What need to be done procedurally and legally to reverse a resolution of a parish council?

Question

At a recent parish council meeting, 8 out of  the 12 councillors indicated by a show of hands that, under their Standing Orders,  they were prepared to support a special motion to reverse a resolution of an earlier meeting. They also requested that much more additional information be put before them to enable them to properly re-consider the issues that were the subject of the resolution that they now wish to reverse.    

What does the Parish Council now need to do legally and procedurally to reverse the earlier decision and to resolve to reconsider the issues the subject of the reversed resolution once much more information be put before them?

Answer 1

Subject to any specific provisions in your standing orders, once a resolution has been passed on an item of business, it should not be re-visited inside six months unless information comes to hand which was not available when the initial resolution was passed. Clearly, if any matter once dtermined, is capable of being raised at any or all subsequent meetings, there is an inherent risk that a minority of members who were against the original proposal could effectively impede the council in proceeding with its agreed policy. On the other hand, if material factors come to light after the original resolution was passed, it wouyld be prudent to look at the issue again in light of the new known facts.

Depending on what your standing orders provide, it may be necessary to first pass a resolution to set aside the relevent standing order and then proceed to consider the item again and the outcome of that would replace the initial resolution.