Constitution Glossary

3Cs

The principles used when communicating – Care (empathy for residents’ lives and needs), Clarity (make everything easy to understand), Confidence (giving accurate, transparent information to build trust).

Adjourned

To suspend (e.g. a meeting) with the intention to resume it later. 

Annual Governance Statement

A public statement which reviews how well the Council has kept to its governance rules.

Annual Statement of Accounts

A technical publication that includes all financial statements (e.g. Income & Expenditure Account, Balance Sheet, Movement in Reserves, Cashflow) and disclosures required by law.

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy

The Council’s strategy for protecting its valuable resources which describes the expectations and practices to avoid their loss.

Asset Management Strategy

The Council’s approach to getting the best possible value and revenue from things it owns (assets), such as buildings, land, roads, and technology.

Balance Sheet

A statement of the Council’s assets, liabilities, and capital at a particular point in time which details the balance of the Council’s income and expenditure over the preceding period.

Best Value

Is the duty to secure continuous improvement in the way services are provided having regard to economy, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

Budget

Every year the Council puts a financial plan in place which describes how and where the Council will spend money to provide services and deliver the aims which it set out in it’s corporate plan. It also sets the level of council tax which it will charge in the next financial year. The budget sets out the money which the Council intends to spend during the year against the money available which has been received in council tax, income, and grants. 

Budget and Policy Framework

The full Council is responsible for setting the Budget and Policy Framework. The Budget and Policy Framework sets out the Council’s key policies and agreed budget for each year. All decisions must be taken in accordance with these agreed documents. Only full Council can change the Budget and Policy Framework. 

Boundary Commission

There are two Boundary Commissions relevant to local authority the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) which sets the parliamentary constituency boundaries and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) which sets the electoral boundaries of the Council wards. Both are independent bodies.

Capital Expenditure

Expenditure on the purchase, construction, or replacement of capital (fixed) assets, such as land, buildings, and major items of plant, equipment or vehicles, or expenditure which adds to the life or value of an existing fixed asset. Finance leases may be capital expenditure. 

Capital Programme

The Council’s plan of capital projects and spending over future years. Included in this category are the purchase of land and buildings, the erection of new buildings and works, Highway Improvement schemes and design fees (unless the scheme is aborted in which case fees will be charged to revenue), and the acquisition of vehicles and major items of equipment. 

Capital Project / Scheme

These terms mean the same thing and are used interchangeably within the Procedure Rules. A project/scheme may be separately identified in the capital programme or be an item within a block provision. 

Capital Receipts

Income received from the sale of capital assets and available (subject to rules in legislation or laid down by the Government or CIPFA) to finance new capital expenditure or to repay debt. 

Chief Executive

The Chief Executive is the most senior officer in the Council. It is their role to support Councillors and to provide leadership for the Council. The Chief Executive is empowered to operate all the services of the Council. Except where powers, duties and functions are delegated to a Councillor decision-making body, to exercise all powers, duties and functions of the Council, including those delegated to other officers. Every Council must appoint one of its officers as the Head of Paid Service. The Chief Executive is also the Council’s Head of Paid Service. 

Chief Finance Officer

Also known as the Section 151 Officer, this officer has the responsibility under section 151 Local Government Act 1972 for the proper management of the Council’s financial affairs and occupies the post of Director of Resources and Assets. 

CIPFA

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Clear Working Days

A period of one or more working days means a period comprising one or several consecutive periods of 24 hours (excluding weekends and bank holidays) beginning and ending at midnight. A clear day excludes the date of dispatch and date of the meeting. 

Code of Conduct (Councillor Code of Conduct / Officer Code of Conduct)

A set of rules which elected and co-opted Councillors and officers must follow. 

Committee

A Committee is a formal group of elected Members whose remit, terms of reference and operating rules are set out in the Council’s Constitution. There are many different committees. Each one makes decisions about a specific area of responsibility – for example planning or licensing. 

Contract

A legally enforceable agreement to supply goods, services or works for a price. A contract is normally in writing however a contractual arrangement may be entered into orally. 

Contract Manager

An Officer of the Council (or in the case of a Contract where the service/goods/works are procured on behalf of another organisation an officer of that organisation) who has day to day responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the Contract requirements by the provider and recording the performance of the provider against the performance criteria set out in the Contract. 

Contractor

Any person or organisation awarded a Contract. This includes any consultant appointed by the Council to advise on any project. 

Corporate Leadership Team

The officer management arrangements for the Council are overseen by a Corporate Leadership Team comprising the Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Resources and Assets, Executive Director for Children’s and Adults, Director of Children’s Services, Director of Place & Growth, Chief Operating Officer. These officers are accountable to the Chief Executive for leading the Services within their area of responsibility and ensuring that the Services are managed in line with the objectives, plans, policies, programmes, budgets and processes of the Council. 

Councillors

Also known as Members, Councillors are elected to represent the 18 Wards in the Council's area. They are elected for a four-year term. They are directly accountable to citizens for the running of the Council. They have a duty to represent all constituents in their Ward and they must make decisions in the best interests of the Borough as a whole. 

Council Tax

The income collected from residents based on banded property values and which funds a significant proportion of Council services. 

Data Protection Legislation

Means all privacy laws applicable to personal data including the Data Protection Act 2018 and regulations made under it and the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).This is together with all codes of practice and other statutory guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office. 

Decisions

The choices and agreements made on a particular issue. The Council’s Constitution sets out the rules on how formal decisions are to be taken in compliance with the law (see also Key Decisions). The Constitution also sets out how decisions are to be recorded and published. 

Earmarked Reserves

These reserves represent monies set aside that can only be used for a specific use or purpose. 

