The decision-making process

Council

The Council is responsible for approving new policies and for the setting of Council Tax.  It is chaired by the Mayor and comprises of all 36 elected members.  The way in which the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that they are efficient, transparent and accountable to citizens of Woking are set out in the Council's Constitution.

Executive

The Council delegates day to day decisions to the Executive, which is comprised of 5 members.  It is accountable for decision making within Council policies, recommends to Council on strategic issues and ensures consistent application of corporate standards. 

The work of the Executive is set out in the Forward Plan of Key Decisions, which contains the key decisions the Executive expects to make over the following four months.

Currently operating as a 'single party' Executive, all members are appointed from the political party with the highest number of Council seats, for 2008/09 the Conservative Party. 

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee scrutinises the work of the Executive and does not have any executive authority over the business of the Council.  13 members of Council are appointed to the Committee and it is chaired by a Member of the political party in opposition, currently the Liberal Democrats.

Regulatory Committees

Regulatory Committees relate to the exercising of specific functions such as the Development Control function (Planning Committee) and Licensing functions (Licensing Committee).

Standards Committee

The Standards Committee oversees conduct, both of Members and Officers, and promotes good practice in the Council.  The Committee comprises Members, Independent Members and a representative from Byfleet Parish Council.  It is currently chaired by an Independent Member.

 

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