Meeting dates, agendas and decisions
Council decisions are taken at meetings of the
Cabinet, Full Council and various
specialist committees, which are nearly all open
to the public. Very occasionally, parts or all of these meetings
may have to be 'behind closed doors' because the information is
confidential. However, all the decisions taken by councillors at
all their meetings are available to the public, and can be seen in
the minutes of the meetings and
decision notices.
The calendar of meetings will tell you the dates of
forthcoming meetings should you wish to attend any meetings in
person. Most meetings are held in the Council Chamber at our
Woodbridge offices at Melton Hill.
Meeting agendas and the information reports presented to
councillors to help them make their decisions are available online
5 days before the meeting so everyone can see what is being
discussed. Minutes of meetings are added as soon as they are
available.
Agendas, reports and minutes of Council meetings
(new window).
Forward plan of key decisions
The Council has to publish a forward plan of all key decisions
to be taken by the Cabinet, individual Cabinet members, and Council
officers under their delegated powers, in the next four months.
Key decisions are decisions which involve expenditure or savings
of £50,000 or more and decisions which have a significant effect on
communities in two or more wards which change or propose changes to
the way local services are used or provided. The forward plan
shows:
- when the decisions will be taken;
- who will make the decision;
- to whom representations can be made and how;
- what arrangements are proposed to consult the public and other
organisations about the decisions;
- who you can contact about the decision.
Key decisions have to be supported by written reports. Reports
for decisions to be taken by the Cabinet are published with the
agendas for Cabinet meetings (new window).
Reports for decisions to be taken by individual Cabinet members or
Council officers are
published on the website before the decision is
taken.
These reports have to be available to the chairman of the
relevant
scrutiny committee and the public for five clear
working days prior to the decision being taken. After this period
the decision can be taken. The decision is then included in a
decision notice and published for five
clear working days prior to implementation to allow time for it to
be 'called in'.
'Calling in' a decision
Key decisions taken by the Cabinet, individual Cabinet members,
and Council officers may be 'called in' for reconsideration within
five working days from the date they appear on a
decision notice.
Calling in a decision can be requested by two members of the
same
scrutiny committee or five members of Full
Council. Once the request for a call-in has been received a meeting
of the relevant scrutiny committee is called to discuss it. The
decision is then either referred to the Full Council or back to the
decision making body or individual for reconsideration. Full
details of the call-in procedure can be found in the
Council's Constitution.
Reports containing exempt information
The public may be excluded from meetings whenever it is likely
that exempt information will be disclosed. Exempt information
includes information relating to personal privacy, information
about Council negotiations for land, goods or services where
disclosure would be likely to prejudice the Council’s position,
information about legal proceedings, investigation of crime and
security matters.
Reports containing exempt information are released as soon as it
is felt appropriate for the information to be made public. Follow
this link to see reports that have been made public in the
past six months.
Further information
If you require further information or have any queries relating
to Council meetings, the forward plan, decisions, agendas, reports
and minutes or Council meeting procedures please contact our
Democratic Services team on 01394 444326 or email
committee.section@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
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