The Constitution of Kensington and Chelsea Council met on Tuesday 19 May 2026. The meeting's agenda focused entirely on the comprehensive review and re-adoption of the Council's Constitution, which outlines the operational framework, decision-making processes, and ethical standards for the Council and its members.

The Council's Constitution

The primary item scheduled for discussion was the Council's Constitution. The Constitution is a collection of documents that detail how the Council operates, including its governance arrangements, the roles and responsibilities of councillors and officers, and the procedures for decision-making. It is a legal requirement for the Council to maintain and keep this document up-to-date.

The Constitution is divided into several parts, each addressing a specific aspect of the Council's governance:

• Part One: The Council and Local People outlines the relationship between the Council and its residents, including the structure of electoral wards, councillor responsibilities, the Council's values and behaviours, and commitments to public participation. It details how the Council aims to involve local people in decision-making through various engagement methods such as consultation, co-design, and co-production.
• Part Two: Councillors covers the Councillor Code of Conduct, detailing the ethical standards expected of councillors, including the registration and disclosure of interests. It also outlines councillors' rights of access to information and the Councillors' Allowances Scheme, which details the financial remuneration councillors are entitled to. The protocol on Councillor/Officer Relations is also included, defining the expected working relationship between elected members and council staff.
• Part Three: The Mayor and Full Council Meetings defines the role and functions of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, and the procedures for Full Council meetings, including Standing Orders that govern debate and decision-making.
• Part Four: The Executive details the structure and authority of the Leadership Team, which is responsible for most of the Council's major service, financial, and policy decisions. It outlines the roles of the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Lead Members, as well as the process for making Key Decisions and Executive Decisions.
• Part Five: Committees and Non-Executive Functions describes the duties, membership, and chairmanships of various Council committees, including those responsible for administration, licensing, planning, and scrutiny. It also details the terms of reference for Select Committees and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which play a crucial role in holding the executive to account.
• Part Six: Joint Arrangements outlines how the Council may enter into agreements with other local authorities to exercise functions jointly, including the establishment of joint committees.
• Part Seven: Officers details the Council's management structure, the roles and responsibilities of senior officers, including statutory officers such as the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, and Section 151 Officer, and the procedures for officer employment and conduct.
• Part Eight: Procedures encompasses various procedural rules, including the Code of Corporate Governance, Access to Information Procedures, Financial Procedure Rules, Audit Procedure Rules, Contract Regulations, Legal Procedure Rules, Code of Conduct on Planning, and the Executive-Scrutiny Protocol. These sections provide the detailed operational framework for the Council's activities.

The agenda indicated that amendments to the Constitution were scheduled for consideration, suggesting a review and potential update of these foundational documents governing the Council's operations. The specific nature of these amendments was not detailed in the provided agenda frontsheet.