The council's constitution

Direct Debit payments

Due to a technical issue, council tax and business rates payments set to be paid by Direct Debit today (Thursday 1 May) will now be paid tomorrow (Friday 2 May).

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Our constitution sets out how we operate, how we make decisions and the procedures we follow to ensure efficiency and transparency.

The law requires the council to follow some of the protocols in the constitution, while other protocols have been put in place by the council.

The articles of the constitution set out the basic rules governing the council's business. Detailed procedures and codes of practice can be found in the constitution's standing orders and protocols.

Contents

Part One
1A - Summary and explanation
1B - Articles of the constitution (the principles under which the constitution operates)

Part Two
2A - Terms of reference (the powers of each of the bodies referred to in the constitution)
2B - Scheme of delegation to officers (the powers which the council has given to its officers)

Part Three
3A - Council standing orders (the rules by which the council and committees operate)
3B - Cabinet standing orders (the rules by which the cabinet operates)
3C - Overview and scrutiny standing orders (the rules by which overview and scrutiny operates)
3D - Access to information standing orders (the arrangements for making information about council business available)
3E - Budget and policy framework standing orders (the financial and policy framework within which the council operates)
3F - Contracts standing orders (the rules governing the management of contracts)
3G - Financial standing orders (the council's financial rules)
3H - Officer employment standing orders (the rules governing the employment of officers)

Part Four
4A - Code of conduct for councillors
4B - Code of conduct for councillors and officers dealing with planning matters
4C - Code of conduct for employees
4D - Protocol on councillor/officer relations
4E - Confidential reporting code (the council's whistleblowing code)
4F - Monitoring Officer protocol (protocol defining the power and duties of the Monitoring Officer)
4G - Complaint process
4H - Councillor call for action (protocol for members to refer matters to overview and scrutiny)
4I - Petition scheme (protocol for dealing with petitions)

Part Five
5A - Members' allowance scheme

Part Six
6A - Management structure

Direct Debit payments

The council&#39;s constitution

Direct Debit payments

The council's constitution