The Council of Trafford Council convened on Tuesday 21 July 2026, with the primary focus of the meeting being the consideration and approval of the Trafford Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State. The meeting also involved the formalisation of committee memberships and the adoption of the council's meeting timetable for the upcoming municipal years.

Trafford Local Plan Approval

A significant item on the agenda was the consideration of the Trafford Local Plan (Submission Version) 2026. This plan was scheduled to be recommended for approval by the Executive on 20 July 2026, prior to its submission to the Secretary of State. The report pack indicated that this plan outlines the council's strategy for development and land use across the borough for the coming years.

Membership of Committees and Outside Bodies

The meeting was scheduled to address changes to the membership of various committees and outside bodies. These included:

• Councillor Waseem Hassan PhD replacing Councillor James Wright on the Children and Young People's Scrutiny Committee, with Councillor Wright subsequently joining the Planning Development Management Committee.
• Councillor Joanne Harding and Councillor Liz Patel being appointed to the Local Government Association General Assembly.
• Councillor Mark Tobin replacing Councillor Ben Hartley on the Greater Manchester Health Scrutiny Committee, leaving a substitute position vacant.
• Councillor Sue Maitland taking over from Councillor Clare Sheridan as a member of the Greater Manchester Waste and Recycling Committee, also resulting in a vacant substitute position.
• Councillor Dylan Butt replacing Councillor Kaushik Chakraborty as Shadow Executive Member for Healthy and Independent Lives and as a Member of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Council Committees and Appointments

The council was set to agree on the committees for the 2026/27 Municipal Year, including their size, political composition, membership, and terms of reference. This involved approving the Standing Committees and their compositions, as well as the terms of reference for each committee. The report pack detailed the proposed membership for various committees, including the Accounts and Audit Committee, Employment Committee, Licensing Committee, Planning and Development Management Committee, Standards Committee, Scrutiny Committee, Health Scrutiny Committee, and Children and Young People's Scrutiny Committee. Specific appointments for Chairs (CH), Vice-Chairs (V-CH), and Opposition Spokespersons (OS) were also listed for each committee.

Furthermore, the meeting was scheduled to formally appoint members to the Health and Wellbeing Board, with a list of councillors from the Labour and Conservative groups designated to serve. The report also outlined the proposed membership for the Public Protection Sub-Committee, Licensing Sub-Committee, and Safety at Sports Grounds Sub-Committee.

Appointments to Outside and Independent Bodies

The council was also due to consider proposed appointments of representatives to various outside and independent bodies for the 2026/27 Municipal Year. This included approving appointments to bodies listed in Appendix 1 of the report and noting representatives appointed by the Leader of the Council to Executive bodies as detailed in Appendix 2. Authority was to be delegated to the Chief Executive to make appointments to any remaining or arising vacancies on outside bodies.

Timetable of Meetings and Delegated Decisions

The meeting was scheduled to adopt a timetable of Council and Committee meetings for the Municipal Years 2026-28. Additionally, arrangements for delegated decisions and urgent actions for committees were to be confirmed. This included provisions for officers to consult with appropriate Chairs, Vice-Chairs, and Opposition Spokespersons when decisions are taken in consultation with non-Executive Members. In situations requiring emergency action, the Chief Executive or appropriate officer, in consultation with committee chairs and vice-chairs, would be authorised to act.

Delegated Functions and Amendments to the Constitution

The council was also set to confirm arrangements for the delegation of Council and Executive functions and to agree to amend the Constitution of the Council to incorporate these arrangements. This included noting the delegation of Executive functions to individual Executive Members and to the Executive as a whole, as well as approving the updated Place Directorate Scheme of Delegation to Officers. The Director of Legal and Governance was to be authorised to make necessary amendments to the Constitution.

Report on Special Urgency Decisions

Finally, the meeting was scheduled to receive a report on Executive Key Decisions taken under Special Urgency provisions since the previous Annual Meeting.