This is an informal guide, based on my experience of the last few months as to what might have been helpful, and still might be helpful, particularly to a new District Councillor. It is neither exhaustive nor authoritative, and should not be treated as such. It is intended to be light-hearted, supportive and hopefully, helpful.
1. The Enormous Tissue of Whoppers you will have been told to get to this point
I thought that it might be entertaining at least to reflect on how naive, at least I was, when I agreed to stand.
1.1 Campaigning is a teeny tiny inconvenience
Before you are a District Councillor you have to be elected. This is a very simple and short sentence to type. What this sentence is entirely bereft of is any detail as to the hours and hours you will spend talking, walking, writing, walking, walking and walking. Getting elected involves months of shameless self-promotion that might give even the most brazen narcissist a twinge of embarrassment. We all know this now. You have been talked to, talked at, in some cases shouted at, and chased down the street. All of this was hardly even mentioned before I agreed to stand. And now I know why. I lost five pounds in the last week before the election.
1.2 It will take very little of your time once elected
Four hours a week? I assumed eight. I assumed wrong.
1.3 It fits in easily with a job
I cannot conceive how people with other jobs do this. Okay so I’m on Cabinet as well which would make it utterly preposterous. I consider that this is now my job and is the most I can manage with a family and a partner who works long hours. I know that many of you are in gainful employment and I simply don’t know how you do it.
1.4 It isn’t very stressful
Balderdash. I was in legal practice for fifteen years and had so much on once I picked up the ‘phone to the other side to exchange contracts on a matter and said “you are going to have to remind me which one this is”. The solicitor on the other side laughed and said “this is the one where…….” and then I was up to speed. This has come pretty close. Not quite the driving to work and wanting to throw up because you know what is waiting for you when you get there stress, but it’s early days and it has been decidedly dicey at points. I don’t know all of your professional backgrounds but I expect that there have been moments when you have sat in front of your laptop with your head in your hands and wondered whatever possessed you. Or maybe it’s just me.
2. The Count
So you’ve walked your little legs off, had not a particularly good night’s sleep and are already beginning to suspect that all is not what it seems. Too late now! It’s Count Day. Welcome to your first foray into a world of the weird and the arcane. Being holed up with lots of other nervous people whilst other people count pieces of paper in front of you is not an experience I ever thought I would have. That was only the beginning wasn’t it? Once elected, everything is about to get a lot weirder.
3. The District Council
On 5 May 2023 we all walked into the Council offices to sign our acceptance of office and a raft of other forms. The first bizarre question I was asked was what did I want to be called. I suggested that using my name has worked well so far. Apparently some people ask to be referred to as “Councillor” and then their surname. I haven’t met such a person yet. But I’m desperate to know who this mystery person is – their ego must be the size of Brazil. And in my experience, the size of their ego will be diametrically opposed to the extent of their abilities. I digress. The point was to illustrate how arcane everything is by suggesting anything other my name would be an appropriate way to address me on a day to day basis. It’s more normal to me now, but wasn’t it odd to begin with? So as a run-through, here is what the various parts of the Council are to make it function:
3.1 People
3.1.1 Paid service (Officers)
Officers are non-political and are employed by the Council on a permanent basis in a particular role. There are loads of officers, all beavering away in different departments. Their skills are vast and varied.
Some officers are required by law, and these are the Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 (Resources) Officer.
The Chief Executive is there to ensure that the Council is properly co-ordinated together with organising staff and appropriate management.
The Monitoring Officer has a legal duty to ensure the authority fulfils its statutory duties and is responsible for matters of conduct. They also have a duty to report on matters of illegality and maladministration. Bafflingly, the Monitoring Officer does not have to be legally qualified, although ours is a solicitor as was her predecessor. In spite of representations from the Law Society, it does not appear that the government intend to change this.
The Section 151 Officer is responsible for the proper administration of financial affairs. They must be a member of a specified accountancy body. It is the obligation of the Section 151 Officer to issue a section 114 notice if the authority has no prospect of setting a balanced or lawful budget and the authority may not incur new spending unless the section 151 officer permits them to do so.
