Council decision making and roles
Wycombe District Council is made up of 60 councillors who are democratically elected every four years. Councillors are accountable to residents of their ward. Their main duty is to the whole community, but they have a special duty to their constituents, including those who did not vote for them.
More about being a councillor
Code of conduct for councillors
Councillors agree to follow a code of conduct to ensure high standards in the way they undertake their duties. The Standards Committee trains and advises them on the code of conduct.
More about the code of conduct for councillors
Full Council meetings
All councillors meet together as the full Council. These meetings are normally open to the public. Here councillors decide overall policies and set the budget each year.
An opportunity for members of the public to ask questions is provided during the first 30 minutes of council meetings. For more information on public questions, please see our page on public questions at Full Council meetings.
Full Council appoints the Leader who in turn appoints members of the Cabinet. Each member has a specific area of responsibility (also known as a "portfolio"). Full Council also appoints committees.
Calendar of meetings
Leader of the Council
The Leader guides the political direction of the Council and appoints the Cabinet. He/she is appointed by full Council on the recommendation of the majority political group.
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is the part of the Council responsible for most day-to-day decisions. The Cabinet has ten members, including the Leader and two Deputy Leaders.
When major decisions are to be made, these are published in the Cabinet's forward plan. If these decisions need to be discussed with advice from council officers at a cabinet meeting, this will usually be open to the public - except where confidential matters are involved.
The Cabinet has to make decisions in line with the Council's overall policies and budget. If a decision falls outside the budget or policy framework, it must be referred to full Council.
Cabinet members and responsibilities
Improving the Council
The Improvement and Review Commission supports the work of the Cabinet and the Council. They allow citizens to have a greater say in council matters by investigating issues of local concern.
The Commission also monitors the decisions of the Cabinet. They can "call-in" decisions which have been made but not yet implemented. This enables them to consider whether a decision is appropriate and recommend if the Cabinet should review it. They may also be consulted on forthcoming decisions and the development of policy.
More about the Improvement and Review Commission
More about council committees
The Council's staff
The Council appoints the head of the paid service, the Chief Executive, and the director who reports directly to the Chief Executive.
We employ around 500 officers across 10 service departments. Corporate directors and corporate service managers support the Chief Executive in delivering our political priorities.
Officers give advice, implement decisions and manage the day-to-day delivery of council services. Some officers have a specific duty to ensure that the Council acts within the law and uses its resources wisely. A code of practice governs the relationships between officers and members of the Council.
More about the council structure, including organisation charts.