The meeting of the Constitution of Kensington and Chelsea Council scheduled for 13 May 2026 was set to discuss the Council's Constitution, which outlines how the Council operates, makes decisions, and the procedures followed to ensure efficiency, transparency, and accountability. The report pack provided to attendees detailed the various parts of the Constitution, covering the Council and its relationship with local people, the roles and conduct of councillors, the functions of the Mayor and Full Council, standing orders for meetings, the executive structure, committees, joint arrangements, officer roles and responsibilities, and various procedural rules including those for audit, finance, and contracts.

The Council and Local People

The meeting was scheduled to review Part One of the Constitution, focusing on the relationship between the Council and local residents. This section was set to cover the structure of the Council, including its geographical location within inner west London, the division into electoral wards, and the process for electing councillors. It was also intended to outline the principal responsibilities of ward councillors, emphasizing their role as community leaders, their duties in representing constituents, and their obligation to uphold high ethical standards. The Council's adopted values and behaviours, such as Putting communities first, Respect, Integrity, and Working together, were also to be discussed, alongside the Twelve Principles of Good Governance. A significant portion of this section was dedicated to the Council's public participation commitments, detailing principles of accountability, transparency, inclusion, collaboration, and consistency, as well as outlining how residents can get involved in shaping plans, policies, and projects, attending meetings, participating in scrutiny reviews, and understanding the Council's Forward Plan.

Councillors' Roles and Conduct

Part Two of the Constitution was scheduled for discussion, focusing on councillors' conduct and rights. This included the Councillor Code of Conduct, which sets out the ethical standards expected of councillors, emphasizing selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership. The code also detailed the registration and disclosure of interests, including disclosable pecuniary interests and other significant interests, and the procedures for handling gifts and hospitality. Furthermore, the Protocol on Councillors' Rights of Access to Information was to be reviewed, outlining the additional rights councillors have to obtain information held by the Council to undertake their roles effectively. The Councillors' Allowances Scheme for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 was also on the agenda, detailing entitlements to basic allowances, special responsibility allowances, dependants' carers' allowances, and travel and subsistence allowances. The protocol on Councillor/Officer Relations was also to be considered, clarifying the distinct roles and accountabilities of councillors and officers working together in the public interest.

The Mayor and Full Council Meetings

Part Three of the Constitution was set to cover the roles of the Mayor and the procedures for Full Council meetings. The Role and Functions of the Mayor section was to detail the annual appointment of the Mayor, their ceremonial and civic head responsibilities, and their role in chairing Council meetings, including having a casting vote. The Full Council section was to outline its membership, role as a forum for debate, and terms of reference, which include approving the Council Budget and Council Tax, Planning and Licensing policies, changes to the Constitution, and appointing the Leader of the Council and the Mayor. The Standing Orders for Council and Committee Procedures were also to be discussed, setting out the rules for the conduct of meetings, including definitions, the Mayor's final authority on interpretation, the chair of meetings, notice of meetings, quorum, admission of the public, public speaking, minutes, petitions, matters of local concern, procedures for considering reports, motions, voting, and conduct during debate.

The Executive Structure

Part Four of the Constitution was scheduled to detail the Council's executive structure. The Leadership Team and Executive Authority section was to outline the responsibilities of the Leadership Team as the Council's executive, responsible for most major service, financial, and policy decisions. It was to cover the roles of the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Lead Members, as well as the definition and process for Key Decisions and Executive Decisions, including the Forward Plan which provides advance notice of these decisions. The Distribution of Executive Authority was to specify which decisions are made by the full Leadership Team, individual Lead Members, or officers, and to detail the functions and portfolios of individual Lead Members. The Shareholder Committee was also to be discussed, outlining its role in ensuring proper governance of companies wholly owned or controlled by the Council.

Committees and Non-Executive Functions

Part Five was dedicated to committees and non-executive functions. Committee Duties, Membership and Chairmanship was to outline the general duties of Council committees, their membership reflecting political proportionality, and limitations on the tenure of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen. The Terms of Reference of Council Committees was to detail the specific functions of various committees, including the Administration Committee, Adoption and Fostering Panel, Senior Appointments Panels (for Chief Executive, Executive Directors, and Directors), the Audit and Transparency Committee, the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Investment Committee, Licensing Committee and Sub-Committees, the London Councils' Grants Committee, Planning Committee and Planning Applications Committee, the Pension Board, and Scrutiny Committees (Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Select Committees). The Scrutiny Committees section was to detail their powers and duties, including reviewing decisions, scrutinising performance, and contributing to policy development, as well as the specific terms of reference for the Adult Social Care and Health Select Committee, Environment Select Committee, Family Services Select Committee, Housing and Communities Select Committee, and joint committees such as the North West London Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Joint Arrangements, Officers, and Procedures

Parts Six, Seven, and Eight of the Constitution were also scheduled for review. Joint Arrangements was to cover arrangements with other local authorities, including joint committees and delegations. Council Officers and Management Structure was to detail the roles and responsibilities of senior officers, including statutory officers like the Head of Paid Service, Monitoring Officer, and Chief Finance Officer, as well as the Council's management structure. The Officer Employment Procedure Rules were to outline the processes for recruitment, appointment, and disciplinary action for officers. The Officers' Code of Conduct was to set out the ethical standards expected of all employees. Finally, Procedures was to cover the Code of Corporate Governance, outlining the principles and framework for good governance, Access to Information Procedures, detailing the public's rights to attend meetings and access documents, Financial Procedure Rules, setting out the financial governance arrangements, Audit Procedure Rules, outlining internal and external audit activities, Contract Regulations, guiding the award of contracts, and Legal Procedure Rules, defining the authority to issue legal proceedings and authenticate documents. The Executive-Scrutiny Protocol was also to be discussed, establishing a framework for effective working between the executive and scrutiny functions.