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Council

Medway Council came into existence on 1 April 1998 and is one of the largest unitary authorities in England, providing all local government services. The council has a legal responsibility to make decisions about such matters as collecting income from the community (through council tax and charges) and from central government and the type and range of services provided to the public.

The people who make decisions are councillors. Councillors are elected by the people of Medway and usually represent political groups. The council is made up of 55 councillors from 22 wards throughout Medway. 

 

The current composition of the council is:

Party Seats
Conservative 35
Labour 15
Liberal Democrat 3
Independent Members 2
   

 

Access to the decision-makers

Residents of Medway are represented at three levels, by:

  • one or more local councillors,
  • a member of parliament at Westminster,
  • a member of the European Parliament.

There are also 11 parish councils responsible for local facilities in some parts of Medway. The following information explains how decisions are made by Medway Council, who they are made by, how residents can influence this process and the role of council officers.

Make your views known

There are several ways to make your views known so that councillors can take them into account when making decisions. You can:

  • write to, email or telephone either a ward councillor or a councillor who sits on a committee which is to consider the matter;
  • ask a question at a council meeting: time is set aside at council meetings for local people to ask questions;
  • organise a petition calling for action on a specific issue and ask a councillor to present it at a meeting of the council: it will then be referred to the appropriate committee for discussion but will not be discussed at the council meeting when it is presented.

Decisions

Decisions are made at meetings of the cabinet, council or at committee and sub-committee meetings.

Most decisions are taken by the 10-member cabinet. Some decisions, such as changes to the constitution, electoral issues and approval of major policy documents are taken by the full council. Decisions on planning applications are taken by the Planning Committee. Decisions on applications for public entertainment, premises, Hackney carriage and private hire licences are taken by the Licensing and Safety Committee and its Sub-Committees.

Some decisions are taken by officers under a scheme of delegation from cabinet, council or committees.

The council also has four Overview and Scrutiny Committees. These committees review services provided by the council and other local partners (including the NHS) and make recommendation for improvements to the cabinet or the council.

Meetings

The council meets about seven times a year and has overall responsibility for setting the council's budget and establishing committees to make decisions and review services.

  • The council receives reports from the Leader and from Overview and Scrutiny committees.
  • The council also considers recommendations from cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny committees or officers.
  • The Mayor presides over the meeting, ensuring that business is properly conducted.
  • Councillors may submit topics for debate at the council meeting, known as motions.

Committee and sub-committee meetings

The councillor who is the chair of the committee will guide the meeting through the agenda. Reports referred to on the front sheet can be found in the body of the agenda by looking for the item number which is on the top right hand corner of each report. Each page of the agenda is also numbered to make it easier to look things up.

A vote may be taken on the recommendations, which are found at the front of each report or which may be put forward by councillors at the meeting.

Public access to council meetings

Everyone is welcome to come to Cabinet, council and committee meetings to see how decisions are made. Seating has been arranged so people can see and hear what is going on.

The times and places for most meetings are published in the calendar of meetings. Meetings are scheduled around every six weeks, although special meetings can be arranged if there is urgent business. Meetings to discuss planning matters are held on a three-weekly cycle, however.

Agenda

All items that are discussed at the meeting are set out in a document called the agenda. Copies of the agenda are available online, in local libraries and at the reception counters at the council's administrative buildings five days in advance of the meeting. If you would like a personal copy sent to your home, for which there may be a small charge, please use the contact details at the foot of the page. Spare copies of the agenda will be available on the night of the committee or sub-committee meeting.

Confidential items

Under the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the council may be required or may choose to discuss certain items in private. These will be discussed at the end of the meeting and the press and public will be asked to leave at this point. Please use the contact details at the foot of the page to find out more about such items. The council strives to ensure that meetings are as open as possible and many committee meetings do not have confidential items.

Calendar

Meetings are publicised in the council's monthly newspaper, Medway Matters, in the council's offices and local libraries and online. 

Minutes

All the council's decisions are recorded in the minutes. These are available in local libraries and online.

Council officers

The council employs officers to provide expert advice and information to councillors, to help them make their decisions. All committees are advised by council officers on the business to be considered at the meeting: e.g. solicitors, accountants, housing managers, educationalists or social services officers.

Council officers attend the meetings to present reports and advise the committee but only councillors make decisions on these reports.

Officers within the Council Office are responsible for making the arrangements for the meeting, such as putting the agenda together, advising on procedure at the meeting and recording the decisions made.

 

For more information contact us by telephone: 01634 332760 or by email: democratic.services@medway.gov.uk

Write to: Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent ME4 4TR

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