The Constitution of Waltham Forest Council met on Monday 02 March 2026 to discuss the entirety of the Council's Constitution. The report pack provided to attendees outlined the structure and content of the Constitution, detailing the articles, procedures, and codes of conduct that govern the council's operations.

The Council's Constitution

The meeting was scheduled to review the London Borough of Waltham Forest's Constitution, which sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made, and the procedures followed to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability. The Constitution is divided into several parts, covering the framework for the conduct of the Council's business, the roles and responsibilities of councillors and officers, and detailed procedures and codes of practice.

The report pack detailed the following sections of the Constitution for discussion:

• Part 01 - Summary and Explanation: This section provides an overview of the Constitution's purpose and what it contains.
• Part 02 - Articles of the Constitution: This part outlines the fundamental articles governing the Council, including its powers, members, citizens' rights, the Full Council, the Mayor, Overview and Scrutiny, the Executive (Leader and Cabinet), regulatory committees, ethical standards, community councils, joint arrangements, officers, decision-making processes, finance, contracts, legal matters, and the review and revision of the Constitution itself.
• Part 03 - Responsibility for Functions: This section details which body or officer is responsible for specific Council functions, distinguishing between local choice functions, those reserved for the Council, and executive functions. It also outlines the general scheme of delegation to officers.
• Part 04a - Council Procedure Rules: These rules govern the conduct of meetings of the Full Council, including annual, ordinary, extraordinary, and special meetings, covering aspects such as notice, quorum, debate, voting, and public participation.
• Part 04b - Committee Procedure Rules: These rules detail the procedures for meetings of Council committees, including notice, quorum, debate, voting, and public participation.
• Part 05 - Cabinet (Executive) Procedure Rules: These rules govern the operation of the Executive, including how decisions are made, meetings, notice of key decisions, and consultation processes.
• Part 06 - Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules: This part outlines the procedures for Overview and Scrutiny Committees, including their membership, meetings, work programmes, reporting, and the call-in process for scrutinising executive decisions.
• Part 07 - Terms of Reference: This extensive section details the specific remits of various Council bodies, including the Full Council, Cabinet, Shareholder Committee, Audit and Governance Committee, Corporate Parenting Board, Health and Wellbeing Board, Licensing Act 2003 and Gambling Committee, Licensing (General) Committee, Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Pension Committee, Planning Committee, Staffing Committee, and the Public Transport Consultative Group.
• Part 08 - Financial Procedure Rules: These rules establish the framework for managing the Council's financial affairs, covering financial planning, budgeting, banking, risk management, internal control, assets, procurement, contracts, treasury management, and record retention.
• Part 08 - Contract Procedure Rules: These rules govern the procurement of goods, services, and works by the Council, detailing procedures for competition, contract value bands, waivers, evaluation, award criteria, and contract management.
• Part 08 - Employment Procedure Rules: These rules outline the procedures for the recruitment, appointment, discipline, and dismissal of officers, including specific provisions for Chief Officers and statutory posts.
• Part 08 - Urgency Procedures: This section details the procedures for making urgent decisions when it is not possible to wait for a scheduled meeting.
• Part 08 - Property Procedure Rules: These rules govern the management, acquisition, and disposal of the Council's property assets.
• Part 08 - Co-Option Scheme: This scheme formalises the appointment of non-elected Members with voting rights onto committees, outlining their roles, support, and terms of office.
• Part 08 - Parent Governor Procedure Rules: These rules detail the election procedures, eligibility, term of office, and voting rights of Parent Governor Representatives serving on Overview and Scrutiny Committees.
• Part 08 - Access to Information Procedure Rules: These rules outline the public's rights to attend meetings and access information, including agendas, reports, minutes, and background papers, with specific provisions for exempt and confidential information.
• Part 09 - Councillors' Code of Conduct: This code sets out the standards of conduct expected of councillors, including principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership, as well as rules on interests, gifts, and hospitality.
• Part 10 - Councillors' Allowances Scheme: This scheme details the allowances payable to councillors, including basic, special responsibility, dependent's carer's, travelling, and subsistence allowances, as well as co-optees' allowances.
• Part 11 - Management Structure: This part provides an overview of the Council's senior officers and their positions.
• Part 12 - Councillors' Roles: This document describes the potential range of activities and skills for councillors in their various roles, including the core role of a councillor, Mayor, Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Member, Junior Cabinet Member, Portfolio Holder, and Chair of Committees.
• Part 13 - Protocol for Freedom of the Borough: This protocol outlines the process and criteria for awarding the Freedom of the Borough, the Council's highest honour.
• Part 14 - Protocol for Honorary Alderperson: This protocol details the criteria and process for conferring the title of Honorary Alderman, Alderwoman, or Alderperson on former councillors who have rendered eminent service.
• Planning Code of Practice: This code provides guidance on conduct and decision-making issues for members involved in the planning process, supplementing the Members' Code of Conduct.

The report pack also included detailed appendices and protocols related to the Constitution, such as the Members' Code of Conduct, Member/Officer Relations Protocol, Councillors' Allowances Scheme, and the Planning Code of Practice, which further elaborate on the operational aspects of the Council's governance.