Improving council assembly

The outcome

The democracy commission has completed its report on improving council assembly.  

Please visit our committee section for the full report.

After considering the evidence the commission decided assembly meetings should be more relevant to residents concerns; more clearly demonstrate the council's community leadership role and strengthen the role of elected members and residents in holding the Administration to account.

Below is a brief summary of the recommendations.

Summary of recommendations

• Explore suitable alternative venues for housing Council Assembly meetings through out the borough in different locations.
• Hold an annual State of the Borough meeting
• Be more flexible on timing of meetings. For example a meeting on Health and Social Care that would particularly affect older people might be scheduled earlier in the evening or a 'State of the Borough' debate might be better held in the daytime.
• Hold new informal sessions at the beginning of the meeting for informal dialogue and to allow residents to mix with members, to give information out about debates, explain the paperwork and meeting rules.
• Make it easier for residents, the community and members to bring topical issues to assembly meetings by making it easier to bring deputations and petitions and through strengthening links with community councils. It has been decided that:

  a) The amount of signatures that a resident needs to bring a petition to council assembly and trigger a debate is lowered from 2,500 to 1,500
  

  b) Up to three deputations are allowed at a meeting on "first come, first served" basis.
  c) During members questions one member of community council will be allowed to submit a question on behalf the community council.
  
• Introduce new themed meetings and debates to inform plans at an early stage. These will be on issues like housing, social care, budget cuts, services for young people etc.
• Involve the community and residents in themed debate by holding early discussions in community councils and local forums prior to council assembly, as has been done recently with the budget. These will be led by the relevant Cabinet member.
• Make better use of new technology, Southwark Life, local newspapers , notices board and bulletins to engage and communicate with residents and gather opinion and questions on debates held at Council Assembly on themes and plans.
• Improve feedback.
• Work with of community partners to plan debates: for example the Youth Council might be involved in planning a themed debate on families, children's and young people.