C2 - Council Procedure Rules

1. Introduction

1.1 These rules are designed to ensure meetings of the Full Council run smoothly and are conducted properly.

2. Types of Meetings

2.1 There are three types of Council meeting:

(a) The annual meeting

(b) Ordinary meetings

(c) Extraordinary meetings

3. Annual Meeting of the Council

Timing

3.1 In a year when there is an ordinary election of councillors, the annual meeting will take place within 21 days of the retirement of the outgoing councillors.

3.2 In any other year, the annual meeting will take place in May.

Business

3.3 The annual meeting will carry out the tasks listed below:

(a) Elect a person to preside if the Chair of Council is not present.

(b) Elect the Chair of Council.

(c) Elect the Vice-Chair of Council.

(d) Approve the minutes of the last meeting.

(e) Receive any announcements from the Chair and/or Head of Paid Service.

(f) Approve a programme of ordinary meetings of the Council for the year.

(g) Consider any business set out in the notice convening the meeting.

3.4 In addition, the annual meeting in a year where there is an ordinary election of councillors will receive the report of the County Returning Officer for information, and will receive the Council’s Constitution for endorsement.

Selection of Councillors on Committees and Outside Bodies

3.5 At the annual meeting, the Council will:

(a) Decide which committees and sub-committees to establish for the municipal year.

(b) Decide the size and terms of reference for those committees and sub-committees.

(c) Decide the allocation of seats and substitutes to political groups in accordance with the political balance rules.

(d) Appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee who will also fulfil the role of Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council respectively.

(e) Appoint the chair and vice-chair of each of the six policy and service committees.

(f) Appoint the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Audit and Accounts Committee, Pension Fund Committee and Planning Committee.

(g) Appoint to outside bodies except where appointment to those bodies has been delegated by the Council.

4. Ordinary Meetings

4.1 Ordinary meetings of the Council will take place in accordance with a programme decided at the Council’s annual meeting. Ordinary meetings will:

(a) Elect a person to preside if the Chair and Vice-Chair are not present.

(b) Approve the minutes of the last meeting.

(c) Receive any announcements from the Chair, Leader, committee chairs or the Chief Executive.

(d) Subject to the consent of the person presiding at the meeting:

(i) Receive questions from, and provide answers to, the public; and

(ii) Receive petitions in accordance with the Council’s petitions scheme.

(e) Deal with any business from the last Council meeting.

(f) Consider recommendations from the Council’s committees on matters requiring a Council decision.

(g) Receive reports about and receive questions and answers on the business of joint arrangements and external organisations.

(h) Consider motions.

(i) Consider any other business specified in the summons to the meeting, including consideration of proposals from the Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee in relation to the Council’s budget and policy for debate.

(j) Put questions to the Council’s representatives on the Fire Authority and the Combined Authority Board and Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(k) Adjourn for ten minutes approximately every two hours, at an appropriate point.

4. Extraordinary Meetings

Calling Extraordinary Meetings

4.1 Those listed below may request the proper officer to call Council meetings in addition to ordinary meetings:

(a) The Council by resolution;

(b) The Chair of the Council;

(c) The Monitoring Officer; and

(d) Any five members of the Council if they have signed a requisition presented to the Chair of the Council and they have refused to call a meeting or have failed to call a meeting within seven days of the presentation of the requisition.

4.2 Any requisition received for an extraordinary meeting must specify the business to be transacted at the meeting.

Business

4.3 The business to be transacted at an extraordinary meeting of the Council shall be restricted to those items set out in the summons.

5. Appointments to Committees

5.1 Every person appointed to be a member of a committee or sub-committee will remain a member of that committee until the first of the following events:

(a) They cease to be a councillor;

(b) Their resignation;

(c) Changes to political balance necessitate changes to committee membership; or

(d) Removal by the proper officer at the request of their group.

5.2 The Full Council is required to keep the allocation of seats to groups under review.

5.3 Whenever allocation of seats is considered by the Full Council the Monitoring Officer shall submit a report showing what the allocation of seats should be in order to ensure committees reflect the overall political balance of the Council.

