WILL TIME TO BE CALLED ON BRIGG COMMITTEES?

Brigg Town  Council wrapped up two committee meetings in little more than an hour at the Angel Suite on Wednesday night.
Coun Mike Storey took the chair for the Planning & Environment Committee meeting at 7pm, with Coun Rob Waltham overseeing the Property & Services Committee discussions from 7.30pm.
With all councillors seated and ready to start, Coun Rob had to wait a couple of minutes until the appointed hour, just in case any members of the general public turned up to listen to the debates. But none did.
Some weeks ago, Coun Waltham told a monthly meeting of Brigg Town Council  he thought a review of the current committee structure was required, with Coun Mike Campion suggesting the current system works well and should be left as it is.
Brigg Town Council once held just a solitary meeting a month, when all the business had to be discussed,  in sessions which might take three hours.
This was changed by delegating routine matters, including planning applications, to committees, but with a full meeting of the council still being held monthly. The 19 councillors are divided between the committees - they do not serve on them all. 
Brigg Blog can appreciate both sides of the argument and will be very interested to see whether any change is made to the current committee system. 
Perhaps a Great British Compromise could be agreed, with the current Property & Services Committee being would up and the matters it handles, including allotments and Angel Suite management, divided between the Policy Committee and the Planning & Environment Committee.
The Personnel Committee could also be wound up and its business transacted at the end of the monthly Brigg Town Council meeting, following a motion to exclude the press and public, due to the confidential nature of the business to be considered -  such "exempt matters" being enshrined in various Acts of Parliament for this purpose.