All officers carry out the day to day functions of the Council and put the policies of the ruling administration into practice. It is also my view that Officers are there to save us from ourselves, whether we like it and especially if not.
3.1.2 Politicians (Councillors)
That’s us. There are forty one all together. Twenty five Lib Dems at the moment so we are the administration and it is our policies that the Officers enact, With our majority we can vote through anything without needing another party to vote with us. Assuming we all vote together. My Head of Service keeps referring to me as a “Politician”. To my ears it sounds about the rudest thing she could possibly call me. I believe it was Billy Connolly who said that the desire to be a politician should automatically exclude someone from being one; he may have had a small point.
3.1.3 Town and Parish Councils
Town and Parish Councils are our shop front across the District. They are the conduit by which the Council can reach residents of the District and vice versa. As District Councillors we attend and report from SDC to Town or Parish Councils at their meetings, and liaise with the clerks on local issues in-between times. FWIW it is my view that a good working relationship with Town and Parish Councils is essential to their relationship with, and for the most-part forms their view of, the administration.
3.1.4 Residents
We represent our residents to the best of our abilities regardless of their sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and maybe most controversially for some, who they voted for.
Most residents won’t bother you with anything ever and couldn’t be less interested in the Council or, indeed, you. Unless they need your help. Sometimes residents may collar you at Town or Parish Council meetings, but for the most-part they email with queries and concerns. At least that is how it works with my ward. They may need signposting to services, they may need you to send an email to someone to get them to do their job properly or they may want to pressure you to do something that they want you to do but that you do not necessarily want to do.
The last one is usually in relation to a planning application. The only thing I can say to you when faced with a pushy resident is that you should not do a single thing that would bring your reputation or that of the Council into disrepute. If your sense is that something isn’t right, then your sense is probably right and you should trust it. Talk to a trusted colleague or officer before doing anything to sense check the situation.
3.1.5 Chair and Vice Chair of the Council
The Chair is in charge of Full Council meetings and the Vice Chair stands in if they are not able to attend. In addition if there is any schmoozing to be done on behalf of the Council, (I am given to understand there is a lot) then the Chair is Chief Schmoozer. This is not a task to be underestimated. Imagine having to be pleased to see everyone all of the time. You also have to find everything they say absolutely fascinating. Which as I type causes me some personal concern as our Chair does seem to be genuinely pleased to see me and also does a very convincing impression of finding me fascinating…..oh dear.
3.2 Departments
3.2.1 What each department is
As I mentioned, there are about a gazillion officers at the Council, and it seems like they’re in about fifty different departments. Essentially, there are seven departments. Each has a Head of Service and then a matching Portfolio Holder or “Politician” (*weeps*).
Political/Strategic Paid Service
Leader Chief Executive
Deputy Leader Deputy Chief Executive
Portfolio Holder for Environmental & Head of Environmental & Neighbourhood Services Neighbourhood Services
Portfolio Holder for Resources Head of Resources & Section 151 Officer
Portfolio Holder for Housing & Head of Housing & Wellbeing Wellbeing
Portfolio Holder for Law & Governance Head of Law & Governance &
Monitoring Officer
Portfolio Holder for Planning & Head of Planning & Economic Economic Development Economic Development
3.2.2 What is in each department
3.2.2.1 Leader
Climate Change, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Corporate Policy, Human Resources, Partnerships, Performance, Consultation and Insight.
3.2.2.2 Deputy Leader
Project and Transformation Team, Property and Estates, Asset Management, Joint South Warwickshire Local Development Plan
3.2.2.3 Environmental & Neighbourhood Services
Environmental Health and Licensing, Parking Services, Green Spaces – Development, Contracted Services (Refuse and Recycling, Street Cleansing, Grounds Maintenance), Emergency Planning and Business Continuity, Sports and Leisure, Markets and Events, Construction and Premises.
