The meeting of the Constitution of Northumberland Council on Thursday 09 April 2026 was scheduled to discuss the adoption and amendment of the council's constitution. The report pack provided a comprehensive overview of the document, detailing its various parts and their respective contents.

The Constitution

The Northumberland County Council Constitution is a foundational document that outlines the framework for how the council operates, makes decisions, and engages with the public. It details the rights and responsibilities of elected members, officers, and the public, and establishes the rules governing the council's business. The constitution aims to ensure clear leadership, public involvement in decision-making, effective accountability, and efficient service delivery.

The document is divided into several parts, each addressing a specific aspect of the council's governance:

• Part 1: Introduction to the Constitution provides a summary of the constitution's objectives, principles, and contents. It also includes an introduction to Northumberland as a county and unitary authority, outlining its geography, population, history, and key landmarks.
• Part 2: The Rights of the Public details the council's commitments to public involvement and participation in decision-making processes. This includes information on elections, petitions, public access to information, and the right to attend and speak at council meetings.
• Part 3: The Rights and Responsibilities of Members describes the roles of councillors, including their rights to access information and their duties in decision-making, holding decision-makers to account, and acting as corporate parents for children in care.
• Part 4: The Articles lays out the basic rules governing the council's business, covering the constitution itself, the roles of members, the public, council bodies, officers, decision-making processes, finance, contracts, legal matters, and the review and revision of the constitution.
• Part 5: Responsibility for Functions (Decision Making) explains who makes decisions within the council, outlining the principles of decision-making and delegation, and detailing the responsibilities of the Council, the Cabinet, and officers.
• Part 6: Accountability sets out how the Leader and Cabinet are assisted and held accountable in fulfilling their responsibilities for executive functions, with a focus on the role of overview and scrutiny committees.
• Part 7: Governance and Culture details the council's commitments to values and behaviours, and its systems of internal control, including codes of conduct for members and officers, and protocols for their interactions.
• Part 8: Relationships with Partners outlines how the council engages with other bodies relevant to its work, including its interests in council-controlled companies.
• Part 9: Procedure Rules (Standing Orders) provides the detailed rules governing council meetings, access to information, budget and policy framework procedures, executive procedures, overview and scrutiny procedures, employment procedures, and contract procedures.
• Part 10: Finance and Contract Rules details how the council manages its finances, including financial regulations, governance frameworks, approval thresholds, financial procedures, and contract rules for procuring goods and services.
• Part 11: Regulatory Functions sets out how the council conducts its regulatory and licensing functions, including guidance for members dealing with planning and licensing matters.
• Part 12: Members' Allowances Scheme details the scheme for allowances payable to councillors, including basic allowances, special responsibility allowances, dependants' carers' allowances, and travelling and subsistence allowances.
• Part 13: Other Materials includes a glossary of terms used within the constitution.

The report pack also included appendices detailing the Seven Principles of Public Life, the process for registering interests, associated protocols, and guidance on council trading operations. The agenda for the meeting was also provided. The meeting was scheduled to discuss the adoption and potential amendments to this comprehensive constitution document.