How decisions happen

The route a decision takes

1. Notice of a key decision (forward plan)Executive decisions that are "key" must be announced in the forward plan before they are taken. A key decision is one likely to involve spending or savings of £250k or 25% of the relevant budget (whichever is greater), or to have a significant effect on communities in two or more wards.
   Who: Leader (plan), Democratic Services (publication)
   • Key decision thresholds: £250k or 25% of relevant budget, whichever is greater; or significant effect on 2+ wards (Constitution Ch 13.3.2).
   • Statutory notice: at least 28 clear days before a key decision is made (SI 2012/2089 reg 9).
   • The constitution’s Access to Information Rule 13 still says "at least 5 clear days" after forward-plan publication; this text pre-dates the 2012 Regulations (see NOTES).
   • Urgent exceptions: general exception (Rule 15) and special urgency (Rule 16).
2. Officer report and agenda publishedOfficers write a report with options and recommendations, including legal (City Solicitor) and finance comments. The agenda and reports are normally published 5 clear days before the meeting on ModernGov.
   Who: Officers (report author, Director); Democratic Services
   • Agenda and papers normally available 5 clear days before the meeting (Constitution Ch 1.6).
3. Public participation at the meetingAnyone may make a deputation (speak) on an item where a decision is to be taken, at Full Council, Cabinet, Cabinet Member decision meetings and regulatory committees. At Full Council residents can also ask written questions.
   Who: Residents; Local Democracy Manager / meeting contact officer
   • Deputation request in writing (email accepted) by 12 noon on the working day before the meeting, stating the item and purpose (Standing Order 24(a); Cabinet, Cabinet Member and Full Council agenda frontsheets).
   • Maximum 6 minutes per deputation; 12 minutes in total for those in favour and 12 for those against (Standing Order 24(d)).
   • Public questions at Full Council: notice by 12 noon eleven days before the meeting; 15 minutes in total per meeting; asked in person; one supplementary question; none at the Budget or Annual meetings (Standing Order 25).
   • Petitions of 500+ signatures (1,000+ if the matter was considered in the previous 24 months) can trigger a Full Council debate; submit at least 12 days before the meeting; lead petitioner gets 6 minutes (Standing Order 13(vi); petition scheme).
4. Decision takenThe decision-maker considers the report and any deputations and decides. Executive decisions outside the budget and policy framework must be referred to Full Council. Officers make operational decisions under the scheme of delegation and are answerable to the Chief Executive.
   Who: Full Council (budget and policy framework); Cabinet or an individual Cabinet Member (executive decisions); regulatory committees (planning, licensing); officers (delegated powers)
   • Cabinet is responsible for most day-to-day decisions; Full Council sets overall policies and the budget (Ch 1.2–1.3).
   • Planning and licensing matters go to regulatory committees (Ch 1.2, Ch 8).
   • Officer decision-making (Ch 13.8; Part 2 s5B scheme of delegation).
5. Decision publishedDecisions by the Cabinet, an individual Cabinet Member, or key decisions by officers are published within 2 working days (ModernGov decision register / decision sheet).
   Who: Democratic Services
   • Publication within 2 working days of the decision (Scrutiny Procedure Rules r15(a)).
6. Call-in (scrutiny)Before implementation, at least five councillors can "call in" an executive decision for the Scrutiny Management Panel to examine. The panel either takes no action (the decision stands) or refers it back to the decision-maker with written concerns. A called-in Cabinet decision that is contrary to the budget and policy framework is referred to Full Council.
   Who: Any five councillors; City Solicitor validates; Scrutiny Management Panel hears it
   • Request within 5 working days of publication, by not less than five councillors, on the form or by email to the Local Democracy Manager (r15(b)–(d)).
   • Grounds: inaccurate/incorrect information; inadequate information; or contrary to the budget and policy framework (r15(c)).
   • Special SMP meeting expected within 10 working days of a valid call-in (r15(f)).
   • Not callable: urgent decisions; regulatory and other committee decisions; resolutions that only note a report; recommendations to Full Council; decisions already called in for the same reasons (r15(f)(i)–(vi)).
7. Implementation and follow-upOnce the call-in period passes (or scrutiny concludes), officers implement. Scrutiny panels can later review outcomes, and Cabinet formally responds to scrutiny review reports (for example, decisions 1814 and 1802).
   Who: Officers; scrutiny panels; Governance & Audit & Standards Committee
   • Officers deliver decisions and manage services day to day (Ch 1.5, Ch 13.8).

Decisions coming up

Only two items are on the current plan. The ModernGov forward-plan page also says the plan is "temporarily located in the Library section", but that library folder holds omission notices only. Lead officer titles are from the printed PDF.

Recent decisions

As published in the council's decision register. Its "key decision" and "call-in" flags read the same for every entry, so they are not shown here.