5.4 Any changes in a committee’s membership must be notified by the group leader or the majority of their group to the Democratic Services Manager no later than 12.00 noon the working day before the relevant meeting.

5.5 Democratic Services will ensure that all appointments to committees are reported to the next meeting of the appropriate committee.

5.6 As well as allocating seats on committees and sub-committees, the Council will allocate seats in the same manner to ensure that the number of substitute members is equal to the number of members on a committee/sub-committee with a minimum of three substitute members per political group.

6. Time and Place of Meetings

6.1 The time and place of meetings will be determined by the proper officer and notified in the summons.

7. Notice of and Summons to All Meetings

7.1 The proper officer will give notice to the public of the time and place of any meeting in accordance with Chapter B3 (Access to Information Procedure Rules). At least five clear days before a meeting, the proper officer will send a summons signed by them to every member of the Council. The summons will give the date, time and place of each meeting and specify the business to be transacted, and will be accompanied by such reports as are available.

7.2 The Monitoring Officer may, after consultation with the Chair, cancel a meeting of the Council, if they are satisfied that there is insufficient business to be transacted or if they are satisfied that this is the appropriate course of action.

8. Chair of Meeting

8.1 The person presiding at the meeting may exercise any power or duty of the Chair.

8.2 If any issues arise at a meeting in relation to the interpretation of the procedure rules, the Chair’s decision shall be final.

9. Quorum

9.1 The quorum of a meeting will be one third of the whole number of voting members. During any meeting, if the Chair counts the number of members present and declares there is not a quorum present, then the meeting will adjourn immediately. Remaining business will be considered at a time and date fixed by the Chair. If the Chair does not fix a date, the remaining business will be considered at the next ordinary meeting.

10. Questions by Members

Oral Questions

10.1 At every meeting except extraordinary or special meetings of the Council and the first annual meeting of a new Council, members may ask questions for a response by the Council’s appointee on the Combined Authority, and its appointees to the Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee; councillors may also comment on concerns or issues. The protocol for such questions or comments is set out in Annex 1 to this chapter.

10.2 At Council meetings in October and March, members will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on fire issues. The protocol for such questions or comments is set out in Annex 2 to this chapter.

10.3 With the exception of these questions, the Chair of the Council has the authority to accept oral questions in exceptional circumstances only.

Written Questions

10.4 Subject to the provisions set out below, a member of the Council may ask:

(a) The Chair; and/or

(b) The chair of any committee.

a question in writing on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the county.

10.5 A member may only ask a written question under Rule 10.4 if either:

(a) They have given notice in writing of the question to the proper officer no later than 12.00 noon five working days before the date of the meeting, excluding extraordinary or special meetings of the Council and the first annual meeting of a new Council, where no written questions may be asked unless they are agreed as an urgent item by the Chair under paragraph (b) below; or

(b) The question relates to urgent matters, they have the consent of the Chair to whom the question is to be put, and the content of the question is given to the proper officer at least one hour before the scheduled start of the meeting.

10.6 The maximum number of written questions submitted to any one meeting will be twenty. Questions will be accepted in the order received until the limit has been reached.

11. Public Questions and Petitions

11.1 Public questions will be considered in accordance with Chapter B1 (Participation in Meetings).

11.2 Petitions will be considered in accordance with Chapter B2 (Petition Scheme).

12. Motions on Notice

Notice

12.1 Except for motions which can be moved without notice under Rule 13, written or electronic notice of motions for discussion at Council meetings, excluding extraordinary or special meetings and the annual budget meeting of the Council or the first annual meeting of a new Council, must be delivered to the proper officer not later than 12.00 noon 14 days before the date of the meeting. The proper officer will maintain a public record of all motions submitted. Any councillor may give notice of not more than one motion for consideration at any ordinary meeting.

12.2 Other than at the annual budget meeting, for which no notices of motions shall be accepted, a maximum of five motions shall be accepted for debate at an ordinary meeting of the Council under this standing order.

Motion Set out in Agenda

12.3 Motions for which notice has been given will be listed on the agenda in the order in which notice of the full written motion in its draft form was received, unless the Member giving notice states, in writing, that they propose to move it to a later meeting or withdraw it.

