East Suffolk Council

Full Council

Full Council meetings are a forum where councillors can exercise their representative function and one which can underpin policy formulation and performance review.

It deals with matters such as:

• holding the Cabinet to account for its actions, policy and direction.
• written and verbal questions raised by individual Councillors.
• approving the council’s policy framework.
• agreeing the council’s Budget and setting the Council Tax.
• ruling on decisions that have been ‘called in’.
• making decisions referred to it which are outside the budget or policy framework.
• adopting and changing the Constitution.
• electing the Leader of the Council, Chairman and Vice-Chairman.
• making appointments to outside bodies.

In February each year it meets to approve the Council’s budget for the forthcoming financial year and sets the Council Tax.  It elects the Leader of the council every four years and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman at its Annual Meeting in May.

All Councillors attend Full Council and meetings are chaired by the Chairman of the Council.  Full details about the role and responsibilities of Full Council can be found in the council's constitution.

The public may ask questions at Ordinary meetings of the Council. In order to do this, questions must be provided in writing or by electronic mail to the Proper Officer, no later than midday ten working days before the day of the meeting. Each question must give the name and address of the questioner and must name the Member of the Council to whom the question is put. Further information on the scope of the questions that can be submitted can found in the Council’s Constitution. If you would like to ask a question at a Council meeting, please contact Democratic Services on 01502 523521 or email democraticservices@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.