Agenda item

To consider a report on the Council’s decision-making arrangements.

The Committee considered the report on the Council’s decision-making arrangements in preparation for the transition to a Leader and Cabinet model of governance from May 2026.

Members noted that the Task and Finish Group (TFG) had reviewed and recommended the adoption of key constitutional documents, including Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, Cabinet Procedure Rules, Local Choice Functions, and transitional provisions.

Councillor M Gorman, Chair of the TFG, proposed the recommendations from the TFG which comprised the first tranche of proposed ‘building blocks’ of the emerging Leader and Cabinet arrangements. Cllr Gorman thanked officers and members of the TFG for their hard work in preparing the documentation which provided a good and firm foundation for the development and implementation of the new governance model, ensuring clarity, accountability, and effective decision-making going forward.

The Committee debated the arrangements for public and member questions at Cabinet meetings. The Chair proposed that the Committee support the requirement for 3 clear working days’ notice of public and Member questions to be given before Cabinet meetings, and that such questions should relate to items on the agenda for the meeting in question. The Chair also proposed that provision should be built-in to the Constitution to take account of matters which could not reasonably have been foreseen by the deadline for such questions. It was agreed that this wording would be drafted by the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with Group Leaders. It was further agreed that a review of the arrangements would be included in the October 2026 review of the new governance arrangements to ensure that they were working effectively for both Members and members of the public.

RESOLVED (by majority):

That the Corporate Policy Committee recommend that Full Council

1.    Agree and adopt the following procedure rules and other constitutional documents and provisions, as appended to the report; these to take effect at the Council’s Annual General Meeting on 13 May 2026:

a)    Appendix 1: Recommendations arising from the deliberations of the T&F Group.

b)    Appendix 2: Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules and Arrangements. c.

c)    Appendix 3: Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules.

d)    Appendix 4: Executive Arrangements and Cabinet Procedure Rules, these to include the following provisions:

                              I.         3 clear working days’ notice of public and Member questions should be given before Cabinet meetings, and

                            II.         such questions should relate to items on the agenda for the meeting in question.

(subject to provision being built-in to the Constitution to take account of matters which could not reasonably have been foreseen by the deadline for such questions. It was agreed that such provision would be drafted by the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with Group Leaders, and presented to Council at its December meeting).

e)    Appendix 5: Local Choice Functions.

f)      Appendix 6: Leader and Cabinet Transitional Provisions.

2.    Authorise the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Council’s political group leaders, to make such general and consequential changes to the Council’s Constitution:

a)    as he deems are necessary to give effect to the wishes of Council; or

b)    as may become necessary at short notice, as referred to in paragraphs 9-11 of the report, and which may be required to be put in place to ensure the efficient and effective administration of the Council’s decision-making arrangements with effect from 13 May 2026; or

c)    which arise from provisions of legislation.

3.    Note that the remaining Leader and Cabinet documents and arrangements will be presented to the meeting of Council on 25 February 2026.

4.    Agree that the implemented Leader and Cabinet arrangements will be reviewed in or around the autumn of 2026, with a view to introducing changes and improvements, where these are deemed to be necessary or desirable.