3.2.2.4 Resources
Budget and Finance, Audit and Risk, Internal Audit, ICT
3.2.2.5 Homes, Health & Wellbeing Services
Housing and Homelessness, Personal Assistant Team, Revenues and Benefits, Customer Services, Print and Design Team, Heath and Wellbeing, Safeguarding, Community Leadership Forums, Voluntary Community Services.
3.2.2.6 Law & Governance
Information Governance, Legal Services, Democratic Services, Community Safety and CCTV
3.2.2.7 Planning & Economic Development
Building Control, including street naming, Development Control and Enforcement, Land Charges, CIL/S106, Economic Development & Tourism, Strategic Housing, Planning Policy, Physical Infrastructure (transport, energy etc), Joint South Warwickshire Local Development Plan
3.3 Committees
These are the cogs of the Council. In short, when one of each of these committees spits something out, it either goes to Cabinet or Council and once a decision is made, Officers carry out that decision.
3.3.1 Full Council
A public meeting. Everyone, trapped in a large room until the agenda has been completed. The agenda follows a set format and is in the control of the Chair who has some responsibility for ensuring we aren’t there until midnight. Members of the public are both encouraged and welcomed to come to Full Council and speak. Some Members of the Council need neither welcome nor encouragement to speak. And the Chair is there to cut them off when they go on for too long. Some people make some excellent, well-made and considered points. Some do not. I’ll leave it to you to decide which is which.
3.3.2 Cabinet
Also a public meeting. A smaller number of people (Cabinet, Senior Officers, LOTO and Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee), trapped in a large room until the agenda has been completed. Again, members of the public are welcomed and encouraged to come and speak. The Leader is the Chair and she is also there to keep everyone on track. You do need her permission to speak but unlike Full Council you don’t have to stand when you do.
3.3.3 Committees
3.3.3.1 Overview and Scrutiny Committee
3.3.3.2 Overview and Scrutiny Committee Task and Finish Group
3.3.3.3 Audit & Standards Committee
3.3.3.4 Employment Committee
3.3.3.5 Licensing Panel
3.3.3.6 Regulatory Committee
3.3.3.7 Planning Committee
3.3.3.8 Housing Panel
3.3.3.9 Climate Change Panel
Details of each committee are here:
https://democracy.stratford.gov.uk/mgListCommittees.aspx?bcr=1
4. Things you need to know in the first few weeks
When I first started, I didn’t really know anyone or anything. So I sat in the Council Chamber through the training and observed. Not just the training, but the people. That was a fascinating few weeks. Much discombobulation. There was a lot of running around – arranging meetings, making lists. Or trying to arrange meetings and give lists to the people who were arranging the meetings if people now found themselves not quite sure of their place. I sat, startled and wide-eyed whilst everyone moved around me. I wondered if I should be doing the same. The best piece of advice I had in the first few weeks was : “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”. I took a breath. I didn’t need to rush headlong into this in the first few weeks. I had four years. Four long years in which to make an absolute hash of it, so why the hurry?
4.1 Meetings
You will never have, and it is my view, that nor will you ever, have attended so many meetings in your life as in these four years. And unless you have perfected the art of being in two places at once, you won’t be able to go to all of them. It is good manners to send your apologies to meetings that you are not able to attend. Everyone knows that Councillors have lots of meetings; it is polite to let people know you won’t be there.
4.1.1 Council meetings
An arcane and baffling kerfuffle would be my assessment of my first Full Council meeting. The Chair is in charge and she sits in the middle at the top of the Chamber. It is all procedure and one can learn a lot about the procedure by reading the papers thoroughly. And then by doing it. Watching it. Listening to it. And then it will slowly become more familiar. At least that is my hope. You can watch Council meetings on the Council’s Youtube channel to familiarise yourself.
