This guide is intended to be an easy and straightforward guide to how the Council makes decisions which affect the people living and working in the Doncaster Borough.
The outcome of
a Referendum in September 2001 required the Council to be led by an elected
Mayor from May, 2002. The Elected Mayor, who is chosen by the people of
Doncaster, has to work within guidelines set by the Full Council. The Mayor is
assisted by the Cabinet which is often referred to as ‘The Executive’. The
Cabinet consists of between 2 and 9 Members of the Full Council each chosen by
the Mayor. Each Cabinet Member is delegated a particular area of work to
concentrate on and be responsible for. These areas of work are called
Portfolios.
The Constitution, is a guide that sets out how the Council operates and has to be followed by the Mayor, all Elected Members and all officers of the Council. The Constitution sets out many rules and procedures that have to be followed in order that the Council operates in a fair and honest manner. This is to ensure that members of the public have trust and faith in the people running the Council.
A great deal of these procedures and
rules are governed by Law, but many are also created by the Local Council in
order that the processes carried out and the decisions that are made are clear
and transparent for all.
The Council consists of 63 Members,
plus the Elected Mayor. The Council is responsible for taking the most
important decisions that affect the people who live and work in the Borough.
These decisions include the setting of the level of Council Tax and the amount
of money that will be available to spend for that year on the services it
provides.
The Council generally meets on a
monthly basis and members of the public can attend and ask questions of the
Elected Mayor and other Councillors at these meetings.
There are different ways in which decisions are made within the Council.
The Cabinet either as a whole, or
Members of the Cabinet on their own, make decisions that affect the Borough.
The most important of these, are known as Key Decisions. All Key Decisions are
published in a document called the Forward Plan, which is produced on a monthly
basis, detailing all decisions to be made within the next four month period and
provides details on how you can have your say before the decision is taken.
The Cabinet, currently meets on a
monthly basis to discuss and take any current decisions that are of an
important nature. Unless the items being discussed are confidential matters,
the public are entitled to attend and observe the decisions being taken.
Not all the decisions that are made are taken by the Full Council or Cabinet. Some decisions are taken by Committees that are appointed by the Full Council. These include:-
·
Planning
Planning
Committee meets 3 weekly, usually on a Tuesday afternoon, and mainly deals with
the applications for Planning Permission. For example, if you were building an
extension to your house, your application would be considered here or if there
was a proposal for a new factory to be built near to your home which you
objected to, you could go along and give your viewpoint.
·
Licensing
The Licensing Committee, generally looks at approving licenses for venues across the Borough. These range from caravan sites to nightclubs, granting licenses for venues to hold civil marriage ceremonies, registering taxi drivers or for market traders to be given a license to sell.
·
Employee
Relations
This
Committee, considers issues relating to the employees of the Council, whether
it be recruitment and training, benefits and pay or any performance related
issues.
·
Standards Committee
This Committee
guides Elected Members, including Town and Parish Councillors, and all Council
staff in conducting their business fairly, truthfully and in a proper manner.
The Committee
continually monitors and reviews its guidelines to make sure they are fully up
to date.
The purpose of
Overview and Scrutiny, is to assist the Mayor and his Cabinet in developing new
policies, reviewing existing policies and holding the Mayor and his Cabinet to
account for decisions they have taken.
Only Elected Members who aren’t part of the Cabinet can sit on Overview
and Scrutiny Committees.
The Overview and Scrutiny function is co-ordinated by a management committee supported by a number of Panels which have been based around the following Corporate Plan themes: -
·
The Economy of the Doncaster Borough
·
Neighbourhood Issues including Housing and, Crime and
Disorder
·
Scrutiny of the NHS in Doncaster, Healthier Communities and
Vulnerable People
·
Schools, Children and Young People and how education can be
improved within the Borough
There are many ways that you, as a member of the public can get involved and you can actually play a part in the processes that are carried out.
Everyone is welcome to attend the
meetings and watch the decision making process actually being carried out,
whether it be to observe the Full Council set the Annual Budget, going along to
Planning Committee to see who’s building what and where, or to attend the
meetings of Overview and Scrutiny to see how these Panels help the Council
improve facilities and services for you.
At some meetings you can take part
either by asking questions of Councillors or by giving your point of view on a
particular issue.
The majority of meetings of the Council
and all its Committees that are held, are open to the public and the times and
places of these are advertised 5 days before every meeting. Details of these
meetings can be found at Copley House, Waterdale, the Mansion House on Priory
Place and on the Council’s Website.
The Council also gives advanced notice
of important issues that are going to be considered in the future. These are
updated on a monthly basis on the Forward Plan, which like the advertisement of
meetings and agendas, is available for you to look at and read through. You are
also welcome to submit your views or comments before the decisions on the
Forward Plan are taken.
If you have any questions or would like
any further information, please feel free to give us here in Democratic Services
a call on any of the numbers below, or alternatively e-mail us at
democratic.services@doncaster.gov.uk
01302 736707
01302 736708
01302 736709
01302 736710