Constitution of West Dorset District Council

The constitution of West Dorset District Council was adopted by the council in May 2007.

The constitution sets out how West Dorset District Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people. Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the council to choose.

The constitution is divided into 16 articles, which set out the basic rules governing the council's business. More detailed procedures and codes of practice are provided in separate rules and protocols at the end of the constitution.

The constitution is reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

What's in the constitution:

Part 1 - Summary

Part 2 - Articles of the constitution

Article 1 of the constitution commits the council to ensure that decisions are taken in an effective and efficient manner and that those responsible for decision-making are clearly identifiable to the public. Articles 2 - 16 explain the rights of members of the public and how the key parts of the council operate. These are:

The Constitution (Article 1)
Members of the district council (Article 2)
Members of the public and the council (Article 3)
The Full Council (Article 4)
Chairing the Council (Article 5)
Overview and Scrutiny Committees (Article 6)
The Executive Committee (Article 7)
Quasi-judicial and other committees (Article 8)
The Standards Committee (Article 9)
Area committees (Article 10)
Joint arrangements (Article 11)
Officers (Article 12)
Decision making (Article 13)
Finance, contracts and legal matters (Article 14)
Review and revision of the constitution (Article 15)
Suspension, interpretation and publication of the constitution (Article 16)

Part 3 - Responsibility for functions

Responsibility for local choice functions
Responsibility for council functions (functions which can not be the responsibility of the Executive)
Responsibility for Executive functions
Officer Scheme of Delegation

Part 4 - Rules of procedure (standing orders)

Council procedure rules (standing orders)
Access to information procedure rules
Budget and policy framework procedure rules
Executive procedure rules
Overview and scrutiny procedure rules
Financial and contract procedure rules
Officer employment procedure rules

Part 5 - Codes and protocols

Councillors' code of conduct
Standards Committee procedure and protocol for handling investigations and hearings into allegations of breaches of the code of conduct
Officer/member protocol
Monitoring Officer protocol
Officers' code of conduct
A good practice guide for councillors and officers dealing with planning matters