This committee has seven members.

The role of the appeals committee is to:

• hear and determine any appeal lodged by an employee under the council's Disciplinary or Capability Procedures
• hear and determine any dispute concerning remuneration, conditions of employment and working conditions to the extent that they are not the responsibility of some independent arbitrator or judicial body
• hear and hear and determine an employee appeal against dismissal
• hear and determine any appeal relating to any matter that is not the responsibility of any other committee of the council

This committee has 6 elected members.

The delegated functions of the committee are to:

• Discharge the responsibilities set out in the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003
• Develop, maintain, monitor and review the council's code of corporate governance and to undertake, as appropriate, an assessment of wider governance issues, including the constitution and the administration and conduct of the council's business and report to council as necessary
• Oversee, monitor and review the finance procedure rules and report to council as necessary
• Monitor and review the council's audit functions and requirements in relation to both internal and external audit
• Agree, monitor and review the council's risk management strategy and to ensure that effective risk management is embedded throughout the council
• Ensure the council has in place appropriate policies and processes to safeguard the council's resources and their use including appropriate mechanisms for anti-fraud and corruption
• Monitor and review the Section 151 Officer (the council's chief finance officer) and his/her appointed deputies in the performance of their duties and responsibilities
• Approve the council's Statement of Accounts and Statement of Internal Control as authorised by the council and as required under the relevant Accounts and Audit Regulations
• Approve the council's council tax base each year

The cabinet, previously known as the executive board, is accountable for certain functions operated by council officers. It has to operate in line with the council's constitution and has the power to set up sub-committees where appropriate.

It is made up of these councillors, who have the following responsibilities: 

• Councillor Hans Mundry – Leader/Highways, transportation & public realm
• Councillor Jean Flaherty – Deputy leader/Childrens, Families and Education
• Councillor Sue Emery - Poverty, Inequality and Protection
• Councillor Laura Watson - Economy, Growth and Quality Work
• Councillor Maureen McLaughlin - Health, Wellbeing and Social Care
• Councillor John Kerr-Brown - Housing Services and Licensing
• Councillor Hitesh Patel – Climate Change, Sustainability and the Environment
• Councillor Tony Higgins – Communities, Culture and Leisure
• Councillor Denis Matthews – Finance, Assets and Investments
• Councillor Nathan Sudworth - Organisation, Innovation and Co-operation

Overall cabinet responsibilities:

• To make key decisions that either have a significant impact on the community or have considerable financial implications
• Full authority to implement the policy and budgetary frameworks of the council. This means that most decisions do not need the approval of full council
• The cabinet can delegate decisions to an individual executive member or senior officer. However, all key decisions must be included in the council's forward plan
• The cabinet has public meetings every four weeks

Questions from Members of the Public:

Details of the rules relating to questions from members of the public at Cabinet meetings are contained within the Constitution in the Cabinet Procedure Rules from paragraphs 8.18 to 8.29 and are summarised below:

• Notice must be given of the question in writing or electronically to the Democratic Services Manager ([email protected]) by no later than 9am, seven clear working days before the meeting (deadlines for questions for each meeting during 2024/25 are set out below);
• No more than two questions shall be put at any one meeting;
• There is a five minute time limit for the question, including asking the question (this can be taken as read), the response and a supplementary question and answer;
• Supplementary questions have a time limit of 30 seconds and must relate to the answer that has been given;
• Where more than two valid questions have been received for one meeting the valid questions submitted earliest will be considered. Subsequent question will not be considered but can be resubmitted for a future meeting;
• A question or part of a question may be rejected if in the opinion of the Director of Law and Governance it – does not relate to a matter for which the Council has powers, duties or responsibilities, does not affect the Borough, is in their opinion defamatory, frivolous or likely to cause offence, is substantially the same as a question asked within the previous six months or can’t be reasonably responded to without disclosing confidential or exempt information.

Question deadlines – 2024/25

• Cabinet Meeting – 9 September 2024. Question deadline – 28 August 2024
• Cabinet Meeting – 14 October 2024. Question deadline – 2 October 2024
• Cabinet Meeting – 11 November 2024. Question deadline – 30 October 2024
• Cabinet Meeting – 9 December 2024. Question deadline – 27 November 2024
• Cabinet Meeting – 13 January 2025. Question deadline – 24 December 2024
• Cabinet Meeting – 10 February 2025. Question deadline – 29 January 2025
• Cabinet Meeting – 10 March 2025. Question deadline – 26 February 2025
• Cabinet Meeting – 7 April 2025. Question deadline – 26 March 2025

This committee has five members.

The responsibilities of the committee include:

• To discharge the council's role and responsibilities in selecting and/or appointing chief and deputy chief officers in accordance with the council's management structure and recruitment policies with particular regard to the requirements of the staff employment procedure rules
• To discharge similarly the role and responsibilities of the council in the dismissal of a chief of deputy chief officer again having particular regard to the requirements of the staff employment procedure rules

The Constitutional Sub-Committee is a sub-committee of the audit and corporate governance committee.

This committee has five elected members.

The delegated functions of the committee are:

• To make recommendations to the audit and corporate governance committee upon the development and maintenance of, and amendments to, the council's constitution

The council is made up of 58 elected members, known as councillors, who each represent one of the 22 wards within Warrington. 

Some wards have more than one councillor serving them and the number of seats varies depending on the area and population served. The borough has 14 three-member wards and eight two-member wards. Each councillor serves on the council for a four-year term.  

