How does the Council make decisions?

Richmond Borough Council has a "Leader and Cabinet" style of decision making. This was adopted on 22 May 2001. It means that:

• Full Council is responsible for approving the budget and policy framework.
• Most other decisions are now taken by the Cabinet or individually as Cabinet Member Decisions.
• Four Overview and Scrutiny Committees review and scrutinise these decisions, and conduct reviews of policy and services.

The Leader of the Council is required to publish every month a Forward Plan, which sets out all the key decisions to be taken over the succeeding four months.

The Council's regulatory functions, for example development control and licensing, are carried out by non-executive Committees: the Planning Committee and the Licensing Sub-Committee.