1. Introduction
1.1 Full Council is the primary decision-making body of the Council and as such is responsible for the exercise of all the functions that are the responsibility of the local authority.
1.2 However, in order to operate more effectively as an organisation, Full Council delegates many of its decision-making powers to committees, officers, and other local authorities, as set out in the following chapters of the constitution:
(i) Part D – Committees;
(ii) Part E – Joint Arrangements; and
(iii) Chapter G2 – Scheme of Delegations to Officers.
2. Council Functions
2.1 Only the Council will exercise the following functions:
(a) Adopting and changing the constitution.
(b) Approving or adopting the policy framework and the budget.
(c) Subject to the urgency procedure contained in Chapter B3 (Access to Information Procedure Rules) of the constitution, making decisions about any matter in the discharge of a committee function which is covered by the policy framework or the budget where the decision-making body is minded to make it in a manner which would be contrary to the policy framework or contrary to, or not wholly in accordance with, the budget.
(d) Approving changes to any plan or strategy which form part of the Council’s policy framework, unless:
(i) That change is required by the Secretary of State or any government minister where the plan or strategy has been submitted to them for approval; or
(ii) Full Council specifically delegated authority in relation to these functions when it approved or adopted the plan or strategy.
(e) Establishing or dissolving a Council committee or other body of the Council, or altering its composition and/or membership (including the position of chair and vice-chair) at any time unless otherwise required by statute. The appointment of all committees and other bodies shall be reconsidered at its annual meeting and it shall not appoint any member of a body to hold office later than the next annual meeting of the Council.
(f) Appointing the chair and vice-chair of each of the six policy and service committees, Audit and Accounts Committee, Pension Fund Committee and Planning Committee.
(g) Appointing the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee, who will also fulfil the respective roles of Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council.
(h) Appointing representatives to outside bodies unless the appointment has been delegated by the Council.
(i) Making appointments to the Fire Authority.
(j) Approving the Annual Senior Officer Pay Policy Statement.
(k) Adopting a Members’ Allowances Scheme.
(l) Changing the name of the area.
(m) Conferring the title of Honorary Alderman/woman.
(n) Confirming the appointment of, and dismissing, the Head of Paid Service, the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 Officer.
(o) Making any request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for single-member electoral areas.
(p) Passing any resolution to change the County’s electoral scheme.
(q) Making an order to give effect to recommendations made in a community governance review.
(r) Making, amending, revoking, re-enacting or adopting bylaws and promoting or opposing the making of local legislation or personal bills.
(s) Delegating significant functions to other local authorities as described in Part E of the constitution.
(t) Amending the Scheme of Delegation to Officers set out in Chapter G2 of the constitution.
(u) Approving the Council’s Petitions Scheme set out in Chapter B2 of the constitution.
(v) All other matters which, by law, must be reserved to Council.
3. Council Meetings
3.1 Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Chapter C2 (Council Procedure Rules) of the Constitution.
4. Policy Framework
4.1 The Council’s Budget and Policy Framework is set through the Business Plan and the following statutory and local plans.
4.2 Adoption or approval of the following plans is by law reserved to Full Council, which will take into account the recommendation of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee or relevant Policy and Service Committee:
(i) Annual Library Plan
(ii) Annual Review of Pay Policy
(iii) Business Plan (budget)
(iv) Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Minerals & Waste Development Plan
(v) Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy
(vi) Joint Municipal Waste Strategy
(vii) Sustainable Community Strategy
(viii) Youth Justice Plan
4.3 Adoption or approval of the following plans is by local choice reserved to Full Council, which will take into account the recommendation of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee:
(i) Corporate Asset Management Plan
(ii) Enforcement Policy
(iii) Long Term Capital Strategy
(iv) Procurement Strategy
(v) Single Equality Strategy
(vi) Strategic Asset Development Strategy
(vii) Workforce Strategy
4.4 Adoption or approval of the following plans is by local choice delegated to the relevant Policy and Service Committee:
(i) Greater Cambridge Sub-regional Economic Strategy
(ii) Cambridgeshire Rural Strategy
(iii) Local Flood Risk Management Strategy for Cambridgeshire
(iv) Transformation of Adult Social Care strategy
(v) Climate Change and Environment Strategy.
5. Business Plan
5.1 The Business Plan includes the allocation of financial resources to different services and projects, proposed contingency funds, the Council Tax base, setting the Council Tax, decisions relating to the control of the Council’s borrowing requirement, treasury management functions and the control of its capital expenditure.
6. Role and Function of the Chair of Council
6.1 The Chair of the Council will be elected by the Council at the annual meeting. The Chair of Council, and in the Chair’s absence the Vice-Chair, will have the following roles and functions:
(a) To uphold and promote the purposes of the Constitution.
(b) To preside over meetings of the Council so that its business can be carried out efficiently and with regard to the rights of councillors and the interests of the community.
(c) To ensure that the Council meeting is a forum for the debate of matters of concern to the local community and the place at which members are able to hold each other to account.
(d) To promote public involvement in the Council’s activities.
(e) To be the conscience of the Council.
(f) To attend such civic and ceremonial functions as the Council and the Chair determine appropriate, for example to:
(i) Preside over citizenship ceremonies;
(ii) Present awards;
(iii) Officially open new buildings and projects;
(iv) Attend twinning events; and
(v) Attend funerals of members and officers who die in service and civic dignitaries past and present.
6.2 In the case of doubt as to what does and does not constitute a civic or ceremonial function, the final decision shall rest with the Monitoring Officer following discussion with the Chair.
7. Council Leader
7.1 The Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee shall be, ex-officio, Council Leader and shall hold office unless and until they cease to be Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee.
7.2 The role of the Council’s Leader is to:
(a) Provide a focal point for political leadership and strategic direction for the Council; and
(b) Represent the interests of the Council in circumstances where that is necessary.
7.3 The duties and responsibilities are to:
(a) Ensure effective decision making, including working with all political groups to seek to achieve, where possible, cross party co-operation;
(b) Be the key contact for outside organisations (including central government, local authority associations and Council partners), and internally for the Council’s Corporate Leadership Team;
(c) Be the representative voice of the Council, for example, in its dealings with central government, other local authorities and their associations, and positively promote the Council within the media; and
(d) Promote the long-term financial, business and economic stability of the Council.
8. Deputy Council Leader
8.1 The Deputy Council Leader will assume the full powers of the Council Leader in any circumstances in which the Council Leader is unable to act. The Deputy Council Leader will also act as Council Leader if the Council Leader is unavailable. The Vice-Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee shall be, ex-officio, Deputy Council Leader and shall hold office unless and until they cease to be Vice-Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee.
[Chapter C1 (Full Council) was last amended on 11 February 2025]
A PDF version of this chapter is available to view or download on the CMIS section of the Council’s website, along with a PDF version of the full constitution.
