Article 4 – The Full Council

4.01 Meanings

(a) Policy Framework. The policy framework means the following plans and strategies:

• The County Council Plan (including the Best Value Performance Plan);
• Children's and Young People’s Strategic Plan;
• Community Strategy;
• Comprehensive Plan for Older People;
• Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy;
• Education Development Plan;
• Local Transport Plan;
• Plans and strategies which together comprise the Development Plan (eg Structure Plan and local plans);
• Youth Justice Plan;
• Food Standards Plan;
• Adult Learning Plan;

and such other plans and strategies as the County Council shall from time to time determine.

(b) Budget. The budget includes the allocation of financial resources to different services and projects, proposed contingency funds, the council tax base, setting the council tax and decisions relating to the control of the Council's borrowing requirement, the control of its capital expenditure and the setting of virement limits.

4.02 Functions of the Full Council

Only the Council will exercise the following functions:

(a) adopting and changing the Constitution;

(b) approving or adopting the policy framework and the budget;

(c) subject to the urgency procedure contained in the Access to Information Procedure Rules in Part 4 of this Constitution, making decisions about any matter in the discharge of a Cabinet function which is covered by the policy framework or the budget where the decision maker is minded to make it in a manner which would be contrary to the policy framework or contrary to/or not wholly in accordance with the budget;

(d) appointing the Leader, Deputy Leader and members of the Cabinet and determining the portfolios to be allocated to Cabinet members;

(e) agreeing and/or amending the terms of reference for committees, deciding on their composition and making appointments to them;

(f) appointing representatives to outside bodies unless the appointment is a Cabinet function or has been delegated by the Council;

(g) adopting an allowances scheme under Article 2.05;

(h) changing the name of the area;

(i) confirming the appointment of the Head of Paid Service;

(j) making, amending, revoking, re-enacting or adopting bylaws and promoting or opposing the making of local legislation or, personal Bills;

(k) all local choice functions set out in Part 3 of this Constitution which the Council decides should be undertaken by itself rather than the Cabinet; and

(l) all other matters which, by law, must be reserved to Council.

4.03 Council meetings

There are three types of Council meeting:

(a) the annual meeting;

(b) ordinary meetings;

(c) extraordinary meetings;

and they will be conducted in accordance with the Council Procedure Rules in Part 4 of this Constitution.

4.04 Responsibility for functions

The Council will maintain a list in Part 3 of this Constitution setting out the responsibilities for the Council's functions which are not the responsibility of the Cabinet.