The Council
We provide a whole host of services to you including, planning, leisure, housing, and environmental services, as can details of your councillors, details of which can be found on our website
What are the Councils aims and objectives?
Every four years we produce a Corporate Plan which sets out our aims and objectives.
A copy of this plan can be requested from our Contact Centres on 01246 242424 or via our website
How are decisions made?
The majority of policy decisions affecting the Council and our communities are made by councillors at meetings of the Executive, committees and the Council itself in accordance with our Constitution.
The Constitution sets out how we operate, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that decision-making isefficient, transparent and accountable to local people.
Some of these processes are required by law, while others are a matter for us to choose.
What committees do you have?
We operate a streamlined and effective decision making system comprising aLeader with an Executive andthreeScrutiny Committees.
ALeader of the Council is elected by the Council for 4 years and he/she then appoints the Executive of up to 10 councillors.
The members of the Executive have specific responsibilities, known as a portfolio,relating to the Corporate Planwhichcut across the wide range of services we deliver.
The remaining councillors form the threescrutiny committees. Each of these scrutiny committees has responsibility for matters relating to the corporate aims in our Corporate Plan.
Thescrutiny committees can challenge and question decisions made by the Executive which are within their remit. They are also involved in the policy/plan and strategy formulation process, and make recommendations to the Executive on these matters.
The scrutiny committees also have responsibility for monitoring performance against the Council’s Corporate Plan and other performance measures.
Decisions that involve setting the Budget and the Policy Framework can only be taken by the Council, which involves all 37 elected Councillors, and meets monthly.
These are decisions such as setting the budget, approving major plans and strategies.
There are other committees such asPlanning andLicensing to deal with regulatory matters andthe Standards Committee to deal with the ethical framework and members conduct issues.
How do I know what key decisions are coming up?
A key decision is one made by the Executive or a member of the Executive or an officer, which is likely to:
- Result in the Council incurring expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the Council’s budget for the service or function to which the decision relates. The limit for this is set at £50 000, or
- Be significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in two or more electoral wards in Bolsover District.
The Council publishes a List of Key Decisions which contains all the key decisions which the Executive expects to make over the next four months. The plan is rolled forward every month.
A decision notice for each key decision is published within 5 days of it having been made and is open for public inspection at the Council’s Offices, The Arc, Clowne or is available on our website
How do I know when a meeting is taking place?
Every year (usually in May), we publish our annual schedule of meetings.
This schedule includes the date, time and venue of each meeting that the public is allowed to attend and is available to view at any of the Contact Centres or on our website
If you wish to attend a Council meeting, you may do so, but you may be asked to leave the meeting if there are any exempt items on the agenda.
Exempt items are usually those which disclose the personal or financial information of an individual or organisation other than the Council.
The Council allowsapplicants, and people who have written to us about planning applications to speak at the Planning Committee.
Each speaker is given fiveminutes.You will need to contact us to arrange to speak at this committee.
What information do you publish and where can I get it from?
We have a duty to produce a Publication scheme, which is reviewed every six months and details all the information we make publicly available and in what format. This document can be downloaded from our website
We also produce newspapers, brochures, leaflets and publications that give a vast amount of detail on our activities, services and functions and aim to keep people up to date with what we are doing on your behalf.
The publications are available at any of our Contact Centres, leisure centres, libraries or other community buildings across the District.
July 2015