Scope

12.4 Motions:

(a) Must be about matters for which the Council has a responsibility, or which affect the county;

(b) May propose an addition or change to a policy framework provided that the addition or change could not reasonably have been raised when the policy framework was originally approved;

(c) May not raise the competence or performance of a councillor or officer;

(d) May not raise any matter involving exempt information or normally considered confidential;

(e) May not make any abusive or defamatory comments; and

(f) May not be related to a planning application, or any other quasi-judicial matter, that will or could be determined by the authority, including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NCIPS), or for which it is a statutory consultee.

13. Motions Without Notice

13.1 The following motions may be moved without notice:

(a) To appoint a chair of the meeting at which the motion is moved.

(b) In relation to the accuracy of the minutes.

(c) To change the order of business in the agenda.

(d) To refer something to an appropriate body or individual.

(e) To appoint a committee or member arising from an item on the summons for the meeting.

(f) To receive reports or adoption of recommendations of committees or officers and any resolutions following from them.

(g) To withdraw a motion.

(h) To amend a motion.

(i) To proceed to the next business.

(j) That the question be now put.

(k) To adjourn a debate.

(l) To adjourn a meeting.

(m) To suspend a particular Council Procedure Rule.

(n) To exclude the public and press in accordance with Chapter B3 (Access to Information Rules).

(o) To not hear further a member named under Rule 19.3 or to exclude them from the meeting under Rule 19.4.

(p) To give the consent of the Council where its consent is required by this constitution.

14. Rules of Debate

No Speeches Until Motion Seconded

14.1 No speeches may be made after the mover has moved a proposal and explained the purpose of it until the motion has been seconded.

Right to Require Motion or Amendment in Writing

14.2 Unless notice of the motion or amendment has already been given, the Chair may require it to be written down and handed to them before it is discussed.

Seconder’s Speech

14.3 When seconding a motion or amendment, a member may reserve their speech until later in the debate.

Content and Length of Speeches

14.4 Speeches must be directed to the question under discussion or to a personal explanation or point of order. No speech may exceed five minutes without the consent of the Chair. At the annual budget meeting, Group Leaders will have opening speeches immediately after the motion has been proposed and seconded, in order of members of the administration first and then the opposition, based on descending order of group size.

When a Member may Speak Again

14.5 A member who has spoken on a motion may not speak again whilst it is the subject of debate, except:

(a) To speak once on an amendment moved by another member.

(b) To move a further amendment if the motion has been amended since they last spoke.

(c) If their first speech was on an amendment moved by another member, to speak on the main issue (whether or not the amendment on which they spoke was carried).

(d) In exercise of a right of reply.

(e) On a point of order.

(f) By way of personal explanation.

(g) For the annual budget debate, Group Leaders will also be able to speak during the main debate itself, following their opening speeches.

Amendments to Motions

14.6 An amendment to a motion must be relevant to the motion and should not seek to introduce into the motion a new issue unrelated to the subject in the motion. It will either be:

(i) To refer the matter to an appropriate body or individual for consideration or reconsideration.

(ii) To leave out words.

(iii) To leave out words and insert or add others.

(iv) To insert or add words.

as long as the effect of (ii) to (iv) is not to negate the motion.

14.7 An amendment to a motion must be delivered to the Monitoring Officer and Democratic Services Manager in its draft form not later than noon two working days and its intended final form not later than noon one working day before the date of the meeting at which the motion is to be considered. If more than one amendment is received, amendments will be taken at the meeting in the order in which they were received by the Democratic Services Manager.

14.8 If no withdrawal, confirmation or change is received by the Monitoring Officer, it will be assumed that the amendment is to be considered in its initial form.

14.9 No other amendment may be moved at the meeting except where the Chair of Council may permit, at their absolute discretion, in exceptional circumstances and to ensure the efficient or proper discharge of the Council’s business, a further amendment or amendments to be moved.

14.10 At the annual budget meeting, due to the complexity of the Business Plan and the need for financial compliance, any significant* amendments must be submitted to the Section 151 Officer, and the Democratic Services Manager, at least five clear working days before the date of the meeting, in order to enable the Section 151 Officer to confirm whether the proposed amendments would result in a lawful budget.

