Role of the council

All 60 elected members act collectively as the council and meet on an 8-weekly cycle.

The council’s role is to act as a focus for the authority, to discuss and debate issues of importance to the borough and to determine the authority’s budgetary and policy framework.

The council have a number of important responsibilities, including:

• appointment of the leader

• appointment of members to the executive

• taking decisions in respect of functions which are not the responsibility of the executive (and which have not been delegated to committees or officers)

• making appointments to council committees and outside bodies

• determining the Members’ Allowances Scheme and the amounts payable

• approving the council’s budget

• approving and adopting strategic plans once they have been considered by the executive and relevant Scrutiny and Performance Panel

• considering any proposed variation to the budgetary and/or policy framework

• adopting the council’s Code of Conduct for members

In adopting each of the above, the council can authorise the executive to make 'in year' changes to plans as necessary.

Council meetings

At each meeting of the council the summons will normally include all or some of the following:

• receipt of petitions

• discussion on, and adoption of, the strategic plans referred to above

• consideration of any reports from committees

• motions for debate as provided for in the Council Procedure Rules

• questions by members of the public

• questions by members

View minutes and agendas on our committee information website