The meeting scheduled for Tuesday 20 August 2024 was focused on the review and potential adoption of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's Council Constitution. The report pack provided attendees with a comprehensive document outlining the proposed structure, rules, and protocols that govern the council's operations and decision-making processes.

The Council Constitution

The primary item for discussion was the Council Constitution itself. This foundational document outlines how the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham operates as a local authority, deriving its rules from statute, decisions of the Assembly (the full council), and the Cabinet. The Constitution is divided into several parts, detailing the purpose and structure of the council, the roles and responsibilities of councillors and officers, and the procedures for meetings, decision-making, and access to information.

The report pack detailed the various sections of the Constitution, including:

• Part 1: Summary and Explanation: This section provided an overview of the Constitution's purpose, how the council operates, how decisions are made, and the rights of residents. It highlighted the council's vision for One Borough; One Community; No-One Left Behind and its priorities, such as supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis, ensuring safety, promoting healthier lives, fostering prosperity through education and employment, encouraging inclusive growth, creating greener neighbourhoods, and ensuring good housing.
• Part 2: The Articles: This extensive part detailed the operational framework of the council, covering:
  • General Powers and Principles: Outlining the council's powers and the principles underpinning the Constitution, such as enhancing service performance, accountability, transparency, community representation, and corporate working.
  • Members of the Council: Describing the composition, eligibility, election, roles, rights, and duties of councillors.
  • Meeting Rules - General: Setting out the procedures for council meetings, including notice, quorum, order of business, minutes, voting, and public participation.
  • The Assembly: Defining the responsibilities of the full council, including approving the Constitution, setting the budget, and appointing committees.
  • Ceremonial Council and The Mayor: Outlining the functions related to the election of the Mayor and awarding honours.
  • The Cabinet: Detailing the role, responsibilities, and composition of the executive decision-making body.
  • The Health and Wellbeing Board: Describing its role in promoting health and wellbeing and integrated working across health and social care services.
  • Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Call-in: Explaining the functions of scrutiny committees in reviewing decisions and holding the Cabinet to account, including the call-in procedure.
  • Health Scrutiny Committee: Detailing its specific role in scrutinising health services.
  • Planning Committee: Outlining its responsibilities for determining planning applications.
  • Licensing and Regulatory Committee: Describing its role in exercising the council's licensing and regulatory duties.
  • Pensions Committee: Detailing its responsibilities for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Pension Fund.
  • Personnel Board: Outlining its role in hearing employment appeals.
  • Audit and Standards Committee: Describing its functions related to audit, governance, and maintaining high standards of conduct.
  • Joint Arrangements: Covering arrangements for collaboration with other authorities and organisations.
  • Outside Bodies: Detailing the procedures for appointing members to external organisations.
  • Decision Making: Setting out the principles and types of decisions made by the council.
  • Access to Information: Explaining the public's rights to access council information and attend meetings.
  • Budget and Policy Framework: Describing the process for developing and adopting the council's budget and policy framework.
  • Officers: Outlining the senior management structure, statutory posts, and the functions of key officers such as the Head of Paid Service, Monitoring Officer, and Chief Financial Officer.
• Part 3: Officer Scheme of Delegation: This section detailed the functions delegated to officers, including general conditions and limitations, and specific areas of responsibility for Chief Officers.
• Part 4: Rules: This part contained various procedural rules, including Contract Rules, Financial Regulations and Rules, Employment Procedure Rules, and Land Acquisition and Disposal Rules.
• Part 5: Codes and Protocols: This section included codes of conduct for Councillors (general, planning, and licensing matters), employees, and protocols for Councillor/employee relations, filming at meetings, and politically restricted posts. It also covered indemnities for members and officers.
• Part 6: Members' Allowances Scheme: This outlined the scheme for allowances payable to councillors and co-opted members.
• Part 7: Review, Revision, Suspension, Interpretation and Publication of the Constitution: This detailed the processes for amending, suspending, interpreting, and publishing the Constitution.

The report pack provided a comprehensive overview of the proposed Council Constitution, detailing the framework within which the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council operates. The meeting was scheduled to discuss these proposed arrangements.