14.11 Any minor* amendments must be submitted to the officers above not later than noon one working day before the date of Full Council.

[*Note – Amendments will be classified as significant if they call for changes, which will require the Section 151 Officer to expend a considerable amount of time checking the budget figures. Minor amendments will be those that relate to a single budget line. The final decision as to whether an amendment is significant rests with the Section 151 Officer].

14.12 Only one amendment may be moved and discussed at any one time. No further amendment may be moved until the amendment under discussion has been disposed. At the annual budget meeting, amendments will be debated in the order selected by the Chair of the Council, having regard to the proportionality of the groups.

14.13 If an amendment is not carried, other amendments to the original motion may be moved.

14.14 If an amendment is carried, the motion as amended takes the place of the original motion. This becomes the substantive motion to which any further amendments are moved.

14.15 After an amendment has been carried, the Chair will advise the meeting of the content of the amended motion before accepting any further amendments, or if there are none, put it to the vote.

14.16 At the annual budget meeting, if a majority vote in favour of either the original recommendation or the amended version cannot be achieved, the Chair shall immediately adjourn the debate and meeting, and ask Group Leaders to make themselves available with a view to commencing discussions / negotiations in order to arrive at a recommendation which will gain sufficient support to achieve a majority. As soon as a new recommendation has been proposed, (which is approved by the Section 151 officer), the Chair shall reconvene the meeting and ask for the amendment to be moved and debated.

Alteration of Motion

14.17 A member may alter a motion of which they have given notice with the consent of the meeting. The meeting’s consent will be signified without discussion.

14.18 A member may alter a motion which they have moved without notice with the consent of both the meeting and the seconder. The meeting’s consent will be signified without discussion.

14.19 Only alterations to the motion which could be made as an amendment may be made.

Withdrawal of Motion

14.20 A member may withdraw a motion which they have moved with the consent of both the meeting and the seconder. The meeting’s consent will be signified without discussion. No member may speak on the motion after the mover has asked permission to withdraw it unless permission is refused.

Right of Reply

14.21 The mover of a motion, whether amended or not, has a right to reply at the end of the debate on the motion, immediately before it is put to the vote.

14.22 If an amendment is moved, the mover of the original motion has the right of reply at the close of the debate on the amendment, but may not otherwise speak on it.

14.23 The mover of the amendment has no right of reply to the debate on their amendment.

Motions which may be Moved During Debate

14.24 When a motion is under debate, no other motion may be moved except the following procedural motions:

(a) To withdraw a motion.

(b) To amend a motion.

(c) To proceed to the next business.

(d) That the question be now put.

(e) To adjourn a debate.

(f) To adjourn a meeting.

(g) To exclude the public and press in accordance with the Access to Information Rules.

(h) To not hear further a member named under Rule 20.3 or to exclude them from the meeting under Rule 20.4.

Closure Motions

14.25 A member may move, without comment, the following motions at the end of a speech of another member:

(i) To proceed to the next business.

(ii) That the question be now put.

(iii) To adjourn a debate.

(iv) To adjourn a meeting.

14.26 If a motion to proceed to next business is seconded and the Chair thinks the item has been sufficiently discussed, they will give the mover of the original motion a right of reply and then put the procedural motion to the vote.

14.27 If a motion that the question be now put is seconded and the Chair thinks the item has been sufficiently discussed, they will put the procedural motion to the vote. If it is passed, they will give the mover of the original motion a right of reply before putting their motion to the vote.

14.28 If a motion to adjourn the debate or to adjourn the meeting is seconded and the Chair thinks the item has not been sufficiently discussed and cannot reasonably be so discussed on that occasion, they will put the procedural motion to the vote without giving the mover of the original motion the right of reply.

Point of Order

14.29 A member may raise a point of order at any time. The Chair will hear them immediately. A point of order may only relate to an alleged breach of these Council Rules of Procedure or the law. The member must indicate the rule or law and the way in which they consider it has been broken. The ruling of the Chair on the matter will be final.