Things I can tell you:
a. Unless you have a very good reason, vote with your group. If you have a very good reason it is much more preferable that you have discussed this with your group beforehand so they don’t get any nasty surprises from their own team.
b. Don’t speak unless you’re invited to do so
c. If you speak, stand to do so
d. Switch your microphone on before you speak
e. Don’t upset the Chair
4.1.2 Committee meetings
Those which are held in public can also be viewed on the SDC Youtube Channel. The Planning Committee is popular and a fraught subject. Members are also welcome to attend in person to observe those committee meetings held in public. Or ask an experienced Councillor what the hell goes on so they can talk you through it.
4.1.3 Town and Parish Council meetings
4.1.3.1 General
You will be emailed an agenda by the clerk. You will see where you are expected to deliver your report in the agenda. I always write a report and email it before the meeting. Some parish councils prefer me to read out the report in the meeting. Some circulate it before the meeting and when they get to that part of the meeting, ask if any of the Councillors have any questions on the report.
If you have more than one parish council in your ward, you may get times when the meetings clash. It is perfectly acceptable to liaise with the clerk and explain this so you can report at a different point in the agenda and then go onto your next parish council meeting. If you cannot attend, then send apologies.
4.1.3.2 Reports to Town and Parish Councils
I have standing items in my report, and then Nigel and I bicker over how they are written and what to put in them. If you are not in a shared ward then you are all powerful and spared the delight of arguing with your co-ward member over the placement of a semi- colon. As a guide only, these are my standing items:
- Council work – include things that have been agreed at Cabinet, have been agreed at Council, are out for public consultation, and other newsworthy items from press releases
- Community Safety. I have started including bits and bobs from the Community Safety Team – what they do and their details, information we receive from the Police and other details.
- Local/parish issues. It is HS2 for some of my ward. It was a school bus issue in another part a few weeks ago.
4.2 Ward work
After we walked out of the Leisure Centre through those double doors and had that group photo taken, I switched my ‘phone on – it nearly exploded. Messages of congratulations from friends and family who had already heard. My village WhatsApp group had gone absolutely bananas. I checked my personal emails the next morning and a resident had already contacted me on my personal email. I had never given it to them. Ostensibly to congratulate me, but really to let me know that they had an issue. This told me three things:
1. News travels a lot faster than you think it will;
2. You are being watched; and
3. Just because you refrain from using personal information to try and get hold of someone, doesn’t mean that other people will.
You will be expected to jump straight in, head first on day one and before you get as far as the training. I’ve had burst water pipes, mould, planning, planning and planning. This is where more experienced Councillors will be able to help. Fortunately you will be seeing a lot of them as you are about to be engulfed in a tidal wave of training. Use this opportunity to mine their knowledge. They don’t mind. Everyone likes being asked their opinion, particularly a District Councillor.
My tips for ward work is really things you shouldn’t do:
Do not
- meet someone on their own – meet in a public place. And make sure a trusted person knows where you are and who you are with. I am sorry to say it but it is the responsible thing to do.
- say or write anything that you would not be prepared to be publicly available.
- be bullied.
4.3 Responding to planning applications
We have all heard the phrase that “you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time.” Never has it been less true than when faced with a planning application that you need to comment on. You are absolutely guaranteed to upset someone, possibly everyone, and pretty much all of the time. Lucky you!
Second best piece of advice I was given: even if you have no intention whatsoever of sitting on the planning committee, attend as much planning training as you can. It comes up so often in ward work that you need to have a working knowledge of the planning system.
4.3.1 Conduct in relation to planning issues
You will get interested parties emailing you to ask for a meeting to try and persuade you to their point of view. You will be approached at parish council meetings. Telephoned. I have had an email demanding that I object to an application. No niceties, just a demand and the arrogant assumption that with one snotty email that I would do so. If you sit on the planning committee, I anticipate (but I don’t know) that this sort of thing is much worse. It is vital that you remember these things:
4.3.1.1 You are not to have already made up your mind (known as pre-determined) regarding an application.
4.3.1.2 Never meet anyone alone. Always with the Chair of your Parish Council if possible but always a third independent person, because what you are in need of are two independent ears. If a developer asks for a meeting then always have a planning officer with you. If you are not sure in any way if you are asked for a meeting, take the planning officer’s advice before agreeing.
