When and Where Does The Council Meet?
The Press and Public are welcome to attend all Council meetings and the Public may put questions or make statements on any matter on the agenda in the public session at the commencement of each meeting. This is normally restricted to 15 minutes in total. Full Council Meetings are usually held in The Guildhall, Committee Meetings are usually held in the Otho Peter Suite, both rooms are within Launceston Town Hall and both have disabled access.
Committee Membership
Committee Members are appointed at the Annual General Meeting held in May each year; the Mayor and Deputy Mayor are ex officio voting members of all committees.
Estates and Properties
Cllrs Gordon, Harris, Heaton, Hogan, Penhale, Young and the Chair of Finance & General Purposes Committee
Finance and General Purposes Committee
Cllrs Bullen, Conway, Heaton, Hogan, O’Brien, Soanes and Young
Planning and Economic Development Committee
Cllrs Green, Gordon, Harris, Nancarrow, Penhale, Lankston and Tremain
Staffing Committee
The Staffing Committee is made up of the Chairs of: Estates & Properties Committee, Finance & General Purposes Committee and Planning & Economic Development Committee in addition to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor
Library, Arts, Business and Information Services
Cllrs Gordon, Nancarrow, Lankston and Tremain
Agendas
Agendas are set by the Town Clerk in liaison with the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen with “umbrella” responsibilities. However any Councillor can request any item to be put on the Agenda. This can be done informally either through the Town Clerk or Chairman, or formally, by means of a motion, as per the Town Council’s Standing Orders (the Council’s operating rules and regulations). If, after discussion of an Agenda item, the Council decides that a Working Group should be formed to look at the matter in more detail then the membership and the remit of the Group will be agreed by the Council. The membership of the Group can also include people who are not Councillors, but who have knowledge or expertise relevant to the subject matter.
Agendas are issued a minimum of three clear days before a meeting and are posted on the Town Hall public notice board and on this website.
Minutes
The Minutes of the Council meetings are usually available 7 working days following the meeting, but are not council policy until they have been agreed and signed at the following meeting. They are not a verbatim account of the Meeting but detail decisions reached and record the voting. Minutes are available to the public either via this website, or at the Town Hall. They are also circulated to the various local media organisations so that they can report on the issues via newspapers and radio. Once a decision has been passed by the Council and a course of action identified, the work is organised and/or carried out by the Town Council’s Executive Officer, the Town Clerk, who leads a team of staff.
Please select the relevant webpage for each committee to view minutes and agendas. If you would like copies of Minutes not on the website, please contact the office to request a copy. Please note that a small charge will be made to cover photocopying and postage, or the Minutes can be emailed free of charge.
Terms of Reference
Terms of reference for individual committees can be found on the specific committee page of this website. The Terms of Reference of all committees are subject to the following principles:
1. That powers be exercised in accordance with any policy adopted or directions given by the Town Council
2. That powers be subject to the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations.
3. That any unresolved differences between committees shall be referred to the full Council for determination
4. That any proposal which involves any change in the existing policies already approved by the Council shall be submitted to the Council for approval
5. Day to day management of Council matters rests with the Town Clerk
6. Urgent/emergency matters may be dealt with as they arise by the Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman of the appropriate committee (or in their absence the Vice Chairman) and Mayor and reported to the next appropriate committee or full Council meeting, whichever is first
7. Committees will bring to the attention of Council any matters being pursued by other local authority/statutory/voluntary or other bodies which have a beneficial or detrimental effect on the area of Launceston
8. The Minutes of all Committee Meetings will contain all recommendations it wishes to make to the full Council. These will be clearly set out so that members can fully understand the implications of their acceptance/rejection of them when they are moved at a meeting of the full Council.
9. Guest speakers should normally be limited to one per meeting with a time limit placed upon them
10. Public participation
a. There will be, during each committee meeting, a 15 minute public session with members of the public being able to speak and ask questions concerning the business of the Committee in accordance with the Standing Orders.
b. During Planning Committee meetings members of the public may speak at the discretion of the Chairman and with the approval of members of the Planning Committee
c. There will be no public participation at meetings of the Staffing Committee.
11. Committees will monitor/respond with critical appraisals to minutes, reports, documentation which from time to time are received from Cornwall Council or other bodies which have been brought to the Council’s attention by the Town Clerk/individual Councillors or member of the public which may have an adverse or beneficial effect on the Town of Launceston
12. Where a committee resolves to exclude the press and public from all or part of the a meeting, the Committee may resolve to permit councillors not elected to the committee to remain in the meeting.
13. From time to time a committee may appoint up to two (2) members of the public to serve on a council committee or sub committee as non voting members. Appointed members will be required to abide by the Council’s Code of Conduct.
14. All members will attend training relevant to the work of the committee as identified by the Town Clerk in conjunction with the Chairman of the appropriate Committee; such training to be provided at the expense of the Council.
Delegation of Authority to Sub-Committees:
Where a function within the Terms of Reference of a committee has been further delegated to a sub-committee or working party that sub-committee or working party will report its findings and any recommendations back to the appropriate committee or direct to the Council, as per the remit
Guidelines for Broadcasting or Using Social Media at Council Meetings
The right to record, film and to broadcast meetings of the Council, Committees and Sub Committees is established following the Local Government Audit and Accountability Act 2014. This is in addition to the rights of the press and public to attend such meetings. Those attending should note the Guidelines