How we make decisions
Most decisions will be made by the Cabinet and its members. The
Council committees will also make decisions.
The Constitution has an up-to-date
section on which part of the Council or individual has
responsibility for particular types of decisions. It also has a
section on decisions that can be made by Council staff.
Cabinet Members can refer matters to
the full Cabinet for decision and senior Council staff will also be
able to make decisions under delegated powers. Decisions don't have
to wait for the relevant Cabinet Member to become available; the
Leader and Deputy Leader will be able to act if he or she is
unavailable.
Cabinet Members will consult other members as necessary before
taking decisions. They can also organise public consultation, if
appropriate. All proposed decisions will be flagged up in the
Forward Plan and published at least three clear working days before
they are made by the full Cabinet.
The relevant overview and scrutiny committee will be notified of
the proposed decision and its members can take part in the Cabinet
debate, with the Leader's consent.
Once the decision is made at the meeting, a Scrutiny Committee may call it in by the end of
the following day. If they do call it in, the decision cannot be
implemented for up to five days, giving the Scrutiny Committee time
to consider it. If they do not consider it, the decision can be
implemented immediately.
The Scrutiny Committee may decide to take no further action, or
they may ask the cabinet to reconsider. If they decide to ask the
Cabinet to think again, the matter then goes to the next Cabinet
meeting where the final decision is made. Scrutiny Committee
members will be invited to attend that meeting.
Decisions taken by individual Cabinet Members will not be made
in public, so it is important that they are recorded and published.
In addition, more time is allowed for the relevant Scrutiny
Committee, and the public, to comment.
Once the decision has been made, the relevant Scrutiny Committee
has five clear working days to comment and raise any matters with
the Cabinet Member. If any problems cannot be sorted out, the
Cabinet Member can arrange for the matter to be discussed at the
Scrutiny Committee.
Once the five days are up, the Cabinet Member confirms the
decision and publishes it. The decision won't be implemented for a
further five days, giving the Scrutiny Committee time to decide
whether to call it in. If they do, the decision will be deferred
for a further five working days. During that time,
if the Scrutiny Committee recommends that the decision is
reconsidered, it will be referred to the next Cabinet meeting where
the final decision will be made. Scrutiny Committee members will be
able to attend that meeting.
Scrutiny Committees can only call-in decisions if one-third of
their members agree.
The Constitution has an up-to-date section on which part of the
Council or individual has responsibility for particular types of
decisions. It also has a section on decisions that can be made by
Council staff.
Urgency
The notice period can be waived in exceptional circumstances if
the chairman of the relevant scrutiny committee agrees. The Leader
will have to make quarterly reports to Council about the use of
this urgency procedure.
Delegated powers
It simply isn't practical for Cabinet Members to take every one
of the many decisions that are made weekly, so Council Officers
have 'delegated powers' to handle some of these.
Decisions can only be made in line with Council policy and the law.
They include for example, spending within certain pre-defined
limits, taking legal action, including enforcement, serving
statutory notices and signing contracts valued at up to
£60,000.
A full list of these is set out in The
Constitution.
High standards
Decision-making in the Royal Borough is open and accountable.
Decisions will always be made on the best advice, both legal and
financial and say clearly what they are intended to achieve. All
options that were considered and rejected will be published along
with reasons. The Council will always keep its actions in
proportion, so we won't be using a 'sledgehammer to crack a
nut'.
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