supported to ascertain the added value on an annual basis and consider recommendations made by the Festivals Advisory Panel in respect of the evaluation process. 8. To work in partnership with relevant organisations to maximise the scope and funding opportunities for festivals and events. 9. Where appropriate to seek additional funding or sponsorship for festivals and events in conjunction with the Council’s Financial Regulations. 10. To consider the recommendations of the Festivals Advisory Panel for the award of funding to Festivals and Events within Morecambe, and to make recommendations to Council. | Labour: Ian Clift, Claire Cozler and Terrie Metcalfe (Chair)
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: June Ashworth, Vicky Boyd-Power and Glenys Dennison Liberal Democrat: Jim Pilling |
| Complaints Committee | 1. To consider all complaints received which can be dealt with under the Council’s Complaints procedure, following the complaint being dealt with by the Town Clerk but with the complainant exercising their right to ask the Committee to deal with the matter
2. To consider complaints referred to it by the Town Clerk 3. To consider complaints received with regard to the Council’s staff 4. To prepare a bi-annual report of complaints received for consideration by Council 5. To review the Complaints procedure annually and to make recommendations to the Finance and Management Committee | Labour: Janice Hanson, John Hanson and Debbie Hutton
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: June Ashworth, John Bates and Roger Dennison Liberal Democrat: Jim Pilling |
| Community Safety Committee | 1.To meet quarterly to liaise with and review the work of the Neighbourhood Policing Team 2. To discuss with the Police representative’s issues raised by the Council and public in terms of the policing of the town. 3. To manage the work of the Council’s funded Anti-Social Behaviour Officer 4. To liaise with all relevant agencies regarding the management of Anti-Social Behaviour within the town 5. To consider and facilitate appropriate intervention programmes to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour and measures to improve community safety 6. To co-opt representatives of appropriate agencies and organisations to the Committee as non voting members to assist with the Committee’s workload as appropriate. 7. To manage the work of Council’s funded Environmental Enforcement Officer | Labour: T. Brown, John Hanson (Chair), M. Pattison and D. Whitaker
MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: T. Anderson, J. Bates and L. Davies |
| Personnel Committee | 1. To manage and review the performance of the Town Clerk
2. To establish a set of performance criteria for all staff employed by the Council 3. To establish and manage an annual staff appraisal system for the Town Clerk and any other staff employed in the future by the Council 4. To establish a Disciplinary Policy for the management of Staff 5. To deal with the appointment of staff when the need arises | Labour: Debbie Hutton Janice Hanson and John Hanson MBI/Other Independent Administrative Group: Shirley Burns, Roger Dennison (Chair) and Tricia Heath Liberal Democrat: Jim Pilling |
