Committee structure
Council
The full council of 44 members, chaired by the Mayor of Gravesham, meets five times during the municipal year and determines the borough's portion of the Council Tax as well as other major issues affecting the borough. The annual meeting held in May is mainly a ceremonial meeting to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The public are welcome to view the meeting in the public gallery. There is a short public question time at the start of each meeting. If you wish to ask a question, it should be written and delivered to the committee section at the Civic Centre by 12 noon on the day before the meeting.
Cabinet
The Cabinet is the part of the Council which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions. In particular, it proposes the policy framework and budget to the Council and then carries on the work of the Council within the approved framework and budget. The Cabinet is also the focus for community planning and leads the search for best value.
The Council has adopted the 'Leader and Cabinet' system.
The Cabinet is appointed by the Leader of the Executive. The Cabinet is normally drawn from the majority political party group on the Council.
The Leader of the Executive allocates specific roles and responsibilities to Members of the Cabinet. These roles and responsibilities are referred to as 'portfolios'.
Decisions of the Cabinet can be reached collectively (i.e. by all Cabinet Members) or individually (i.e. each individual Cabinet Member is given decision-making powers of their own).
Decisions of the Cabinet, and the reasons for those decisions, are recorded and made publicly available.
The current Cabinet comprises seven Members.
There are six Cabinet Committees. Each Committee will make recommendations to the relevant Cabinet Member as to determining any matters within their remit.
Cllr John Burden is the Leader of the Executive and the Deputy Leader is Cllr Lee Croxton.
The Cabinet Portfolios are as follows:-
Leader’s Portfolio – Cllr John Burden
Finance
Legal Services
Communications
Digital
IT Services
Property Services
Human Resources
Car Parking
Customer Services
Emergency Planning
Special Projects
Deputy Leader’s Portfolio – Operational Services– Cllr Lee Croxton
Waste & Horticulture
Street Cleaning
Cemeteries
Environmental health
Health & Safety
Licensing
Community & Leisure Portfolio – Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox
Sport Development
GCLL
The Woodville
Community Engagement
Gr@nd
Arts, Heritage & Tourism
Market
Community Safety
Town Twinning
Strategic Environment Portfolio – Cllr Lauren Sullivan
Development Management
Building Control
Environmental Management
Conservation
Planning Policy
Economic Development
Housing Services Portfolio – Cllr Jenny Wallace
Social Housing
Repairs
Housing Strategy & Development
Housing Provision
Private Sector Housing
Rented Sector Housing
Affordable Homes
Performance & Administration Portfolio – Cllr Narinder Singh Thandi
Revenue & Benefits
Corporate Performance
Counter Fraud & Audit
Corporate Change
Information Governance
Corporate Governance
Commercial Services Portfolio – Cllr Lenny Rolles
Commercial Activities
Property Investment
Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee
Councils have new powers to scrutinise crime and disorder issues. Provisions for crime and disorder scrutiny in the Police and Justice Act 2006 came into force in England at the end of April 2009.
One of the powers this scrutiny committee has is to scrutinise how the partnership members are discharging their crime and disorder functions.
Overview Scrutiny
This committee, chaired by the opposition party, enhances accountability and transparency of the decision-making process. The committee scrutinises Cabinet decisions as well as other issues facing the borough.
Finance & Audit Committee
This committee looks at the overall state of the council’s finances on at least a quarterly basis, considers recommendations made by internal audit and external agencies such as the Audit Commission as well as monitoring the performance of internal audit.
Planning Committee
The main purpose of the Planning Committee is to determine planning applications and issues relating to building control. Most planning applications are determined by planning officers and not by the Planning Committee. The planning applications that are referred to the Planning Committee for determination are usually major applications, contentious planning applications and applications referred by either a planning officer or a Councillor. The Committee meets 11 times a year to determine planning applications and building control.
The Committee has also delegated some of its responsibilities to two sub-committees.
Gravesham Joint Transportation Board
The Joint Transportation Board advises both the Borough Council and Kent County Council Cabinets on issues relating to the highways. The Board will make recommendations from time to time to the Cabinet on matters of policy relating to transportation and transport planning.
Licensing Committee and Panels
The Licensing Committee considers the Council’s responsibilities under the Licensing Act 2003. It also has delegated consideration of applications for public licenses for premises to sell alcohol or to run entertainment events, such as live music to its Licensing Panel.
Licensing Committee
The Licensing Committee considers the Council’s responsibilities under the Licensing Act 2003.
The Licensing Committee has delegated consideration of applications for public licenses for premises to sell alcohol or to run entertainment events, such as live music etc. to its Licensing Panel.
South Thames Gateway Building Control Partnership Committee
In 2007, Gravesham, Medway and Swale Councils agreed to form a joint building control partnership. On 1 October 2007 the building control departments of each council merged to form the South Thames Gateway (STG) Building Control Partnership. This committee oversees the operation of the partnership.
In 2020, Canterbury City Council joined the Partnership.
The administration of the Committee (not the Partnership) is undertaken by each Council in turn.
To see papers prepared for previous years, please see the following links for each Council:-
Please contact the Partnership itself if you wish to make use of its services. (http://www.stgbc.org.uk)
Other committees, sub-committees, panels, boards
The Council also has a number of other groups of Councillors to carry out its responsibilities on its behalf. These include:-
- Appointments Board
- Independent Remuneration Panel
- Kent and Medway Police & Crime Panel
- Standards Committee