Personal Explanation

14.30 A member may make a personal explanation at any time. A personal explanation may only relate to some material part of an earlier speech by the member which may appear to have been misunderstood in the present debate. The ruling of the Chair on the admissibility of a personal explanation shall be final.

Officers Addressing the Council

14.31 Officers will not normally be called upon to address the Council or to answer questions unless specifically requested to do so by the Chair of the Council. This rule shall not apply to the provision of procedural advice by the Monitoring Officer or to the Head of Paid Service and Section 151 Officer when acting in their statutory roles.

15. State of County Debate

15.1 The Chair, in consultation with the Leader, may convene meetings of the Council to discuss matters relating to the state of the county. The application of these rules to such meetings may be varied in accordance with a detailed protocol agreed by the Council.

16. Previous Decisions and Motions

Motion to Rescind a Previous Decision

16.1 A motion or amendment to rescind a decision made at a meeting of Council within the past six months cannot be moved unless the notice of motion is signed by at least a third of members.

Motion Similar to One Previously Rejected

16.2 A motion or amendment in similar terms to one that has been rejected at a meeting of Council in the past six months cannot be moved unless the notice of motion or amendment is signed by at least a third of members. Once the motion or amendment is dealt with, no one can propose a similar motion or amendment for six months.

17. Voting

Majority

17.1 Unless the Constitution provides otherwise, any matter will be decided by a simple majority of those members voting and present in the room at the time the question was put.

Chair’s Casting Vote

17.2 If there are equal numbers of votes for and against, the Chair will have a second or casting vote. There will be no restriction on how the Chair chooses to exercise a casting vote.

Method of Voting

17.3 Unless a recorded vote is demanded under Rule 17.6 or required under Rule 17.7 or the Chair determines that the vote will be by means of the electronic voting system under Rule 17.4, or by ballots under Rule 17.10, the Chair will take the vote by show of hands, or if there is no dissent, by the affirmation of the meeting.

Electronic Voting

17.4 Where indicated by the Chair presiding at the meeting, voting may be by means of the electronic voting system. The result of the vote shall be as indicated by the electronic voting system announced by the person presiding at the meeting.

17.5 The results of all electronic votes shall be published as a PDF document (as produced by the voting system) on an appropriate page on the Council’s website.

Recorded Vote

17.6 If 14 members present at the meeting demand it, the names for and against the motion or amendment or abstaining from voting will be recorded and entered into the minutes. A demand for a recorded vote will override a demand for a ballot.

Recorded Vote at Annual Budget Meeting

17.7 Voting in relation to the annual budget setting, including motions and amendments, shall be by recorded vote. There shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting the names of those members who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting.

Right to Require Individual Vote to be Recorded

17.8 Where any member requests it immediately after the vote is taken, their vote will be so recorded in the minutes to show whether they voted for or against the motion or abstained from voting.

Voting by Political Groups

17.9 The pattern of voting by the political groups will be recorded for all decisions taken at Council meetings.

Voting on Appointments

17.10 If there are more than two people nominated for any position to be filled and there is not a clear majority of votes in favour of one person, then the name of the person with the least number of votes will be taken off the list and a new vote taken. The process will continue until there is a majority of votes for one person. Alternatively, the Chair may determine that voting on appointment be by means of a ballot.

18. Minutes

Signing the Minutes

18.1 The Chair will sign the minutes of the proceedings at the next suitable meeting. The Chair will move that the minutes of the previous meeting be signed as a correct record. The only part of the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.

No Requirement to Sign Minutes of Previous Meeting at Extraordinary Meeting

18.2 The minutes of any meeting shall be signed at the next ordinary meeting (but not at an extraordinary meeting called under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12 to the Local Government Act 1972).

19. Exclusion of Public

19.1 Members of the public and press may only be excluded either in accordance with Chapter B3 (Access to Information Rules) of this Constitution or Rule 21 (Disturbance by Public).

20. Members' Conduct

Standing to Speak

20.1 A member may indicate their wish to speak and shall wait to be called by the Chair. When a member is called by the Chair to speak at full Council they must stand, if able, and address the meeting through the Chair. Whilst a member is speaking, other members who wish to make a point of order or a point of personal explanation must indicate their wish to the Chair, who will then call on them to speak.

