Can this decision be overturned

Question

The town Council voted to sell a small area of land with a very good view which many people are fond of. At the last meeting there was a good turn out of the public who had just realised that this had been done. It was explained that the decision could not be revisited for 6 months after the date of the original decision. Since then a councillor has come up with the information that the original councillors who voted against the sale could ask for the minute to be rescinded and therefore this would invalidate the decision.. this is news to me as the only time I have come across this is when there has been something wrong with the minute itself and the whole Council voted to rescind.

Can you please advise.

Answer 1

It would be quite wrong to attempt to modify minutes to eliminate a decision that was actually taken. However, the six month limit is not statutory, it is simply a commonly used standing order. The council can vote to suspend that order in relation to the issue in question, immediately before reconsidering the decision. It can do this at any time.

The purpose of the six month rule is to stop councillors from repeatedly raising the same issue when the council has no wish to do so. It is only binding while the council wishes it to be.

Comments

Interesting that the six month rule applies to parish and town councils and not the Government!

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Excellent point, although the speaker does seem to have found a somewhat similar rule now!