Council's Constitution
Summary of the Plymouth City Council Constitution
The Constitution provides a framework for the democratic processes of the Council balancing efficient and effective decision-making with the principles of participatory democracy and open government.
Plymouth City Council is made up of 57 members who collectively make budget and policy decisions in addition to scrutinising the work of the organisation.
Under the Constitution, the Council operates under executive arrangements using a Leader/Cabinet model. The Leader is elected, from and by the Members of the Council. The Cabinet consists of the Leader and between two and nine Councillors who hold specific portfolios. The Cabinet exercise executive functions. Lead members are appointed by the Leader to assist the Cabinet Members with duties relating to their Portfolios. Lead Members do not have delegated powers.
The Lord Mayor is elected annually from the Members of the Council. The Lord Mayor is the city's First Citizen and acts as the city's representative at ceremonial functions. The Lord Mayor also acts as Chair at Council Meetings.
Included in the Constitution are the access to information procedure rules and Member/Officer codes of conduct and related protocols. The Constitution also sets out the functions, procedures and terms of reference for our other Committees.
Throughout the Constitution there are electronic links to documents, which provide further detail on how the Council works. The guidance document includes a summary of the rules of debate used by the Council and some easy-to-follow flowcharts showing how decisions are made.
Code of Corporate Governance [51.1KB]
Constitution [620KB]
Contract standing orders [139KB]