Area forums and committees
In order for local residents to make their views known directly to their local councillors and for local councillors to listen to residents' views, five area forums have been created, made up of groups of wards. They allow the local community to discuss local issues of interest and concern. The police also use the forums to consult with local residents and listen to their concerns. The local councillors on each forum also have the authority to make certain decisions relating to local traffic schemes and grant applications - this is when they are acting as an area committee.
Overview and scrutiny - the select committees
Overview and scrutiny is undertaken by five 'select committees', which support the work of the executive and the council as a whole but act independently from the executive side of the council. They scrutinise the work of the executive (the decision-making members, either sitting together as the cabinet or individually as executive members), help to develop policy and can scrutise and monitor anything affecting the wellbeing of South Gloucestershire residents.
They also undertake reviews of certain topics, which may well involve talking to a wide variety of members of the public or organisations. The outcome of those reviews result in recommendations to the cabinet (the executive). They also make recommendations which advise the executive and the council as a whole on its policies, budget and service delivery.
Select committees also consider any proposed decision by the executive which has been 'called-in' by five or more councillors who are unhappy with the proposed decision. Decisions 'called-in' are reviewed by the relevant select committee, which may recommend that the decision-taker should reconsider the decision.
To see the agenda (with links to the reports and the minutes) of the select committees look at 'View Council agendas and reports' in the 'Do It now' box on the right-hand side of this page.
Decision-making meetings
These are the meetings of the full council (all 70 councillors making basic policy framework decisions), the cabinet (which comprises the executive councillors making most of the detailed decisions within the framework set by the council) and also the development control (planning) meetings and public rights of way meetings (which exercise their independent statutory duty to make specific decisons within their remit). The area forum acting as a committee also makes a limited number of decisions relating to very local issues - see above. All these meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend and speak.