Emergency powers to be handed to Sunderland council chief amid coronavirus crisis

Emergency powers are set to be handed to a senior city boss as Sunderland grapples with Coronavirus.

Special measures are expected to be approved next week which will see usual procedures for running Sunderland City Council (SCC) suspended.

Instead, more authority will be granted to Patrick Melia, the council’s chief executive, including the ability to authorise ‘any action reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety or welfare of individuals’.

Coun Graeme Miller, the leader of the council, said the move was being proposed ‘due to the current unprecedented series of events’.

“Contingencies for COVID-19 reflect the fast and changing pace of events,” he said.

“It may not be possible to summon full council or hold other decision-making meetings because of the need to reduce social contact, or where there has to be more urgent and rapid decision-making.

“Therefore, as the chief executive is the council’s head of service and its senior officer, contingencies are being outlined to ensure further effective decision-making on Matters of Urgency.”

He added: “These are prudent and necessary contingencies reflecting the dynamic and fast changing environment we are now in.”

The new measures are slated to be approved at a council meeting on March 25, which is still due to go ahead, although other scheduled council meetings are expected to be cancelled over the coming weeks.

According to a report the changes will ‘ensure that effective decision-making arrangements are in place in cases of urgency’ when it may not be practical or safe for large groups of elected councillors to meet and vote on decisions.

Jarrow-born Melia was appointed SCC’s chief executive in 2018 and before that was chief executive at North Tyneside Council.

The powers will allow him to take responsibility for everything from spending decisions to approving or rejecting planning and licensing applications.

Robert Oliver, leader of the city council's main Conservative opposition group, said: "Sunderland Conservatives will be supporting these emergency measures which are entirely reasonable and necessary given the circumstances.

"It is important that the leaders of each political group are consulted on the use of these powers and that they are restricted and time-limited."

Liberal Democrat opposition leader Niall Hodson backed the plans, adding he thought it was the ‘first time since the war’ Sunderland had had to take such measures.

He said: “We want to cooperate, we’re concerned about our residents in the city and we will do what we can to be helpful and a constructive presence.”