| Agenda, reports and minutes with decisions made at all committee meetings are available. With the exception of panels, all meetings are open to the public and are held at County Hall, Dorchester. Minutes with decisions will be made available a few days after all meetings. | |
Committee Links - Archive (Pre June 2009) | Your Council |
| Dorset County Council has 45 County Councillors who are elected by the public every four years and represent a particular part of Dorset. They decide what the County Council should be doing and how the resources available to us should be used. They represent local views, resolve problems that individuals might have and check the quality of what we are doing in their area. |
About the Local Government Act 2000 | |
| As required by the Local Government Act 2000, and associated regulations and guidance, the County Council has a constitution. The constitution came into effect on 10 October 2001. It currently provides for: A Cabinet of 7 members meeting monthly, responsible for providing clear, accountable and transparent leadership for the County Council especially in the preparation of the County Council's policies and budget. It is also responsible for all decision-making (except those decisions which are delegated to regulatory or 'quasi-judicial' committees, or to officers.) Membership of the Cabinet includes the Leader of the Council and most members have specialist 'portfolio' roles of particular services:- Leader of the Council - Mr Angus Campbell Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment - Mrs Hilary Cox Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and the Ageing Dorset Agenda - Mr Andrew Cattaway Cabinet Member for Community Services (Community Safety, Regulatory Services, Cultural Services, Health Improvement, Sport, Adult Learning and the Voluntary Sector) - Mr David Crowhurst Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources - Mr Alan Havelock Cabinet Member for Children's Services - Mrs Toni Coombs Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transportation - Col Geoffrey Brierley An Audit and Scrutiny Committee (meeting bi-monthly, with monthly reserve dates) is responsible for scrutinising decisions of the Cabinet and examining financial and audit arrangements. Overview Committees (meet quarterly) with responsibility for:
There are two authority-wide Overview Committees on which the remaining county councillors sit. Task and Finish Panels carry out detailed work on behalf of the two Overview Committees. There are also small Member Reference Groups for each Directorate. Five regulatory committees deal with planning applications, rights of way, school transport appeals, etc. The Standards Committee promotes probity and high standards of conduct throughout the County Council. The County Council meets as a full assembly four times a year and is responsible for deciding the County Council's budget and all major plans and strategies, such as the Community Strategy, the Children and Young People’s Plan and Local Transport Plans. | |
What are Committees? | What are Agendas? |
| Committees are usually open to the public as are the majority of the papers. The only exceptions are papers that contain exempt or confidential information. Each Committee has "terms of reference" which set out its powers and responsibilities, in other words what it can and cannot do. The dates and times of all Committee and Sub-Committee meetings are shown in the Council's Calendar of Meetings. The development of committee information on the web is part of our commitment to open government. | An agenda is a document that lists the matters to be considered and the order in which they will be taken. Agendas will normally be available on the website 5 days before the meeting. Minutes of the Cabinet will normally be published within 5 working days of the meeting. Minutes of other meetings will normally be published as soon as they are available. You can search these documents to locate matters you are interested in. Agendas and reports can be made available in audio tape, large print and Braille, or alternative languages on request. |
