Decision-making Arrangements Consultation

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The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

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How would you like your Council to be run?

In 2009 the Council consulted with residents on how its decision making processes should be operated from May 2010. Set out below is some background information on the options available and the consultation that took place.

Following the consultation it was decided that the Council should adopt the Leader and Executive model (option A below).

How did the changes arise?

Under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 all Councils were required to make changes to the way in which they ran their decision-making processes. Kingston Council did this by seeking residents' views to help decide on the changes.

Previous Arrangements

When the Council modernised its decision making arrangements in 2000, it selected (from three options) what is known as the Leader and Executive model. This model - followed by the vast majority of local councils - is where the Leader of the Council is appointed each year by the Council itself. The Council also appointed another six Members (proposed by the Leader) to serve on the Executive, which is the Council’s main decision-making body. Like the Leader, Executive Members were appointed for a year and each has a "portfolio" of responsibilities.

The Two Options

The Council had to decided which of two options to adopt for running the Council from May 2010:

Option A: Leader and Executive

Option A is broadly similar to the previous arrangements except that the Leader of the Council is elected by the Council for a four year term (rather than a year at a time). The Leader (rather than the Council) is able to appoint Councillors to serve on the Executive, and the Leader can also decide how the powers of the Executive should be exercised. This can be by the Leader alone; by the Leader and individual Executive Members; by the Executive collectively (as now) or a combination of those arrangements.

Option B: Directly elected Mayor and Executive

This option is currently operated by 12 local authorities across the country and would involve the Mayor being directly elected by electors in the Royal Borough every four years (rather like the Mayor of London). The Mayor (who would not be a Councillor) would then choose up to nine Councillors to serve on the Executive and would have the same powers as would the Leader of the Council as described in Option A above. The traditional ceremonial and representative role which is currently carried out by the Mayor of the Royal Borough would continue, but would not be carried out by the directly elected Mayor.

The Council’s Preferred Model

When the Council consulted residents in 2000 on the three models then under consideration, 67% were in favour of the Leader and Executive model and only 18% voted for the directly elected Mayor model. The advantages of the Leader and Executive were also identified in research carried out in July 2007 on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government to evaluate Council constitutions and ethical frameworks.

In the absence of any views locally in favour of the directly elected Mayor option, the Council concluded that the Leader and Executive model should be its preferred option for the purposes of this consultation.

Timescales

We consulted people about their preferences for how the Council should be run between 6 August and 11 September 2009.
The outcome of the consultation was reported to the Council’s Executive on 29 September 2009.
The proposal to be recommended to the Council was published in October 2009 .
It was then formally considered by the Council on 24 November 2009.
The revised arrangements came into operation from May 2010.

Further Information

For further details please contact:

Democratic Support
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Guildhall (Room 77)
High Street
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1EU

Telephone: 020 8547 4629
Email: democraticsupport@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

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