Committees and meetings

In order to ensure the openness and accountability of the Council’s decision-making process, an Executive Work Programme of key decisions and decisions to be taken in private meetings has been prepared which sets out clearly the decisions to be taken in the coming months, you can download the Executive Work Programme.

The Council also keeps a record of officer decisions taken under powers delegated by the Executive.

What the Executive Work Programme includes

In order to ensure the openness and accountability of the Council’s decision-making process, an Executive Work Programme of key decisions and decisions to be taken in private meetings has been prepared which sets out clearly the decisions to be taken in the coming months.

The Executive Work Programme tries to anticipate the issues that will be the subject of a key decision within a given timescale. For each item, the plan includes:

• A description of the item for decision
• Who will take the decision
• Information on any background papers relating to the item for decision
• The contact officer
• The date and period within which the decision will be taken
• Whether the decision will be taken in private and, if so, why this is proposed.

When it’s updated

The Executive Work Programme is updated at least once every month. As the programme also serves as notice of any decisions to be taken in private, members of the public are invited to examine the Executive Work Programme and make any representations regarding these decision using the instructions provided.

What are key decisions?

We have defined a key decision as one which is likely:

1. To result in the Local Authority incurring expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the Local Authority’s budget for the service or function to which it relates; or
2. To be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area comprising two or more wards in the area of the local authority.

How are Executive decisions to be taken in private considered?

If a decision to be taken by the Executive will involve the consideration of ‘exempt information’, such as information relating to or disclosing the identity of an individual, the decision can be taken in a private meeting. If this occurs, the following provision will be made:

1. 28 days’ notice will be given in the Executive Work Programme and members of the public will be invited to make representations if it is felt that the decision should be made in public. A suitable response will then be published to the representations made.
2. If it is not possible to provide 28 days’ notice of the decision to be taken, agreement may be sought from the chair of the relevant overview and scrutiny committee (or another person provided for in the relevant regulations) if it would not be appropriate to defer the decision to a later meeting. If this occurs, a notice will be

What isn’t included in the Executive Work Programme?

The plan does not, therefore, include:

• Exempt or confidential information as defined in the Local Government Act 1972
• Any decisions made by executive or delegated to chief officers which are not defined as key decisions
• Any decisions made by the council’s regulatory committees or other non-executive committees
• Planning
• Licensing
• Housing appeals
• Personnel appeals

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