The political management structure

Note: The council, cabinet and committee meetings are all open to the public, unless a vote is taken at the meeting to exclude them. This can only be done under specific circumstances, for example if the subject under discussion is confidential, or commercially sensitive. A note will be made in the agenda if a decision to go into private session is expected. 

Dates of meeting
Decision making process (PDF 16Kb)

Full Council: Approves the constitution, policy framework, annual budget and debates issues affecting the whole Borough. It has 45 members who make decisions on matters which do not comply with that policy framework, or which fall outside the planned budget. Full Council appoints the Leader of the Council every four years. Meetings are usually held in the Conference Chamber, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, four or five times a year and are chaired by the Mayor. A 30-minute session is set aside at each council meeting for questions from the public (an immediate answer to questions is more likely if they are submitted in advance, otherwise a written answer may be given at a later date).

Leader: Appointed by the council every four years at its annual meeting in May, when the ceremonial Mayor is also chosen.

Cabinet: Up to nine members, plus the Leader, with portfolios - responsible for broad themes instead of individual services. Members are appointed annually by the Leader. Cabinet implements the Council’s budget and policy framework by managing all the services (but see Regulatory committees). Cabinet usually meets every six weeks.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee: Councillors scrutinise decisions, help to develop policies and check performance and how policies are working in practice through the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee. Politically balanced with the Overview and Scrutiny Committee having an opposition party chairman. Detailed work likely to be carried out by panels which can include people other than councillors. Meets at least every six to eight weeks.

Regulatory committees: Politically balanced and appointed by the council to deal with individual applications for licences, consents, permissions or registrations, the direct regulation of a person, enforcement and certain matters affecting individual members of staff which cannot be decided by Cabinet.

Planning issues are dealt with by the Development Control Committee and licences by Licensing Sub-Committees, where membership is drawn from the full Licensing and Regulatory Committee. These committees, which meet on a regular basis, do not shape policy, they deal with individual applications which are regulated by law.

Standards Committee: Appointed by the council and made up of three borough councillors, three parish representatives and three independent people from the local community. Its role is to oversee the ethical framework for local government, such as the code of conduct which covers councils at all levels and declarations of interest by councillors.

Forward Plan: Every month the council publishes a list of the major decisions it expects to take in the coming weeks - this is called the Forward Plan.

This is your chance to have an influence on those making the decisions. Instead of trying to change things after they have been put into place, the Forward Plan means you will be able to give your views in advance so the decision-makers can take them into account, along with views expressed by other interested parties. The Forward Plan will make it easy to see exactly who is responsible for taking the decisions on council services, policies and facilities.

The Forward Plan contains details of the earliest expected date when the decisions will be taken, who to contact if you wish to comment, details of consultation arrangements and the documents and reports which are to be considered before a decision is taken. The plan will be updated monthly and will be available to the public no later than the 14th of each month.

Reports for the Cabinet will be available the week before the meeting.

Decisions taken: Decisions of the Cabinet and key decisions taken by officers under delegated powers must be published. They cannot be implemented until the sixth working day after publication. This is to allow other councillors to call-in the decision so that it can be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

View Decision notices