The Local Authorities (Alternative Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2007

Area Committees

8.—(1) An area committee or sub-committee is a committee or sub-committee which satisfies the following conditions:

(a) the committee or sub-committee is established to discharge in respect of part of the area of the authority such functions (other than functions described in regulation 6(3)) as the local authority may determine;

(b) the members of the committee or sub-committee who are members of the authority are elected for electoral divisions or wards which fall wholly or partly within that part; and

(c) in the case of a committee only, the population of that part, as estimated by the authority, is not less than fifteen percent of the total population of the area of the authority as so estimated.

(2) Where a local authority establishes area committees—

(a) there must be at least three such committees and they must cover the whole of the local authority’s area; and

(b) each member of the local authority is entitled to be a member of one area committee.

(3) A relevant body may arrange for the discharge of any functions which are the responsibility of the Board of the local authority by an area committee of that authority.

(4) Where by virtue of this regulation any functions may be discharged by an area committee, then, unless the relevant body directs otherwise, the area committee may arrange for the discharge of any of those functions by a sub-committee of that committee or by an officer of the authority.

(5) Where by virtue of paragraph (4) any functions may be discharged by a sub-committee of an area committee, then, unless the area committee or the relevant body directs otherwise, the sub-committee may arrange for the discharge of any of those functions by an officer of the authority.

(6) Any arrangements made under this regulation by a relevant body for the discharge of any functions by an area committee are not to prevent the relevant body from exercising those functions.

(7) As soon as reasonably practicable after making arrangements under this regulation the Board must secure that copies of a document setting out the provisions of the arrangements are available at the authority’s principal office for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable hours.

(8) The Board must, in preparing the document referred to in paragraph (7) above, have regard to any guidance issued by the National Assembly for Wales under section 38 of the 2000 Act.