Committees

North Ayrshire Council makes separate provision for the discharge of its functions by committees, through a Scheme of Administration, and by officers of the Council through a Scheme of Delegation to Officers. Some functions of the authority are also discharged through Joint Boards and Joint Committees. 

You can access the agendas and minutes for meetings of the Council and its committees below or visit the Agendas and Minutes page to view documents from a previous administration. 

The Council's Key Governance documents are in the process of being updated following the outcome of the annual review approved by Council on 17 May 2023.  

Summary of the current committee membership

Cabinet Portfolio-Holders (Shadow Portfolio-Holders)

'Champions' with particular responsibility for Carers, Mental Health, Older People, Veterans and Young People)

Meeting Format

The Council has agreed that its meetings will now take place on a hybrid basis, as predominantly physical meetings but with some provision for remote attendance by Elected Members using a remote meeting platform.  

The Hybrid Meetings Protocol applies to meetings involving remote participation.

Webcasting

Where possible, any meetings of the Council and committees which are open to the public to attend, will also be webcast.  Meetings can be viewed live/archived by clicking here.  There is also an option to subscribe to receive alerts about forthcoming webcasts.  The webcasting protocol can be found alongside our key governance information.

Accessibility

If you have any difficulties in terms of the accessbility of the information on this site, please contact committeeservices@north-ayrshire.gov.uk and we will endeavour to provide the required information in a more accessible format.


   

2022-2027

Appeals Committee

The Appeals Committee determines appeals by employees against dismissal, or action short of dismissal due to disciplinary action, and in the case of Teachers, against a final written warning, dismissal, or action short of dismissal due to disciplinary action. The Committee also determines the outcomes of stage 3 grievance and stage 3 maximising attendance appeals by employees, all under the Council's HR policies and procedures. The standing members of Staffing and Recruitment Committee, together with their named substitutes, form the pool of 12 members of the Appeals Committee.

Audit and Scrutiny Committee

The Audit and Scrutiny Committee has oversight of a range of functions including the preparation of a strategy for performance review; ensuring that Chief officers establish and implement arrangements for reviewing service performance against objectives; monitoring the work of internal audit; consider matters arising from external audit; the preparation of a strategy for performance review; monitoring the performance of the Council towards achieving policy objectives and priorities; reviewing the implementation of the Council Plan, Service Plan and Service Budgets; monitoring the Council's complaints procedures etc. The Committee also considers petitions and deputations received by the Council.

Ayrshire Economic Joint Committee

The pan-Ayrshire committee is responsible for strategy and policy and comprises 13 members, being three from each Council, 1 from Scottish Enterprise (SE), 1 from Skills Development Scotland (SDS) 1 from the business sector and 1 from the education sector. The local authority Chair (and administrative support) rotates on an annual basis. Its core functions are (i) Ayrshire Economic Strategy – final agreement of the strategy; (ii) Approval of major funding decisions including approval of the Business Cases for the AGD; and (iii) Coordination and alignment of Council and partner resources/strategy to ensure they support the most efficient delivery of the Ayrshire Economic Strategy and AGD. The administration of the joint committee rotates between the three Ayrshire Councils. This committee is chaired and administered by North Ayrshire Council 1 September 2023 - 31 August 2024.

Ayrshire Economic Partnership Board

The Partnership Board comprises 3 nominees from each Council, 3 representatives of the business sector, 3 representatives of the Higher or further Education sector and 1 representative from each of Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Skills Development Scotland, and Visit Scotland. There may also be provision to co-opt an additional 3 members either from other organisations or on the basis of experience or skills. The Partnership Board has delegated powers, but major strategic and funding decisions require to be remitted for approval to the Joint Committee. In broad terms, the functions of the partnership Board are (i) Development of the Ayrshire Economic Strategy and overseeing delivery of its Action Plan; and (ii) Support for AGD, its projects and the Project Management Office (PMO). The administration (and chairing) of this committee rotates between the three Ayrshire Councils. North Ayrshire Council administers this committee from 1 September 2023- 31 August 2024

Ayrshire Shared Services Committee

The Joint Committee was formed under Sections 56 and 57 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and Section 15 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 for the purposes of regulating the shared discharge of the functions by the Constituent Authorities, namely North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and East Ayrshire Councils. The Committee is chaired and administered on an annual rota basis between the three authorities. It is currently administered by East Ayrshire Council. Minutes and Agendas from June 2023 are available to view at www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk

Cabinet

The Cabinet is the main decision making body of the Council. It consists of 6 Members of the SNP administration each of whom holds a specific Portfolio. Meetings of the Cabinet are Chaired by the Leader of the Council. Decisions of the Cabinet may be subject of Call In to the Audit and Scrutiny Committee.