Council meetings 

All councillors meet together as the full council every eight weeks. Here councillors decide the council's overall policies and set the budget each year.

A full list of the functions of the council can be found within the council's constitution

Questions at Council – By Members of the Public:

Details of rules relating to questions from members of the public at Council meetings are contained within the Constitution in the Council Procedure Rules from paragraphs 14.11 to 14.24 and are summarised below:

• A member of the public may ask a question at an ordinary meeting of the Council (this not include Budget Council in February or the Annual Meeting in May);
• Notice must be given of the question in writing or electronically to the Democratic Services Manager ([email protected]) by no later than 9am, seven clear working days before the meeting (deadlines for questions for each meeting during 2024/25 are set out below);
• Questions will be taken in the order that they are received;
• No more than one question per person or organisation at any given meeting;
• No more than three questions shall be asked at one meeting;
• There is a five minute time limit for the question, including asking the question (this can be taken as read), the response and a supplementary question and answer;
• Supplementary questions have a time limit of 30 seconds and must relate to the answer that has been given;
• A question or part of a question may be rejected if in the opinion of the Director of Law and Governance it – does not relate to a matter for which the Council has powers, duties or responsibilities, does not affect the Borough, is in their opinion defamatory, frivolous or likely to cause offence, is substantially the same as a question asked within the previous six months or can’t be reasonably responded to without disclosing confidential or exempt information.

Question deadlines – 2024/25:

• Council Meeting – 23 September 2024. Question deadline – 11 September 2024, 9am
• Council Meeting – 28 October 2024. Question deadline – 16 October 2024, 9am
• Council Meeting – 2 December 2024. Question deadline – 20 November 2024, 9am
• Council Meeting – 14 April 2025. Question deadline – 2 April 2025, 9am

Political make up of the council

This committee has 12 elected members.

The committee makes decisions with respect to planning matters (including the granting of planning permissions and decisions with respect to enforcement of planning matters), and tree preservation orders:

• Applications for development which, in the opinion of the executive director of environment and regeneration services, are major strategic planning applications
• Applications for development which have given rise to material planning objections received from ten persons or more at the end of the statutory consultation period
• Approval of, or consultation upon, planning policy documents in accordance with the Local Authorities (Functions and Responsibilities) (England) Regulations 2000 and any subsequent amendments

This committee has 27 members.

• three senior officers of the council
• six councillors
• four representatives of NHS Warrington clinical commissioning group (CCG)
• one joint council/CCG officer
• 13 representatives from partner organisations e.g. NHS providers, social care providers, voluntary organisations, education, housing and the criminal justice system.

The main role of the board is to encourage those who arrange for the provision of health and social care services in Warrington to work closely together and in an integrated manner. Its main aims are to:

• deliver improved wellbeing, morbidity, mortality and equality outcomes for Warrington residents
• promote integration and partnership working between the NHS, social care, public health and other local services
• improve local democratic accountability across the health and social care system

It also carries out the council’s responsibilities in respect of approving key strategic documents such as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), Local Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment and the annual plans for use of the Better Care Fund [NHS website].

The board also oversees the borough-wide Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-2023.

This committee has 15 elected members.

The delegated functions of the committee are to:

• Receive reports in respect of the operation of the ‘Licensing Reviews' under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005 and to receive reports in respect of all other licensing regimes which are the responsibility of the council
• Determine applications for licences under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005 in respect of which relevant representations have been received and not withdrawn
• To determine a review or variation of any licence under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005
• To recommend to Full Council fees payable for all matters arising under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005 for which fees may be set
• To consider and make recommendations in relation to the making of Alcohol Consumption in Designated Public Places Orders under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001
• Determine applications for Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers' licences where the applicant has failed to meet the criteria of being a fit and proper person
• Determine an appeal from the decision of an authorised or delegated officer to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew any existing licence
• Determine any objections in relation to the fees payable to the Council in respect of any licensing application or registration
• Determine objections in relation to the fixing and variation of the table of fees relating to Hackney Carriages
• Establish sub-committees and to determine the procedures to be followed for hearings

This committee has three elected members (constituted from the 15 Licensing Committee members)

The delegated functions of the committee are to consider the following when an objection has been made:

1. Application for personal licence
2. Application for premises licence/club premises certificate
3. Application for provisional statement
4. Application to vary premises licence/club premises certificate
5. Application to vary designated premises supervisor
6. Request to be removed as designated personal licence holder
7. Application for transfer of premises licence
8. Application for interim authority
9. Application to review premises licence/club premises certificate
10. Decision on whether a representation is irrelevant, frivolous, vexatious or repetitious etc.
11. Decision to object when the council is a consultee and not the relevant authority considering the application
12. Determination of a police objection to a temporary event notice
13. Determination of contents of notice seeking additional information
14. Decision to dispense with a hearing if all persons required by the Licensing Act agree that such a hearing is unnecessary
15. Appointment of authorised officers for the purposes of the Licensing Act
16. Determination of all administrative matters arising in relation to applications under the Licensing Act

This committee has seven members.

Audit and Corporate Governance Committee

Cabinet

Council 

Development Management Committee

Extraordinary meetings

Health and Wellbeing Board

Health Scrutiny Committee

Licensing Committee

Public Health (COVID-19)

Policy Committee - Building Stronger Communities

Policy Committee - Supporting the Local Economy