The Council’s Decision Making System

How the system works

The Council implemented a new Constitution in May 2001. The Constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and acceptable to local people.

Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the Council to choose.

The Council’s Constitution

The Constitution is a document which sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made, and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent, and accountable to local people.

Some of these processes are required by law, others are for the Council to choose.

The Constitution is divided into 15 Articles which set out the basic rules governing the Council’s business.

The purpose of the Constitution as defined in Article 1, is to:

• Enable the Council to provide clear leadership to the community in partnership with citizens, businesses and other organisations;
• Support the active involvement of citizens in the process of local authority decision-making;
• Help councillors represent their constituents more effectively;
• Enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively;
• Create a powerful and effective means of holding decision-makers to public account;
• Ensure that no-one will review or scrutinise a decision in which they were directly involved;
• Ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions; and
• Provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the community.
  

Read the Constitution: (pdf)