Education Appeals Committee

The Education Appeal Committee determines appeals by parents against a decision of the Council acting as Education Authority as to (i) the schools which their child or children should attend, in response to a placing request submitted by the parent and (ii) the exclusion of their child or children. The rules for the formal constitution and membership of Education Appeal Committees are laid down in Schedule 1A of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 as amended. Each meeting of the committee will comprise of 3 members: one Member of Council drawn from a pool of 4 Elected Members, and two Lay Members, drawn from a pool of Lay Members.

Integration Joint Board

The Integration Joint Board is made up of voting members, who are either Councillors of North Ayrshire Council or non-executive Directors of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and non-voting members made up of persons nominated by the Council, the NHS Board, third sector bodies, users, carers and other key stakeholders. The Integration Joint Board is a separate legal entity from North Ayrshire Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran and has full autonomy and capacity to act on its own behalf. Health and Social Care functions have been delegated to the Integration Joint Board from the Council and NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the Integration Joint Board is responsible for the planning and operational management of the Services to which the delegated functions relate. The Scheme of Delegation to Officers and Standing Orders relating to the IJB can be found by clicking the "key governance documents" link above.

Licensing Committee

The Licensing Committee exercises the Council's functions in connection with all licensing matters under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act; discharges functions in relation to safety in sports grounds; discharges functions relating to building standards; and oversees the exercise of all the Council's functions in relation to Parts 7 and 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004.

Local Development Plan Committee

The Local Development Plan Committee's remit is to undertake functions relating to the preparation of the North Ayrshire Local Development Plan. Meetings of the Committee are Chaired by the Portfolio Holder for Economy.

Local Review Body

The Local Review Body conducts reviews in respect of the refusal of planning permission or the imposition of conditions as determined by the Solicitor to the Council in terms of the Scheme of Delegation to Officers under Section 43(a)(i) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and the Town and Country Planning (Scheme of Delegation and Local Review Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, or where the Authorised Officer has not determined the application within 2 months of registering. Guidance to applicants is available on our Governance Documents and Committee Procedures web page

North Ayrshire Council

The full Council consists of all 33 Elected Members. Meetings of the Council are Chaired by the Provost or, in their absence, the Depute Provost.

North Ayrshire Council (Planning)

Members of the full Council meet as a Planning Authority from time to time to consider planning applications for large-scale strategic developments which impact on Scotland as a whole or large areas thereof. These relate to energy, sustainable development, transport and waste management. Major planning applications may also require to be referred to a full meeting of the Council (Planning) where they are significantly contrary to the Development Plan (but are otherwise considered by the Planning Committee). Meetings of the Council (Planning) include a mandatory pre-determination hearing. Such applications may also be called in and determined by Scottish Ministers.

North Ayrshire Council (Planning) (Pre-Determination Hearing)

Please refer to the information provided in relation to meetings of North Ayrshire Council (Planning).

Planning Committee

The Planning Committee discharges the Council's functions as Planning Authority in relation to the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and other relevant statutes. Please note that the Council's Local Review Body, rather than the Planning Committee, has responsibility for conducting reviews in respect of the refusal of planning permission or the imposition of conditions as determined by the Solicitor to the Council in terms of the Scheme of Delegation to Officers under Section 43(a)(i) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and the Town and Country Planning (Scheme of Delegation and Local Review Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008, or where the Authorised Officer has not determined the application within 2 months of registering.

Police and Fire and Rescue Committee

The Police and Fire & Rescue Committee discharges the functions of the Council in connection with the provision of Police and Fire and Rescue Services within North Ayrshire.

Staffing and Recruitment Committee

The Staffing and Recruitment Committee considers arrangements for the selection and recruitment of Chief Officers of the Council and also applications from employees for early retirement under the Council's HR policies and procedures. The Committee comprises 6 Members of the Council, namely the Leader and Depute Leader of the Council, the main Administration and the second Opposition. The Cabinet Member holding the relevant service portfolio relating to a particular Chief Officer appointment is also a member of the Committee for business relating to that appointment only. Each of the six standing members of the Committee will have a named substitute who may attend meetings in their place when necessary.

Contact Us

Contact Committee Services
For any queries relating to the committees of North Ayrshire Council; Community Councils; or Outside Bodies.

Contact Member Services
For any queries relating to Councillors; the Provost of North Ayrshire Council; or members’ expenses.

General Enquiries
For all other queries.