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The Council and its decision making process

Calderdale Council is comprised of 51 members, also known as councillors, each of which is elected for a four-year maximum term of office. One-third of members are elected in each of three consecutive years with no elections in the fourth year. Details of each councillor can be found on the Council’s web site.

All 51 councillors meet together as the Council. Meetings of the Council are normally open to the public, except where personal or confidential matters are being discussed.

Members meeting in full Council decide the Council’s overall policies and each March they set the budget, including the level of Council Tax to be levied for the next financial year. The full Council also makes decisions on the Constitution and related appointments.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet, which forms the Executive, is that part of the Council responsible for many of the decisions that give effect to the policies and strategies approved by the Council. The Cabinet comprises the Leader and not more than nine members of the Council appointed by the Council at the Annual Meeting in May each year. The Cabinet makes the following types of decisions:

Meetings of the Cabinet are generally open to the public, except where personal or confidential matters are being discussed. The Forward Plan can be found on the Council’s website. Key decisions that will be taken by the Cabinet are listed in the Forward Plan.

Overview and Scrutiny

There are a number of Scrutiny Panels that support the work of the Cabinet and the Council as a whole. They allow members of the public to have a greater say in Council matters and may hold inquiries into matters of local concern.

Scrutiny Panels may make reports and recommendations to the Cabinet and the full Council on policies, budgets and service delivery. They may also monitor decisions of the Cabinet before they can be implemented, by ‘calling in’ such decisions. The Panels may release for implementation any decision they have called in, or may recommend that the Cabinet reconsider its decision or refer the decision to the full Council for review.

Scrutiny Panels may also be consulted by the Cabinet or the Council on forthcoming decisions and the future development of policy.

Regulatory and non-executive decisions

There are a range of decisions taken by the Council to comply with regulatory duties, in particular, planning and licensing functions. These are non-executive decisions that are the responsibility of the following committees:

• Planning Committee
• Licensing and Regulatory Committee
• Audit Committee
• Employment Committee
• Appeals Panel.

Standards Committee

Councillors must agree to follow a code of conduct aimed at ensuring high standards in the way they undertake their duties. The Standards Committee includes persons who are not members of the Council and offers training, advice and support to Councillors on the Code of Conduct.

Council Officers

The Council employs officers to give advice, implement decisions and manage the day-to-day delivery of services. The Chief Executive is Head of the Council’s staff. There is a Deputy Chief Executive and five Group Directors who have direct responsibility for the work undertaken within their directorates.

The top tier of Management

The Council

• Chief Executive - Owen Williams
  • Deputy Chief Executive
    Chief Executive's Office
    • Group Director
      Children and Young Peoples Services
    • Group Director
      Regeneration and Development
    • Group Director
      Health and Social Care Services
    • Group Director
      Community Services
    • Group Director
      Corporate Services.

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