Agenda - amendments

Question

Good afternoon

Just a very quick questions.  If Parish Councils agenda has been published, can we amend that if something urgent arises.   Or does it have to be added to 'any other business'
thanks

Ann

Answer 1

It can’t be done and there is no such thing as AOB

Comments

I bought that up before with our previous clerk, and got told you can add any other business as long as you add for discussion only...... I totally agree with you.

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The AOB is not allowed as agenda items must be defined. Much better to have an item for items for inclusion in future ( next) agendas. This gives councillors the ability to get items onto a future agenda and have it recorded.
PC meetings are basically for decision making and though discussion is encouraged within the topic, open un-announced "discussions" should not take place. Hence AOB section is to be discouraged and avoided.

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Mentorman I agree but on my Council the future agenda item was removed because it was undermining the powers that be ability to control what we discuss

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We have Chairman's Urgent Items on the agenda, which gives the Chair an opportunity to add something that is genuinely urgent, although this is VERY rarely used.

Answer 2

If an agenda is still outside the three clear days, speak to your Clerk nicely and they might change it, because some Councils publish their agendas a week before the meeting.  If there is less than three clear days to your meeting then the agenda cannot be amended  and if it is not on the agenda it cannot be discussed or decided upon.  If it is urgent another meeting will need to be called to cover that item.

Comments

As a new Councillor I wanted a subject put on the agenda , So I duly wrote a note to the Clerk and Chairman and the Chairman asked the Clerk to expedite. I then constructed a paper which I sent to all Cllrs in which I included the precise text of a motion , the reasons for it and invited questions with a view to  moving straight to a vote. I explained the reason for this was to reduce meeting debate times (meetings always overrun). This generated a response from the Clerk advising of timings re motions as referred to in the SOs. I now await the agenda. My question is should any proposed motion appear verbatim on the Agenda and can Councillors still ask questions? I ask this as previously I have never seen a motion on the agenda (only the  topic heading) and these usually generates loads of endless debate

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I agree.  We have been faced with this a few times recently due extreme and unforeseen circumstances.  We have had to manage it by calling Extraordinary Meetings - again meeting the 3 clear days, formal summons and public notice requirements