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Council Constitution
Council Constitution This section provides information about the Council's Constitution.  The Constitution consists of 16 articles which set out the basic rules governing the council's business, procedures and codes of practice. This includes how we operate, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed, to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to the community.
More detailed procedures and codes of practice are provided in separate procedure rules.

PART 1 SUMMARY
PART 2












 Articles of the Constitution
The Articles are number 1 to 16 and cover all the elements required to describe the Constitution

Article 1 -      The Constitution (Pdf 16kb)
Article 2 -      The Council and its members (Pdf 17kb)
Article 3 -      The public and the Council (Pdf - 14kb)
Article 4 -      The Council (Pdf - 18kb)
Article 5 -      The Mayor (Pdf - 11kb)
Article 6 -      Overview and Scrutiny Committees (Pdf - 21kb)
Article 7 -      The Cabinet (Pdf - 15kb)
Article 8 -       Regulatory and other Committees (Pdf - 10kb)
Article 9 -       The Standards Committee (Pdf - 19kb)
Article 10 -     'Have Your Say' events (Pdf - 9kb)
Article 11 -     Joint arrangements (Pdf - 17kb)
Article 12 -     Officers (Pdf - 26kb)
Article 13 -     Decision making (Pdf - 19kb)
Article 14 -     Finance, contracts and legal matters (Pdf - 13kb)
Article 15 -     Review and revision of the Constitution (Pdf - 11kb)
Article 16 -     Suspension, interpretation and publication of the Constitution (Pdf - 14kb)
Schedule 1 - Description of Cabinet arrangements (Pdf - 10kb)
PART 3 Responsibility for functions
(a)  Terms of Reference and Scheme of Delegations Introduction (Pdf - 22kb)
Terms of Reference of Committees (Pdf - 75kb)
Committee Structure (Pdf - 36kb)
Delegated responsibilities in consultation with the Cabinet Member/ The Leader of the Council (Pdf - 25kb)
(b) Delegations to officers (Pdf - 129kb)
Employment policies, procedures and arrangements - Appendix A (Pdf - 20kb)
(c)  Proper officer functions  (Pdf - 29kb)
(d)  Roles of different councillors (Pdf - 17kb)
PART 4 Procedural rules
(1) Council Standing Orders (Pdf - 79kb)
Rules of debate (Pdf - 10kb)
(b)  Overview and Scrutiny Procedure rules (Pdf - 48kb)
(c)  Cabinet Procedure rules (Pdf- 26kb)
Details of the Cabinet Areas of responsibility (Pdf - 26kb)
(d)  Financial Regulations (Pdf - 184kb)
(e)  Standing Orders for Contracts (Pdf - 60kb)
(f)   Officer Employment Procedure rules (Pdf - 21kb)
(g)  Access to Information rules (Pdf - 51kb)
(h)  Budget and Policy Framework Procedure rules (Pdf - 33kb)
PART 5








 Codes and protocols
(a)  Members' Code of Conduct (Pdf 40kb)
An Executive Summary of the new Model Code of Conduct (Pdf 16kb)
(b)  Code of Conduct for employees (Pdf 73kb)
(c)  Protocol for Member/Officer relations (Pdf 53kb)
(d)  Planning Code (Pdf 42kb)
Planning Code - Appendix A - site visits (Pdf 15kb)
Planning Code - Appendix B - Procedures for public speaking (Pdf 36kb)
(e) Confidential Reporting Code (Pdf 34kb)
(f)   Anti Fraud and Corruption Strategy (Pdf 73kb)
(g)  Local Code of Corporate Governance (Pdf 24kb)
Code of Corporate Governance - Appendix (Pdf 39kb)
(h)  Monitoring Officer Code (Pdf 33kb)
(i) Money Laundering Policy (Pdf 69kb) and Money Laundering Policy appendix (Pdf 25kb)
PART 6

 Members' Allowances Scheme
(a)  Members' Allowances Scheme (Pdf - 20kb)
PART 7 MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE (Pdf - 147kb)
PART 8 'HAVE YOUR SAY' EVENTS (Pdf 15kb)