WOKING BOROUGH COUNCIL BOROUGH BOUNDARY REVIEW COUNCIL SIZE SUBMISSION Contact Details If you have any questions relating to this Submission, please do not hesitate to contact Woking Borough Council as set out below. Frank Jeffrey Democratic Services Manager Woking Borough Council Civic Offices, Gloucester Square, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6YL Tel: 01483 743012 Email:
[email protected] 1 2 INDEX INTRODUCTION PAGE 5 SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS PAGE 5 THE BOROUGH OF WOKING PAGE 7 PART ONE: GOVERNANCE AND DECISION MAKING PAGE 9 PART TWO: SCRUTINY FUNCTIONS PAGE 21 PART THREE: REPRESENTATION ROLE OF COUNCILLORS PAGE 23 PART FOUR: THE FUTURE PAGE 25 PART FIVE: CONCLUSIONS PAGE 29 PART SIX: SUBMISSION RECOMMENDATION PAGE 31 APPENDIX 1: COUNCILLORS AND COMMITTEES 2013/14 PAGE 35 APPENDIX 2: SCHEME OF PLANNING DELEGATIONS PAGE 51 APPENDIX 3: SCHEME OF LICENSING DELEGATIONS PAGE 55 APPENDIX 4: THE COUNCIL’S DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURE PAGE 57 APPENDIX 5: 2013 SURVEY OF MEMBERS WORKLOADS – PAGE 59 REASONS FOR BECOMING A COUNCILLOR 3 4 INTRODUCTION In 2012 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England confirmed that a review of Woking Borough Council’s warding pattern would be undertaken, with a view to addressing the electoral variance across the Borough within the existing warding pattern. The first stage of any such review is the consideration of the existing Council size, with a view to ensuring an efficient and effective structure is in place. The Council has established a cross-party Working Group (the ‘Borough Boundary Review Working Group’) to take forward the challenges of the Review. The Working Group comprises seven Councillors, including the Group Leaders and Deputy Group Leaders, and is supported by a Team of Officers, including the Chief Executive, the Head of Democratic and Legal Services and the Democratic Services Manager.