Constitution

 

of South Oxfordshire District Council

and Vale of White Horse District Council

 

Published: 5 April 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>

Summary and explanation

7 - 16

 

</AI2>

<AI3>

 

PART 2: DECISION MAKING

 

 

Section

 

Pages

</AI3>

<AI4>

The full Council

17 - 21

 

</AI4>

<AI5>

Council procedure rules

19 - 30

 

</AI5>

<AI6>

Cabinet arrangements and procedure rules

31 - 39

 

</AI6>

<AI7>

Planning Committee procedure rules

40 - 45

 

</AI7>

<AI8>

Scrutiny committees procedure rules

46 - 56

 

</AI8>

<AI9>

Joint Audit and Governance Committee procedure rules

57 - 62

 

</AI9>

<AI10>

General Licensing Committee procedure rules

64 - 68

 

</AI10>

<AI11>

Licensing Acts Committee procedure rules

69 - 73

 

</AI11>

<AI12>

Climate and Ecological Emergencies Advisory Committee - South Oxfordshire

74 - 79

 

</AI12>

<AI13>

Climate Emergency Advisory Committee - Vale of White Horse

80 - 84

 

</AI13>

<AI14>

Panel procedure rules

85 - 87

 

</AI14>

<AI15>

Community Grants Panel procedure rules - South Oxfordshire only

88 - 92

 

</AI15>

<AI16>

Area committees procedure rules - Vale of White Horse only

93 - 97

 

</AI16>

<AI17>

Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee procedure rules

98 - 102

 

</AI17>

<AI18>

Joint Staff Committee procedure rules

103 - 106

 

</AI18>

<AI19>

Responsibility for functions

107 - 112

 

</AI19>

<AI20>

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

113

 

</AI20>

<AI21>

 

Introduction to the scheme

114

1. 

 

 

</AI21>

<AI22>

 

Abbreviations

115 - 118

2. 

 

 

</AI22>

<AI23>

 

General principles of the scheme

119 - 122

3. 

 

 

</AI23>

<AI24>

 

General delegations

122 – 129

4. 

 

 

</AI24>

<AI25>

 

Chief executive (head of paid service)

130

5. 

 

 

</AI25>

<AI26>

 

Deputy chief executive - partnerships

132

6. 

 

 

</AI26>

<AI27>

 

Deputy chief executive - place

132

7. 

 

 

</AI27>

<AI28>

 

Deputy chief executive - transformation and operations

133

8. 

 

 

</AI28>

<AI29>

 

Chief finance (section 151) officer

134 – 135

9. 

 

 

</AI29>

<AI30>

 

Electoral registration officer and returning officer

136

10. 

 

 

</AI30>

<AI31>

 

Head of corporate services

137 – 138

11. 

 

 

</AI31>

<AI32>

 

Head of development and corporate landlord

139 - 145

12. 

 

 

</AI32>

<AI33>

 

Head of finance

146 – 150

13. 

 

 

</AI33>

<AI34>

 

Head of housing and environment

151 - 159

14. 

 

 

</AI34>

<AI35>

 

Head of legal and democratic

160 – 166

15. 

 

 

</AI35>

<AI36>

 

Head of planning

167 – 175

16. 

 

 

</AI36>

<AI37>

 

Head of policy and programmes

176 – 178

17. 

 

 

</AI37>

<AI38>

 

Monitoring officer

179

18. 

 

 

</AI38>

<AI39>

 

Proper officers and authorised officer appointments

180 – 206

19. 

 

 

</AI39>

<AI40>

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

207

 

</AI40>

<AI41>

 

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

208 – 209

20. 

 

 

</AI41>

<AI42>

 

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

210 – 212

 

21. 

 

 

</AI42>

<AI43>

 

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

 

 

Section

 

Pages

</AI43>

<AI44>

Financial procedure rules

213 – 233

 

</AI44>

<AI45>

Procurement procedure rules

234 – 252

 

</AI45>

<AI46>

Officer employment procedure rules

253 – 259

 

</AI46>

<AI47>

Budget and policy framework procedure rules

260 – 262

 

</AI47>

<AI48>

Code of conduct

263 – 274

 

</AI48>

<AI49>

Councillors' planning code of practice

275 – 284

 

</AI49>

<AI50>

Departure procedure on planning applications

285

 

</AI50>

<AI51>

Delivering good governance: the local code of governance

286 – 289

 

</AI51>

<AI52>

Anti-fraud, corruption and bribery policy

290 - 323

 

</AI52>

<AI53>

Whistleblowing policy

324 – 336

 

</AI53>

<AI54>

Protocol on member and officer relations

337 – 352

 

</AI54>

<AI55>

Councillor call for action protocol

353 – 357

 

</AI55>

<AI56>

Petition scheme for South Oxfordshire

358 – 360

 

</AI56>

<AI57>

Petition scheme for Vale of White Horse

361 – 363

 

</AI57>

<AI58>

Councillors' allowances scheme for South Oxfordshire

364 – 371

 

</AI58>

<AI59>

Councillors' allowances scheme for Vale of White Horse

372 – 378

 

</AI59>

<AI60>

Councillors' parental leave policy

379 – 381

 

</AI60>

<AI61>

Officers' code of conduct

382 – 393

 

</AI61>

<AI62>

Press and Media Protocol

394 – 400

 

</AI62>

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