Council meetings

Council and committee meetings

The County Council, as a whole, has overall responsibility for levels of spending and for major policies. All councillors meet together as the Council (Full Council) with meetings normally held six times a year.

The Strategy, Resources and Performance Committee (with fifteen members) has authorisation to co-ordinate the development to Full Council of the Strategic, Policy and Budget Framework, including in-year adjustments. It also has oversight of our corporate functions, and the development and performance management of a commercial strategy which focuses on financial, social and environmental return on our investments.

Six Policy and Service Committees, each with fifteen members chosen to reflect the political make-up of the Council, are responsible for most major decisions. They deal with different areas of Council business:

• Adults and Health Committee has delegated authority to exercise the Council's functions relating to the delivery, by or on behalf of the County Council, of social care services to eligible adults within Cambridgeshire; and to exercise the County Council's functions in respect of public health and the review and scrutiny of any matter relating to the planning, provision and operation of the health services in Cambridgeshire.
• Assets and Procurement Committee has delegated authority to exercise the County Council's functions in respect of the following:

• • Development and performance management of a Procurement and Commercial strategy which focuses on financial, social and environmental return on the Council’s third party spending.
  • Development and performance management of the Council’s land and property management strategies.
  • Take decisions or delegate decisions around contract award / land and property decisions where the value exceeds £175k.
• Children and Young People Committee has delegated authority to exercise all the Council's functions, save those reserved to Full Council, relating to the delivery, by or on behalf of, the County Council, of services relating to children and young people ensuring that they contribute to improvements in health outcomes and reduction in health inequalities.
• Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee is authorised by Full Council to deliver the County Council’s ambition to build stronger self-sustaining communities, combat deprivation and promote social inclusion, working together with the Mayor, Combined Authority, district councils and other partners to design and deliver services which best meet the needs of and ensure quality of opportunities within those communities.
• Environment and Green Investment Committee has delegated authority to exercise all the County Council's functions, not otherwise reserved to Full Council, relating to the energy and the environment within Cambridgeshire.
• Highways and Transport Committee has delegated authority to exercise the County Council's functions, other than those reserved to Full Council, in relation to transport and sustainable transport solutions.

Other committees include Audit and Accounts Committee, Pension Fund Committee and Planning Committee,

Meetings of the Council and its committees are usually open to the public to attend, except where confidential matters are to be discussed. Agendas and reports for meetings are published no later than five clear working days beforehand and are available electronically. Paper copies of agendas are only available on request for those attending the meeting. If you require a paper copy please e-mail democraticservices365@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Find out about ways for the public to contribute to meetings.

If you plan to attend a particular meeting, please check whether it is open to the public by looking at the agenda or contacting the Democratic Services Officer beforehand.

Agenda plans for the Policy and Service Committees, and details of when and how any key decision will be made are published on the How decisions are made page.

Cambridgeshire County Council has a Constitution which sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures that are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.

Filming, recording and photos of meetings

The Council supports the principle of transparency and encourages filming, recording and taking photographs at its meetings that are open to the public. It also welcomes the use of social networking and micro-blogging websites, such as X and Facebook, to communicate with people about what is happening as it happens. These arrangements operate in accordance with a Filming Protocol agreed by the Chair of the Council and political group leaders.