How We Make Decisions : Cumbria County Council

You can find out the dates of (publicly accessible) committee meetings in the Council Diary and on the

Agendas, Officers' Reports, Background Papers and Minutes of Council Committee, Sub Committee and Standing Forum Meetings

Agendas, officers' reports and minutes of past meetings are available on the Council Meetings webpage.

Major Policy Proposals and Decisions

The Council Plan sets out the Council's ambitions for the short medium and long term and how these will be delivered. The Plan:

brings together in one place our key priorities

provides a clear focus to our work

is used to communicate what is important to staff and partners

is supported by aligning the budget so that we have the resources to deliver

The County Council makes the most important decisions. Other decisions are taken either by the Cabinet or one of the six local committees. The agenda, minutes and reports for these meetings, from June 2001 are available on the Council Meetings pages. You will also find information about Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

You can find out what "key decisions" will be taken at future meetings by looking at the Forward Plan.

If you want to ask a question, present a petition, or lead a deputation at one of the Council's Meetings our Public Participation Scheme sets out how to do this.

There are also local meetings known as Neighbourhood Forums. They give grants to local groups and deal with issues important to local communities.

Overview and Scrutiny

Overview and Scrutiny is a new way of working introduced by the Local Government Act 2000. Scrutiny is about the relationship and balance of power between the Executive and the rest of the County Council. The role of overview and scrutiny can be seen as a watchdog on the business of the Council.

At its simplest, it is about being able to review and challenge decisions made by the Council and in so doing, helps to inform and shape County Council policies and strategies. The overview part goes beyond executive decisions and considers other external influences that help to shape key County Council policies and strategies. Officers' reports contain background information, supporting documentation and reasons for the recommendations to fully inform Members when making important decisions. All this information is available via the Overview and Scrutiny page.

Public Consultation

The council consults with a wide range of people and groups on a wide range of issues. These pages keep you up to date with these consultations, their findings and what is happening as a result. We want to be at the forefront in involving individuals and communities in all aspects of our work. For more information go to the Consultation & Research “Say it” page. Community Voice is the council's citizen’s panel. It is one way that the council consults with local people. The panel consists of 3000 Cumbrian adults who have agreed to respond to regular surveys and consultations. The members of the panel are recruited randomly to ensure that the panel is an accurate cross-section of the Cumbrian public. The council runs Community Voice in partnership with 6 other public authorities in Cumbria.

Neighbourhood Forums are an opportunity for you to get involved in issues affecting your area, and to get information about local services. You can talk to decision makers and local residents, and raise your own ideas for community improvement. There are over 60 Neighbourhood Forums in Cumbria, each meeting at least four times a year. The forums, organised by our dedicated area support teams, are informal meetings which welcome members of the public, representatives of organisations and local Councillors.

Criteria Guidance and Instructions

If access to internal instructions, manuals and guidelines for dealing with the business of the council will help the public understand how decisions are made, these will be made available. Information that might damage the council’s operations will not be published.