Are more 'champions' needed for the local community

Does Powys County Council need more than three councillors as member champions, including Newtown's anti-poverty champion, Cllr Joy Jones?

This is one of the questions that councillors will consider when they receive a report on the function, responsibilities, support, and governance of the member champion roles at a meeting of the Democratic Services Committee next week.

In July, a move to scrap member champions was rejected by councillors.

This followed discussion by the Democratic Services committee back in April which saw the recommendation to scrap the role agreed on the casting vote of the former committee chairman, Plaid Cymru’s Cllr Elwyn Vaughan.

The new committee chairman, Cllr Graham Breeze of the Powys Independents Group, asked councillors to vote against the committee’s controversial recommendation and pass the matter back to the Democratic Services committee.

Head of business intelligence and governance, Catherine James said: “Currently, the council has three member champions: Armed Forces, Anti-Poverty and Disability.

“Are other member roles required?”

Ms James believes that several issues about the roles need to be ironed out before a final report and recommendation from the committee goes in front of all councillors at a future council meeting.

These are the role description and person specification, how the role is developed and the appointment process.

Ms James explained that one option is: “When a new member champion role has been established, the (council) leader will approach councillors who they consider would be interested in the role.”

A second option is: “When a new role has been established, the information will be circulated to all councillors and expressions of interest will be sought.

“If more than one councillor expresses an interest, either: the leader will consider those interested or the leader with council chair relevant portfolio holder and chair of Democratic Services committee will consider
each individual.”

Once a decision is made, how that appointment will be reported to the full council also needs to be considered with three options proposed in the report.

These are that: the council leader will appoint a member champion and report this to council.

The council leader will recommend the appointment of a member champion to be ratified by full council.

Or, that the council leader with the council chair relevant portfolio holder and chair of Democratic Services Committee will all recommend the appointment of a member champion to be ratified by full council.

Ms James says that council leader, Liberal Democrat Cllr James Gibson-Watt supports the option that the council leader will “consider” the expressions of interest and then he along with the chair of Council, relevant cabinet member and chair of Democratic Services Committee will recommend the appointment to all councillors.

Ms James adds that once champions are appointed, their details will be added to the council’s website as well as any annual reports after they have been presented to council.

The current member champions are Powys Independent councillors, Cllr Joy Jones – Anti-Poverty champion, Cllr Ange Williams – Disability champion and deputy council leader, Labour’s Matthew Dorrance, Armed Forces champion.

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service