Meetings shall not take place in premises which at the time of the meeting are used for the supply of alcohol, unless no other premises are available free of charge or at a reasonable cost.
The minimum three clear days for notice of a meeting does not include the day on which notice was issued, the day of the meeting, a Sunday, a day of the Christmas break, a day of the Easter break or of a bank holiday or a day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.
The minimum three clear days' public notice for a meeting does not include the day on which the notice was issued or the day of the meeting unless the meeting is convened at shorter notice.
Meetings shall be open to the public unless their presence is prejudicial to the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business to be transacted or for other special reasons. The public's exclusion from part or all of a meeting shall be by a resolution which shall give reasons for the public's exclusion.
Members of the public may make representations, answer questions and give evidence at a meeting which they are entitled to attend in respect of the business on the agenda.
The period of time designated for public participation at a meeting in accordance with SO3.5 shall not exceed 10 minutes unless directed by the Chair of the meeting.
Subject to SO3.6, a member of the public shall not speak for more than 5 minutes.
In accordance with SO3.5 a question shall not require a response at the meeting nor start a debate on the question. The Chair of the meeting may direct that a written or oral response be given.
A person shall raise his hand when requesting to speak and stand when speaking (except when a person has a disability or is likely to suffer discomfort). The Chair of the meeting may at any time permit a person to be seated when speaking.
A person who speaks at a meeting shall direct his comments to the Chair of the meeting.
Only one person is permitted to speak at a time. If more than one person wants to speak, the Chair of the meeting shall direct the order of speaking.
Subject to SO3.13, a person who attends a meeting is permitted to report on the meeting whilst the meeting is open to the public. To 'report' means to film, photograph, make an audio recording of meeting proceedings, use any other means for enabling persons not present to see or hear the meeting as it takes place or later or to report or to provide oral or written commentary about the meeting so that the report or commentary is available as the meeting takes place or later to persons not present.
A person present at a meeting may not provide an oral report or oral commentary about a meeting as it takes place without permission.
The press shall be provided with reasonable facilities for the taking of their report of all or part of a meeting at which they are entitled to be present.
Subject to standing orders which indicate otherwise, anything authorised or required to be done by, to or before the Chair of the Council may in his absence be done by, to or before the Vice-Chair of the Council.
The Chair of the Council, if present, shall preside at a meeting. If the Chair is absent from a meeting, the Vice-Chair of the Council if present, shall preside. If both the Chair and the Vice- Chair are absent from a meeting, a councillor as chosen by the councillors present at the meeting shall preside at the meeting.
Subject to a meeting being quorate, all questions at a meeting shall be decided by a majority of the councillors and non- councillors with voting rights present and voting.
The Chair of a meeting may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes may exercise his casting vote whether or not he gave an original vote.
[Note: See SO5.8 and SO5.9 for the different rules that apply in the election of the Chair of the Council at the annual meeting of the Council.]
Unless standing orders provide otherwise, voting on a question shall be by a show of hands. At the request of a councillor, the voting on any question shall be recorded so as to show whether each councillor present and voting gave his vote for or against that question.
Such a request shall be made before moving on to the next item of business on the agenda.
The minutes of a meeting shall include an accurate record of the following:
the time and place of the meeting;
the names of councillors who are present and who are absent;
interests that have been declared by councillors and non-councillors with voting rights;
the grant of dispensations (if any) to councillors and non-councillors with voting rights;
whether a councillor or non-councillor with voting rights left the meeting when matters that they held interests in were being considered;
of any public participation session; and
the resolutions made.
A councillor or a non-councillor with voting rights who has a disclosable pecuniary interest or another interest as set out in the Council's code of conduct in a matter being considered at a meeting is subject to statutory limitations or restrictions under the code on his right to participate and vote on that matter.
No business may be transacted at a meeting unless at least one- third of the whole number of members of the Council are present and in no case shall the quorum of a meeting be less than three.
[Note: See SO4.4 for the quorum of a committee or sub-committee meeting.]
If a meeting is or becomes inquorate no business shall be transacted.
The meeting shall be closed. The business on the agenda for the meeting shall be adjourned to another meeting.
