Constitution

 

of South Oxfordshire District Council

and Vale of White Horse District Council

 

Published: 20 May 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approved by:

South Oxfordshire District Council on 14 December 2023

Vale of White Horse District Council on 13 December 2023

 

Contents

 

 

<AI1>

 

PART 1: SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION

 

 

Section

 

Pages

</AI1>

<AI2>

1

Summary and explanation

8 - 17

 

</AI2>

<AI3>

 

PART 2: DECISION MAKING

 

 

Section

 

Pages

</AI3>

<AI4>

2

The full Council

18 - 20

 

</AI4>

<AI5>

3

Council procedure rules

20 – 31

 

</AI5>

<AI6>

4

Cabinet arrangements and procedure rules

32 - 40

 

</AI6>

<AI7>

5

Planning Committee procedure rules

41 - 48

 

</AI7>

<AI8>

6

Scrutiny committees procedure rules

47 - 59

 

</AI8>

<AI9>

7

Joint Audit and Governance Committee procedure rules

58 - 64

 

</AI9>

<AI10>

8

General Licensing Committee procedure rules

65 – 69

 

</AI10>

<AI11>

9

Licensing Acts Committee procedure rules

70 – 74

 

</AI11>

<AI12>

10

Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee - South Oxfordshire

75 - 80

 

</AI12>

<AI13>

11

Climate Emergency Advisory Committee - Vale of White Horse

81 – 85

 

</AI13>

<AI14>

12

Panel procedure rules

86 - 88

 

</AI14>

<AI15>

13

Community Grants Panel procedure rules - South Oxfordshire only

99 - 93

 

</AI15>

<AI16>

14

Area committees procedure rules - Vale of White Horse only

94 - 98

 

</AI16>

<AI17>

15

Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee procedure rules

99 - 103

 

</AI17>

<AI18>

16

Joint Staff Committee procedure rules

104 - 107

 

</AI18>

<AI19>

17

Responsibility for functions

108 – 113

 

</AI19>

<AI20>

18

Schedule 1: functions which are the responsibility of the Cabinet, Council and local choice functions, and delegation to officers

114

 

</AI20>

<AI21>

 

Introduction to the scheme

115

1. 

 

 

</AI21>

<AI22>

 

Abbreviations

116 – 119

2. 

 

 

</AI22>

<AI23>

 

General principles of the scheme

120 – 122

3. 

 

 

</AI23>

<AI24>

 

General delegations

123 – 132

4. 

 

 

</AI24>

<AI25>

 

Chief executive (head of paid service)

131

5. 

 

 

</AI25>

<AI26>

 

Deputy chief executive - partnerships

132

6. 

 

 

</AI26>

<AI27>

 

Deputy chief executive - place

133

7. 

 

 

</AI27>

<AI28>

 

Deputy chief executive - transformation and operations

134

8. 

 

 

</AI28>

<AI29>

 

Chief finance (section 151) officer

135 – 136

9. 

 

 

</AI29>

<AI30>

 

Electoral registration officer and returning officer

137

10. 

 

 

</AI30>

<AI31>

 

Head of corporate services

138 – 139

11. 

 

 

</AI31>

<AI32>

 

Head of development and corporate landlord

140 – 146

12. 

 

 

</AI32>

<AI33>

 

Head of finance

147 – 151

13. 

 

 

</AI33>

<AI34>

 

Head of housing and environment

152 – 160

14. 

 

 

</AI34>

<AI35>

 

Head of legal and democratic

161 – 167

15. 

 

 

</AI35>

<AI36>

 

Head of planning

168 – 176

16. 

 

 

</AI36>

<AI37>

 

Head of policy and programmes

177 – 179

17. 

 

 

</AI37>

<AI38>

 

Monitoring officer

180

18. 

 

 

</AI38>

<AI39>

 

Proper officers and authorised officer appointments

181 – 207

19. 

 

 

</AI39>

<AI40>

19

Schedule 2: functions which are the responsibility of the Cabinet - Leader's scheme of delegation to individual Cabinet members and officers

208

 

</AI40>

<AI41>

 

Scheme of delegation of the leader of South Oxfordshire council to Cabinet members and officers

209 – 210

20. 

 

 

</AI41>

<AI42>

 

Scheme of delegation of the leader of Vale of White Horse council to Cabinet members and officers

211 – 213

21. 

 

 

</AI42>

<AI43>

 

PART 3: CODES, PROTOCOLS AND FINANCIAL, CONTRACTS, OFFICER EMPLOYMENT, AND BUDGET AND POLICY FRAMEWORK PROCEDURE RULES

 

 

Section

 

Pages

</AI43>

<AI44>

20

Financial procedure rules

214 – 234

 

</AI44>

<AI45>

21

Procurement procedure rules

235 - 253

 

</AI45>

<AI46>

22

Officer employment procedure rules

254 – 260

 

</AI46>

<AI47>

23

Budget and policy framework procedure rules

261 – 263

 

</AI47>

<AI48>

24

Code of conduct

264 – 275

 

</AI48>

<AI49>

25

Councillors' planning code of practice

276 – 285

 

</AI49>

<AI50>

26

Departure procedure on planning applications

286

 

</AI50>

<AI51>

27

Delivering good governance: the local code of governance

287 – 290

 

</AI51>

<AI52>

28

Anti-fraud, corruption and bribery policy

291 – 324

 

</AI52>

<AI53>

29

Whistleblowing policy

325 – 337

 

</AI53>

<AI54>

30

Protocol on member and officer relations

338 – 353

 

</AI54>

<AI55>

31

Councillor call for action protocol

354 – 358

 

</AI55>

<AI56>

32

Petition scheme for South Oxfordshire

359 – 361

 

</AI56>

<AI57>

33

Petition scheme for Vale of White Horse

362 – 364

 

</AI57>

<AI58>

34

Councillors' allowances scheme for South Oxfordshire

365 – 372

 

</AI58>

<AI59>

35

Councillors' allowances scheme for Vale of White Horse

373 – 379

 

</AI59>

<AI60>

36

Councillors' parental leave policy

381 – 383

 

</AI60>

<AI61>

37

Officers' code of conduct

384 – 395

 

</AI61>

<AI62>

38

Press and Media Protocol

396 – 402

 

</AI62>

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