skip through navigation (Access Key = S ) Jump to Accessibility Information (Access Key = 0 ) Jump to Home Page (Access Key = 1 ) Jump to News (Access Key = 2 ) Jump to Site Map (Access Key = 3 ) Jump to Search Box (Access Key = 4 ) Jump to Frequently Asked Questions (Access Key = 5 ) Jump to Help Page (Access Key = 6 ) Jump to Complaints (Access Key = 7 ) Jump to Terms and Conditions (Access Key = 8 ) Jump to Feedback Form (Access Key = 9 ) Jump to content (Access Key = N ) Jump to Business and Advice (Access Key = B ) Jump to Leisure and Culture (Access Key = C ) Jump to Council and Community Diary (Access Key = M ) Jump to Environment and Planning (Access Key = V ) Jump to Community and Learning (Access Key = G ) Jump to Do It Online (Access Key = O ) Jump to Children and Young People (Access Key = P ) Jump to A to Z Services (Access Key = T ) Jump to Your Council (Access Key = Y ) Jump to A too Z site Index (Access Key = Z ) jump to Read Speaker functionality (Access Key = L) Jump to Printer Friendly Version (Access Key = F) Jump to Text Only (Access Key = J) Jump to Change Contrast (Access Key = K)
How your Council works
We were one of the first District Councils in England to adopt an Executive structure before the Local Government Act 2000.  On the passing of the 2000 Act, the Council consulted local residents and the Leader and Cabinet model is now in operation.

A Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council and seven other councillors are appointed annually by the Council to form the Executive. They are responsible for delivering the policies set by the Council as a whole and take most of the day-to-day decisions together. They make recommendations to the Council on strategic and major policies and the budget and council tax levels. Each councillor on the Executive, except the Leader, has a portfolio with responsibility for different aspects of the Council's activities.

A Forward Plan listing the key decisions is usually published on the 14th of every month and covers a 25-month period starting on the first of the next calendar month.

Councillors who are not on the Executive sit on the overview and scrutiny committees. There are currently two of these committees that review all aspects of the Council's activities, policies and performance and scrutinise the actions of the Executive, to ensure the Council is delivering what local people want. They are entitled to "call in" a decision made by the Executive to examine it before it is actioned, except recommendations to the Council.

Councillors also sit on Planning and Licensing Committees to decide all planning and licensing applications. A Standards Committee, with two independent non-councillor members as chairman and vice chairman, oversees ethical and probity issues.

Forthcoming dates for Council, Executive and Committee meetings can be found on the Committee Information Page where you can also find copies of the agendas and minutes of the meetings.

There are several opportunities for direct public participation in Council meetings.

Firstly there is a public question time at the start of all Council meetings. This enables any person to ask the Leader of the Council a question about the Council's activities or issues that affect the Borough. The only proviso is that they have given a copy of their question to the Chief Executive's office by noon three working days prior to the day of the meeting.

Secondly, when the Council is considering a recommendation made to it by the Executive or a committee, any resident can put forward his or her views on the issues involved by addressing the Council before it discusses the recommendation and makes a decision. Again any one wishing to do this simply has to notify the Chief Executive's office by noon on the day of the Council meeting.

Thirdly the Council now has a procedure to enable petitions to be presented formally at Council meetings and for the person presenting the petition to address the Council for a maximum of three minutes about it. Again any one wishing to do this simply has to notify the Chief Executive's office by noon on the day of the Council meeting.

There are also different arrangements for public speaking at meetings of the Planning Committee in support or against applications and details can be found here.

Communicating and consulting with local residents on future plans and key local issues is a continuing priority for the Council. At the centre of the Council's consultation structure are five  Area Forums covering Staines/Laleham, Stanwell/Stanwell Moor, Ashford, Shepperton and Sunbury. These normally meet twice yearly and provide a platform for informal discussions with residents, to seek their views and comments on key local issues.

Details of all councillors and how to contact them can be found here. For further information about how the Council works or to arrange to ask a question or speak at a Council meeting please contact Richard Powell (see contact details at the top left hand side of this item.)

Useful Links
LGANet
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM)