THE COUNCIL’S CONSTITUTION – A SUMMARY EXPLANATION

The purpose of this Constitution is to set out with clarity for the benefit of Councillors, officers, members of the public and anybody who may have dealings with the Council:-

· the structure of the Council

· who has responsibility for making decisions on behalf of the Council

· arrangements which the Council has for review and scrutiny decisions made by it

· the processes and procedures to be followed in making and/or scrutinising and reviewing decisions of the Council

· the Protocols which govern the conduct of Councillors and officers

· the rights of citizens in relation to the Council

In fulfilling those aims the Constitution will support:-

· the Council in providing a clear leadership to the community of Bracknell Forest, in partnership with its citizens, businesses, the voluntary sector and other organisations

· the active involvement of citizens in the process of the Council decision-making

· Councillors in representing their constituents effectively

· the efficient and effective taking of decisions

· the holding of decision-makers to public account

The Constitution comprises the following parts:

Page No

<AI1>

Part 1 - The Structure of the Council

</AI1>

<AI2>

1. Section 1 - Overview

1 - 2

</AI2>

<AI3>

2. Section 2 - Members of the Council

3 - 4

</AI3>

<AI4>

3. Section 3 - The Council Meeting

5 - 6

</AI4>

<AI5>

4. Section 4 - The Executive

7 - 8

</AI5>

<AI6>

5. Section 5 - Regulatory and Other Committees

9 - 10

</AI6>

<AI7>

6. Section 6 - Champions

11 - 12

</AI7>

<AI8>

7. Section 7 - Joint Arrangements

13 - 14

</AI8>

<AI9>

8. Section 8 - Officers' Roles and Statutory Officer Functions

15 - 18

</AI9>

<AI10>

Part 2 - Responsibility for Decisions

</AI10>

<AI11>

9. Section 1 - Introduction

19 - 20

</AI11>

<AI12>

10. Section 2 - Responsibility for Local Choice Functions

21 - 22

</AI12>

<AI13>

11. Section 3 - Functions of the Council

23 - 24

</AI13>

<AI14>

12. Section 4 - Responsibility for Non-Executive Functions

25 - 32

</AI14>

<AI15>

13. Section 5 - Responsibility for Executive Functions

33 - 42

</AI15>

<AI16>

14. Section 6 - Powers Exercisable by Officers

43 - 48

</AI16>

<AI17>

15. Table 1 - Delegation to Officers

49 - 62

</AI17>

<AI18>

Part 3 - Overview & Scrutiny

</AI18>

<AI19>

16. Section 1 - Introduction

63 - 64

</AI19>

<AI20>

17. Section 2 - Overview & Scrutiny Commission

65 - 66

</AI20>

<AI21>

18. Section 3 - Overview & Scrutiny Panels

67 - 68

</AI21>

<AI22>

19. Section 4 - Conduct of Proceedings

69 - 70

</AI22>

<AI23>

Part 4 - The Way in which the Council Operates

</AI23>

<AI24>

20. Section 1 - Introduction

71 - 72

</AI24>

<AI25>

21. Section 2 - Principles of Decision Making

73 - 76

</AI25>

<AI26>

22. Section 3 - Council Procedure Rules

77 - 94

</AI26>

<AI27>

23. Annex - Scheme for Public Participation at Meetings of the Council

95 - 100

</AI27>

<AI28>

24. Annex - Overview and Scrutiny Public Participation Scheme

101 - 104

</AI28>

<AI29>

25. Annex - Guidance for Filming, Audio-Recording, Photographing and Using Social Media at Council and Committee Meetings

105 - 106

</AI29>

<AI30>

26. Annex - Remote meetings protocol and procedure rules

107 - 112

</AI30>

<AI31>

27. Section 4 - Committee Procedure Rules

113 - 128

</AI31>

<AI32>

28. Annex  - Rules of debate diagram

129 - 130

</AI32>

<AI33>

29. Section 5 - Access to Information Procedure Rules

131 - 142

</AI33>

<AI34>

30. Section 6 - Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules

143 - 148

</AI34>

<AI35>

31. Section 7 - Executive Procedure Rules

149 - 152

</AI35>

<AI36>

32. Section 8 - Protocol for Executive Decision Making by Members under Executive Arrangements

153 - 160

</AI36>

<AI37>

33. Section 9 - Overview & Scrutiny Procedure Rules

161 - 170

</AI37>

<AI38>

34. Section 10 - Financial Regulations

171 - 244

</AI38>

<AI39>

35. Section 11 - Contract Standing Orders

245 - 256

</AI39>

<AI40>

36. Section 12 - Officer Employment Procedure Rules

257 - 262

</AI40>

<AI41>

37. Section 13 - Code of Conduct for Members and Co-Opted Members

263 - 272

</AI41>

<AI42>

38. Section 14 - Employees' Code of Conduct

273 - 284

</AI42>

<AI43>

39. Section 15 - Member and Officer Protocol

285 - 298

</AI43>

<AI44>

40. Section 16 - Protocol for Members in Dealing with Planning Matters

299 - 308

</AI44>

<AI45>

41. Section 17 - Legal Proceedings Etc

309 - 310

</AI45>

<AI46>

42. Section 18 - Leader and Chief Executive Protocol

311 - 314

</AI46>

<AI47>

Part 5 - Citizens and the Council

</AI47>

<AI48>

43. Citizens and the Council

315 - 316

</AI48>

<AI49>

Part 6 - Members' Allowances

</AI49>

<AI50>

44. Members' Allowances

317 - 328

</AI50>

<AI51>

45. Schedule 1 - Special Responsibility Allowances

329 - 330

</AI51>

<AI52>

46. Schedule 2 - Approved Duties for Travel and Subsistence Allowances

331 - 332

</AI52>

<AI53>

47. Schedule 3 - Approved Conferences

333 - 334

</AI53>

<AI54>

Part 7 - Review, Revision, Suspension, Interpretation and Publication of the Constitution

</AI54>

<AI55>

48. Review, Revision, Suspension, Interpretation and Publication of the Constitution

335 - 336

</AI55>

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