Whats Involved in Being a Councillor?
Meetings
The full Council meeting (all 36 Councillors) is the ultimate decision-making body for Kettering Borough Council. This meeting cannot consider every single decision to be made, so the Council gives powers to make decisions - under what is called the Scheme of Delegation - to the Executive (Cabinet), Committees and Task and Finish Groups.
The Executive - sometimes called the Cabinet - meets at least 10 times per year to consider major issues affecting the Borough of Kettering. Our Cabinet has 8 Councillors, each with individual areas of responsibility or portfolios, appointed by the political group or groups with the most seats overall on the Council.
The Council's Scrutiny Committees Committees review and/or scrutinise decisions taken or proposed. They can make recommendations to the Council or the Executive Committee and assist the Council and the Executive by carrying out an in-depth analysis of policy and research issues. Each Scrutiny Committee has terms of reference setting out the areas of work and can set up task and finish groups to carry out a particular piece of work.
The Council also has a Planning Committee, Planning Policy Committee, Licensing Committee, Standards Committee and Employment Committee. Other working groups are set up when needed. The time commitment needed to attend meetings will depend on how many Committees and Groups etc each Councillor is appointed to.
If you are in paid employment, your employer may give you paid time off to attend daytime meetings. Evening meetings can start at 5:00, 6.00, 6.30 or 7.00 p.m., but 7pm is the most usual start time, to allow time for those who work during the day to get there, and for those with caring responsibilities to make arrangements for evening cover.
There is no fixed length of time for meetings, but the average time would be approximately 2 hours. If a meeting is likely to need more time than this, it will usually be clear from the agenda, supplied during the week before the meeting, that this is the case.
Most meetings are open to members of the public. Dates and times are advertised, and you may contact any of the Democratic Services Team for details. Why not come along to a meeting and see for yourself what happens?
The Executive - sometimes called the Cabinet - meets at least 10 times per year to consider major issues affecting the Borough of Kettering. Our Cabinet has 8 Councillors, each with individual areas of responsibility or portfolios, appointed by the political group or groups with the most seats overall on the Council.
The Council's Scrutiny Committees Committees review and/or scrutinise decisions taken or proposed. They can make recommendations to the Council or the Executive Committee and assist the Council and the Executive by carrying out an in-depth analysis of policy and research issues. Each Scrutiny Committee has terms of reference setting out the areas of work and can set up task and finish groups to carry out a particular piece of work.
The Council also has a Planning Committee, Planning Policy Committee, Licensing Committee, Standards Committee and Employment Committee. Other working groups are set up when needed. The time commitment needed to attend meetings will depend on how many Committees and Groups etc each Councillor is appointed to.
If you are in paid employment, your employer may give you paid time off to attend daytime meetings. Evening meetings can start at 5:00, 6.00, 6.30 or 7.00 p.m., but 7pm is the most usual start time, to allow time for those who work during the day to get there, and for those with caring responsibilities to make arrangements for evening cover.
There is no fixed length of time for meetings, but the average time would be approximately 2 hours. If a meeting is likely to need more time than this, it will usually be clear from the agenda, supplied during the week before the meeting, that this is the case.
Most meetings are open to members of the public. Dates and times are advertised, and you may contact any of the Democratic Services Team for details. Why not come along to a meeting and see for yourself what happens?