Elected by Thirds

This means that a third of the Councillors are elected each May with no regular election being held in the fourth year.

Exempt information

Information that is not available for disclosure to the public as defined by Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act and the Access to Information Rules in Chapter 3 Section 2 of the Constitution. 

Financial Year

The financial year for the Council is not the same as the calendar year. Our financial year starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March. 

Forward Plan

The Forward Plan is a public document which is prepared and published by the Leader of the Council, listing all significant decisions. 

Full Council

Means all 54 elected Members of the Council. 

Head of Paid Service

See Chief Executive. The Officer who may report to Full Council on staffing requirements pursuant to Section 4 Local Government and Housing Act 1989. 

Internal Control

A procedural system designed to manage risk to an acceptable level whereby different staff members perform different parts of a task, so that no one person is entirely responsible for processing a transaction from start to finish. 

Invitation to Tender (ITT)

Refers to an invitation to providers to submit tenders for Contracts to provide goods, services or works valued at or above the Public Procurement Threshold. 

Key Decision

Key decisions are executive decisions (not those made by committee) and are defined in the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) (Regulations) 2012 and are decisions which: -

• Result in the Council incurring expenditure which is, or making savings which are significant having regard to the Council’s budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or 

• Are deemed significant in terms of their effect on communities living or working within the area of the Council. The Council has decided that a significant decision financially is £500k. (tbc) 

Leader (of the Council)

The position of Leader of the Council is the Council’s choice rather than a legal requirement. The Leader will be the political head of the Council, the focus for policy direction and community development, and the chief advocate and ambassador for the Borough. The Leader is elected by the full Council. 

Local Code of Corporate Governance

Mayor

The Mayor of the Council is an elected Member who chairs meetings of the Council and carries out a variety of civic and ceremonial duties. The Mayor is elected by the other Members, usually at the Council’s Annual Meeting. The Mayor cannot be an Executive Member and is assisted in their work by the Deputy Mayor. 

Minutes

The formal written record of a meeting noting that they will not be a verbatim record. Minutes of Wokingham Borough Council meetings are available on the Council’s website. 

Monitoring Officer

The Monitoring Officer is appointed in accordance with Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and is responsible for supporting and advising the Council in relation to the lawfulness and fairness of the decision-making of the Council. The Council's compliance with its legal responsibilities and requirements, matters relating to the conduct of elected Councillors and Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman complaints. 

Officers

Officers is the term used to refer to the people employed, retained or appointed by the Council to advise and support Councillors and implement their decisions. The term “officers” in this Constitution includes all the people who operate in this capacity including contractors, consultants, agency staff and volunteers. 

Political balance

Rules which require the Council to allocate seats on Committees in line with the proportion of Councillors from different political groups represented on the Council as a whole – unless no Councillor votes against, under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990/1553. 

Political Group

Two or more Councillors who notify the Head of Paid Service that they have formed a group. 

Politically Restricted Post (PoRP)

Officers holding these posts cannot have any active political role and are prohibited from: standing for office as local councillors, MPs; canvassing on behalf of a political party or a person who is, or seeks to be, a candidate; and speaking to the public at large or publishing any written or artistic work that could give the impression that they are advocating support for a political party. 

Proper Officer

An officer designated in the Proper Officer Register in Chapter 2 Part 5 to undertake certain functions required by law. 

Prudential Borrowing Limits

The maximum amount of borrowing that the Council can enter into at any one point in time during the year. This limit is set by Council prior to the start of the year to which it relates and cannot be breached under any circumstances. 

Public Procurement Legislation

Legislation which regulates to the purchasing by public sector bodies and certain utility sector bodies of contracts for goods, works or services. The law is designed to open up the public procurement market to competition and to promote the free movement of goods, services and works. 

Quorum

The minimum number of councillors that must be present at a meeting of Full Council or its committees to make the proceedings and decisions of that meeting valid.

Revenue Expenditure

Spending on the day-to-day running expenses of the Council. It includes expenditure on employees, premises, transport and supplies and services. 

Scrutiny

Scrutiny provides an opportunity for members of the Council to examine the way in which the Council provides its services. This is by questioning how and why decisions are made, and by making recommendations on existing and future Council policies, primarily focussed on Health and Wellbeing, Flood Risk Management and Crime and Disorder. 

Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer)

The Chief Finance Officer (CFO) is a Statutory Officer and the powers held by the CFO are set out in statute. The CFO is also referred to as the Section 151 Officer – this is because the role is given powers by section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972. Every Council must appoint a CFO. The CFO is responsible for managing the Council’s finances and providing expert financial advice to the Council. The CFO must be a qualified accountant and must ensure that the Council does not intend to spend more money than it has, to carry out its plans (this is called a balanced budget). The CFO is the Director of Resources & Assets.

Statutory Officers

The Council is required by law to appoint officers in certain key roles. The Statutory Officers are the Head of Paid Service; the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 Officer. The Council must also appoint other officers including a Director for Children’s Services, a Director for Adult Social Services, a Director of Public Health, and a Scrutiny Officer. 

Treasury Management Strategy

The way in which the Council manages its cash, borrowing, lending and investments, and associated risks.

Virement

The movement of money from one budget heading to another. Vires (intra vires / ultra vires) A Latin phrase which means ‘powers’. Within the Council, vires concerns the power or lawful authority to make a decision, perform a function or undertake an action. A decision made, function performed, or action undertaken will be ‘intra vires’ if the Council has the power and lawful authority to do it and ‘ultra vires’ if it does not. 

Ward

A ward is an electoral area. From 2024, Wokingham Borough Council has 18 wards.

Urgent Decision

Non-Executive Councillor

Regulatory Committees