The General Purposes Committee of Croydon Council was scheduled to consider several constitutional amendments, including those arising from national planning delegation changes and updates to pension scheme governance. The committee was also scheduled to review the administration of the May 2026 mayoral and council elections.

Review of Mayor of Croydon and Croydon Council Elections - 7 May 2026

The committee was scheduled to note the contents of a review report concerning the administration of the Mayor of Croydon and Croydon Council elections held on 7 May 2026. This report, commissioned by the Returning Officer, aimed to identify lessons learned and actions to be taken for future elections. The review found that the elections were delivered successfully despite challenges, including increased scrutiny, leadership changes, and a new count venue. A key recommendation for future elections was the appointment of a dedicated Elections Programme Manager from the outset to oversee coordination, governance, risk management, and reporting. The report also highlighted that election costs had been significantly affected by inflation, with projections indicating a substantial increase for the 2030 elections, necessitating a review of the annual budget allocation. The committee was asked to comment on the report and an accompanying action plan as considered appropriate.

Amendments to the Constitution Arising from the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions

The committee was scheduled to consider and recommend to Full Council amendments to the Council's Constitution. These amendments were necessitated by the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which established a national scheme of delegation for planning applications and other planning functions. These regulations, effective from 31 October 2026, mandate a two-tier approach to the Council's planning scheme of delegation. Decisions on Schedule 1 planning applications must always be delegated to officers. For Schedule 2 applications, there is a presumption of officer delegation unless a nominated officer and nominated member agree that the application meets specific criteria for referral to a planning committee. The report proposed the Director of Planning and Sustainable Regeneration as the nominated officer, with the Chair of the Planning Committee as the nominated member, and outlined their substitutes. Amendments were also proposed to Parts 3, 4K, and 5D of the Constitution to align with these new regulations.

Constitutional Amendments Required to Implement the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (Governance) Regulations 2026 and Related Pension Governance Changes

The committee was scheduled to consider and endorse proposed amendments to the Council's Constitution arising from the implementation of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Amendment) (Governance) Regulations 2026. These regulations introduced significant governance reforms, including the statutory roles of an LGPS Senior Officer and an Independent Person, enhanced governance requirements, and revised accountability arrangements for the Croydon Council Pension Fund. The proposed amendments aimed to ensure the Constitution accurately reflected current legislation, statutory guidance, and governance requirements. This included updates to Parts 2, 3, 4F, 4H, 4M, 4N, 6A, and 6D of the Constitution. Notably, the amendments also addressed the reintroduction of access to the Local Government Pension Scheme for eligible elected members, requiring changes to the Scheme of Members' Allowances. The committee was asked to note the requirements of the relevant regulations, endorse the proposed amendments, and recommend their adoption by Full Council.

Constitutional Update: Proposed Amendments to Contract Standing Order

A report on proposed amendments to Contract Standing Orders was also scheduled to be considered. However, the details of this report were not available at the time of the agenda's publication.