St Albans City & District council has 58 Councillors representing the electorate in 20 Wards. Councillors perform their work in cross-party committees and the work of the committees is presented to a Full Council meeting to seek approval for their recommendations.
How the Council works
Your council has a Chair of Cabinet, and a Cabinet for decision making. This system aims to make it plain who is responsible for decisions. The Cabinet is made up of eight portfolio holders who make the day to day decisions affecting their areas of responsibility.
To check on the actions of the executive, Overview & Scrutiny committees have been formed, they have powers to look closely at the decisions of the cabinet and review the policies of the council.
The Full Council is made up of all 58 members, it has the role of setting the annual budget and overall policy framework for the council. Scrutiny may also refer unresolved call-in issues to full council.
Cabinet
The Cabinet is made up of a group of councillors who meet on a regular basis throughout the year. Each cabinet member has a portfolio of services. They work closely with Council Officers and Heads of Service, to make many decisions that affect services.
The eight portfolios are currently held by the Liberal Democrat group.
The next four months work of the cabinet is scheduled in advance and published in the Forward Plan. Copies are sent to the Press, Parish and Town Councils and local libraries. An annual statement is published in the Press explaining what the Forward Plan is, and where and when it will be available.
Cabinet must work within the budget and policy framework set by the full council.
Portfolios
The work of the eight portfolios is conducted in committee meetings. The portfolios are...
Community Leadership and Communications
Councillor Donald
Environment and Sustainability
Councillor Teare
Planning and Conservation
Councillor Brazier
Housing Services
Councillor Poor
Culture and Heritage
Councillor Mrs Burton
Sport and Leisure
Councillor Rowlands
Community Engagement and Support
Councillor Oxley
Resources and Efficiencies
Councillor Axworthy
Overview and Scrutiny
There are two Overview and Scrutiny committees.
The committees are made up of councillors from all parties, they have the job of closely looking at (scrutinising) the work of the council and its executive. They also have the power to call-in decisions made by cabinet members before they are implemented.
Scrutiny's power to review involves looking closely at a particular service or policy over a short period of time to make suggestions for improvement. The review may take the form of: analysis of policy, carrying out research and conducting consultation. It can also involve the questioning of portfolio holders, officers and members of the public to act as witnesses. The committee also has the power to co-opt members of the public or an organisation because of their expert knowledge on a particular subject.
Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny
Statutory committees
There are a number of committees that are legally required to carry out statutory duties.
These are planning, licensing and general purposes, standards and appeals (appointed each time an appeal hearing is arranged).
The statutory committees and their current Chair are...
Planning (Development Control) Committee Central
Councillor Frearson
Planning (Development Control) Committee North
Councillor Chambers
Planning (Development Control) Committee South
Councillor Harrison
Planning Referrals Committee
Councillor Brazier
Licensing and Regulatory Committee
Councillor White
Standards Committee
Mr R Hershbein
Joint Panel
A copy of the Highways Joint Member Panel Agreement 30 May 2001 is available at the following link:
Public question time
You can question cabinet members on the services and issues that are concerning you. Each Full Council meeting has a public question time scheduled.
Each speaker is given three minutes for questions. Public question time at full council meetings lasts for thirty minutes at the beginning of each meeting.
Submitting a question
You can submit your question...
online using our Speaking at Committees eform
by email to questions@stalbans.gov.uk
or you can post it to:
The Chief Executive
District Council Offices
Civic Centre
St Albans
Hertfordshire
AL1 3JE
Questions must be received by midday, 2 working days before each council meeting.
Speaking at decision making meetings
You can put your point of view to members of the council at meetings where decisions are made regarding planning and licensing applications.
Planning committees - you can speak for up to three minutes for or against a planning application, but you will not be able to ask questions. One person can speak in favour and one against each planning application.
Licensing and Regulatory committee - up to six people can speak on agenda items for up to three minutes each, but will not be able to ask questions.
To speak at planning or licensing meetings you can notify us by telephone on the day of the meeting using the following telephone numbers:
Planning meetings: St Albans and Sandridge tel: 01727 819344
The rest of the district tel: 01727 819345 between 10am and 2.30pm.
Licensing and general purposes tel: 01727 819519 between 9am and 3pm.
Infra-red hearing system
There is an infra-red hearing system in place for meetings in the Council Chamber, Committee Rooms and for Council meetings at Harpenden Public Hall. Advice on the use of the system will be provided at the meeting by a Corporate Administrator, who will be wearing a name badge.
Webcasting
The following meetings are broadcast live over the internet: Council, Cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Public Services) Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Internal Performance) and Planning (Development Control) Committees South and Central. Those meetings of the Planning (Development Control) Committee North that are held in the Council Chamber at the District Council Offices are also webcast.
Everyone who enters the Council Chamber for a meeting of either Committee is advised that they are giving permission for video (images and sound) to be recorded and transmitted live, and as an archive over the intranet and by any other means that the Council may decide to use, at its discretion, in the future.
The webcast will be made available in the public domain for future viewing purposes, which can be accessed from www.stalbans.ukcouncil.net/site.
Finding out more
You can find out the dates of all public meetings at this council by clicking on this link. Agendas and minutes for meetings can be found by clicking here. If you have any questions, please contact the corporate administrators at St Albans District Council - corporateadmin@stalbans.gov.uk or 01727 819519 - and we will do our best to help you.
Date of last review: 01 June 2010