4.3.1.3 However pushy or unreasonable someone may be, keep it professional.
Please regularly remind me of my own advice on the last one.
4.3.2 Responding on the e-planning system
You will be sent a login for the e-planning system. You will be consulted as a ward member on every planning application in your ward and expected to comment.
When you login you will see all of the planning applications for your ward and you click on the application to see the papers and comment. If the application you are looking for is not on the list, then you can put the number into the search box and it should come up. If not, email the planning department.
If you click on the tab “important dates” it will show you when you are expected to have responded by.
As advised to me by Nigel who took me through this a few months ago, you have four tempting choices to make when you respond:
1. No representation
You’re neutral. This one basically means you’d rather leave it to the planners to determine. You can make comments though if there is something that you think should be considered by the planners.
2. No objection
You cannot see any reason at present (unless a planning expert has a reason that they have yet to share with you) not to grant permission. If a subsequent planning reason arises, then you may hold a different view,
3. Support
Not the opposite of an objection. You think the application should be granted regardless of what the planners say. You might take this stance on a matter of great importance to the community.
4. Objection
You think the application should not be granted. Only objections on planning grounds will be considered so only object on planning grounds.
If you object to a planning application and it goes to the committee to determine you will be expected to speak at the committee meeting,
Other points to consider:
1. The planning officers are always available to speak to for guidance. They’re the experts and in my experience, happy to talk you through an application.
2. More experienced colleagues are also always available for guidance. Shamelessly throw yourself on their mercy.
3. If an application is refused and goes to appeal, and it is subsequently granted on appeal it can (but not necessarily will) result in a costs order against the Council. It is my opinion that you need to think that through before you object to an application against the advice of the planners. Be content in your own mind with your objection.
4.4 Training and attendance
You will find yourself presented with a list of training. I say list, it’s more of a brochure, It will be of an intimidating amount and variety. Go to as much as you are realistically able. Some of it may be online which helps when you have other commitments and can’t be in two places at once. Not only will you be gaining skills, but you will also get to see your fellow Councillors and familiarise yourself with the building.
Things you need to know:
1. All Members are expected to complete a minimum of twelve hours training in a year. It is twelve hours over the year, so an hour a month. Pace yourself.
2 If you want to sit on a particular committee, it may be that a minimum amount of training is required in order to do so. Speak to Democratic Services and they will advise.
3. If you do not attend a Council meeting at least every six months then you will trigger a by-election. An embarrassing and unnecessary shame after all the shenanigans you went to in order to get elected. Again, speak to Democratic Services who will be happy to advise you which meeting(s) you can attend in order not to fall foul of this rule.
Training I believe you absolutely should take:
1. Introductory training
2. Planning
3. Code of Conduct
4. Finance
5. Data Protection
If you are intending to sit on a committee, then take the training in relation to that committee as well.
4.5 Allowances
All Councillors are paid an allowance. This figure is publicly available as it is taxpayer’s money. It if often said that we do not do it for the money, which is entirely true. You will have filled in your bank details on one of the many forms that you handed over on that day when you first went into the offices. Your allowance will be paid monthly.
5. The End of the Beginning
It’s been a hell of a six months hasn’t it? Particularly for us newbies. Which brings me to the third piece of good advice I was given: “don’t let anybody push you around”. I’ve been invited to mind my tone and heard a number of negative comments being bandied about people being inexperienced as Councillors. I’ve been in meetings when people must have determined beforehand to be negative rather than be constructive – no one can be that miserable for that long without it being a conscious choice. The problem is theirs entirely. I may be an inexperienced Councillor but I am not an inexperienced person. Neither are you. Essentially being a District Councillor is about being a human being and we all have a lifetime of experience of that. Don’t let negative people throw you off course. They are outweighed hugely by those wanting and helping us to succeed. We will get to where we want to be if we all pull in the same direction, together. You’re doing just fine. I am really proud of all of us.
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