Halting Debate

20.2 When the Chair indicates a wish to halt a debate with the gavel, any member speaking at the time must stop. The meeting must be silent.

Member not to be Heard Further

20.3 If a member persistently disregards the ruling of the Chair by behaving improperly or offensively or deliberately obstructs business, the Chair may move that the member be not heard further. If seconded, the motion will be voted on without discussion.

Member to Leave the Meeting

20.4 If the member continues to behave improperly after such a motion is carried, the Chair may move that either the member leaves the meeting or that the meeting is adjourned for a specified period. If seconded, the motion will be voted on without discussion.

General Disturbance

20.5 If there is a general disturbance making orderly business impossible, the Chair may adjourn the meeting for as long as they think necessary.

21. Disturbance by Public

Removal of Member of the Public

21.1 If a member of the public interrupts meeting proceedings, the Chair will warn the person concerned. If they continue to interrupt, the Chair will order their removal from the meeting room.

Clearance of Part of Meeting Room

21.2 If there is a general disturbance in any part of the meeting room open to the public, the Chair may call for that part to be cleared.

22. Photography and Audio Recordings of Meetings

22.1 The Council supports the principle of transparency and encourages filming, recording and taking photographs at its meetings that are open to the public. It also welcomes the use of social networking and micro-blogging websites to communicate with people about what is happening, as it happens. These arrangements will operate in accordance with a protocol agreed by the Chair of the Council and political group leaders. This protocol will be published on the Council’s website.

23. Electronic Communication

23.1 Where these rules require that written notice is given to the proper officer, such notice will also be deemed to have been given if received by the proper officer by email within the specified deadline.

24. Suspension and Amendment of Council Procedure Rules

Suspension

24.1 All of these Council Rules of Procedure, except Rules 17.6, 17.7 and 18.2, may be suspended by motion on notice or without notice if at least one half of the whole number of members of the Council are present. Suspension can only be for the duration of the meeting.

Amendment

24.2 Any motion to add to, vary or revoke these Council Rules of Procedure will, when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion to be dealt with at the next ordinary meeting of the Council.

Annex 1 - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Oral Questions at County Council Meetings

1. Members will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority decisions at meetings of the County Council except extraordinary or special meetings of the Council and the first annual meeting of a new Council.

2. The Combined Authority will prepare a generic report summarising the decisions made by its formal committees for use by all local authorities within its area. This report shall be noted as read with no introduction.

3. Councillors may ask questions for a response by the Council’s appointee on the Combined Authority, and its appointees to the Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which relate to the decisions of the Combined Authority Board and Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out in the generic report provided.

4. If members wish to raise questions or issues requiring a detailed response, they must give five working days’ advance notice so that the necessary information can be obtained in advance of the meeting, unless a meeting of the Combined Authority is due to take place during the notice period, in which case the Chair will decide whether to accept the question.

5. Members will have two minutes in which to ask a question and one minute for a supplementary with up to a maximum of two minutes for a direct oral to each.

6. The Chair of Council will exercise discretion over the amount of time allocated to the discussion of this item or the maximum time allowed for these questions and answers will be 40 minutes (20 minutes for questions to the Council’s appointee on the Combined Authority, and 20 minutes for questions to its appointees to the Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee).

Annex 2 - Discussion of Fire Issues at County Council Meetings

1. Members will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on fire issues at the Council meetings in October and March.

2. The Chair of the Fire Authority will prepare a short paper for inclusion in the agenda outlining some of the key issues facing the Authority in recent/ coming months.

3. Councillors may ask questions for response by members of the Fire Authority or simply comment on concerns or issues.

4. If members wish to raise questions or issues requiring a detailed response, it will usually be helpful if they give advance notice so that the necessary information can be obtained in advance of the meeting.

5. The usual five minute time limit will apply to all speeches.

6. The Chair of Council will exercise discretion over the amount of time allocated to the discussion of this item.

7. The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Fire Authority is a separate corporate body. The County Council is not in a position to direct any course of action by this organisation.

[Chapter C2 (Council Procedure Rules) 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.