The Cabinet is a small group of councillors (called cabinet members) led by the Leader of the Council.
Cabinet is in charge of most day-to-day, executive decisions for the district - except for things Full Council or certain committees must do by law - find out about other committees such as our Planning, Audit and Regulation & Licensing committees.
Cabinet:
- Sets direction for services and projects - for example housing, planning policy, parks, waste & recycling, and the local economy.
- Proposes the council’s overall budget and key strategies - Full Council signs off the final budget and policy framework.
- Makes key decisions on bigger or more significant matters - usually those with a large impact on services, people, or money.
- Oversees performance - keeps track of how services are doing and agreeing improvements.
Cabinet members are councillors with specific roles (their portfolios) - find out more.
The council publishes a forward plan - a running list of upcoming cabinet decisions. It shows what the decision is about, who will decide it, when it’s likely to be made, how people will be consulted, and who to contact for more information.
Cabinet meetings are held publicly and you can read the agenda and reports in advance. Meetings are usually open to the public and are live-streamed.
Our Overview & Scrutiny Committee (made up of other councillors) can examine Cabinet decisions and performance, ask for information, and make recommendations. You can ask the Overview & Scrutiny committee to look into an issue for you.
Full Council also approves the budget and policy framework and holds the Cabinet to account.