Brighton and Hove City Council to strengthen scrutiny.

Brighton and Hove City Council is considering improvements to strengthen its scrutiny process and increase public participation in decision-making.

Under the plans, the number of scrutiny task and finish panels running at any one time would grow from one to two, allowing the committee to investigate more topics in greater depth and respond more flexibly to developing priorities.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader, Councillor Bella Sankey, stated: “Our decision to implement a new governance structure last year was motivated by a desire for our council to be more accountable and responsive to constituents, as well as to make better informed decisions.

“These current enhancements build on previous work and aim to make scrutiny more agile and accessible. “We want to empower residents to engage with the democratic process and ensure that the council is responsive, transparent and focused on the issues that matter most to our communities.”

To encourage increased public participation, the deadline for submitting public questions will be extended to four working days before the meeting, rather than eight.

This allows residents to comment immediately to subjects under discussion by submitting questions after the agenda has been published.

The council also intends to clarify the criteria for holding exceptional Full Council meetings, stating that they will be permitted when a subject is time-sensitive and cannot properly be postponed until the next planned meeting.

While this principle is already incorporated within the council’s governance arrangements, the clarification is intended to guarantee that council resources are spent efficiently while maintaining transparency and accountability.

The planned adjustments align with the council’s 2023-2027 plan, which includes a commitment to being a “learning council” with well-managed services.

They also want to promote excellent governance and ways of working that satisfy the requirements of employees, residents, and customers, with an emphasis on effective resource management, value for money, and making the greatest use of council assets.

The modifications are likely to take effect in the autumn.

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