08 October 2008The Council operates a Leader and a Cabinet system to take most of its decisions.
Most day-to-day decisions are taken by the Cabinet which meets every four weeks on a Thursday at 7pm. It is made up of the Leader of the Council together with six other Councillors (also referred to as 'Portfolio Holders'). Each Portfolio Holder has responsibility for one or more areas of the Council’s work. These areas of responsibility are called ‘Portfolios’. However, important decisions, such as setting the budget, setting Council Tax or approving policies and strategies, are considered by all the Councillors.
The key decisions to be taken by Cabinet are set out in the Council's Forward Plan.
The Performance and Governance Committee monitors and scrutinises decisions taken by the Cabinet as well as other work. There are three Select Committees: the Environment Select Committee, Services Select Committee and the Social Affairs Select Committee. These committees are responsible for reviewing issues in depth and assisting the Council in making or changing policies.
Decisions about some planning applications are taken by the Development Control Committee which meets every four weeks, usually on Thursdays at 7pm.
In addition, there are five other committees. They are:
All the Council’s meetings are open to the public. A calendar of meetings for 2007/08 is available on the Committee Minutes Information System (CMIS). If you would like more information about how decisions are made or when any of the Council’s meetings take place, contact;
The Committee Services Team
Tel: 01732 227241
E-mail: committee.services@sevenoaks.gov.uk
