How the Council works
Dartford
Borough Council has the responsibility for running local
planning, housing and environmental health, refuse collection, enforcement,
electoral registration, open spaces, parking services and cemeteries.
Some other public services, such as Education, Social services and Highways, are provided by Kent County Council.
Councillors
Dartford Borough Council has 44 elected Councillors (also known as Members), representing 17 wards. Members act together to decide the framework and future development of Council services to the public.
The role of the Officers is to advise Members on all factors relating to the Council's policy objectives and the implementation of Council decisions.
The Council's current political makeup is:
- Conservative 26
- Labour 12
- Residents Association and Independent 6
The Council adopted an executive/political structure in 2001, based on the 'Cabinet with Leader' model.
The key benefits of the new system
over the previous committee structure include the ability to respond
more rapidly to service needs.
The Cabinet meets in public every four weeks. It is made up of six
Councillors, and is chaired by the Leader of the Council. These Councillors
have a particular interest in, or 'Portfolio' for, specific groups
of Council services.
The Cabinet proposes the draft budget and policy framework to the Council. It leads and co-ordinates the community planning process and decides on resources and priorities.
The Cabinet is also advised by two Cabinet Advisory panels. These
comprise 22 Councillors, including portfolio holders, and enable
all Councillors to be involved in the Cabinet decision-making process.
The Scrutiny Committee, in the exercise of its scrutiny functions,
holds Cabinet and Officers to account for the discharge of functions.
The Committee can refer a decision back to Cabinet to be reconsidered.
The Quality Services Committee in the exercise of its overview
functions develops and reviews Council policies (corporate and
service specific) and recommends future policy options or changes
to existing policies or practices. Additionally, the Committee
has, as part of its policy formulation remit, established a number
of topic specific working groups to enable issues/policies to be
examined in depth.
The Committee ensures that Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) is used to drive the development of quality services in the Council by undertaking research, reviewing progress and making recommendations to Cabinet and by considering and monitoring the CPA Improvement Plan.
The
Committee supports the development of quality services by conducting
best value reviews in accordance with the program in the Best Value
Performance Plan.
The Scrutiny Committee and the Quality Services Committee are all-party
committees and they meet in public on a six weekly basis.
There are nine other Council committees:
- Appeals Panel;
- Appointments Panel,
- Audit and Standards Board;
- Standards Committee (a statutory committee);
- Discretionary Housing Payments Panel;
- Development Control Board,
- Licensing Panel,
- Remuneration and Performance Management Panel
- Joint Transportation Board (which is a joint body with Kent County Council).
Quasi-judicial functions such as planning and licensing
applications are dealt with respectively by the Development Control
Board and the Licensing Panel.
The Standards Committee deals with Councillor Ethics and oversees and
reviews the Council's Constitution.
The Independent Remuneration Panel is an advisory panel comprised of
non-elected members who advise the Council on its Members' Allowances
Scheme.
Dartford Borough Council, with Gravesham
Borough Council and Kent County
Council, co-ordinates the local authority approach to issues of regeneration
within ‘Kent Thameside’.
