The City and County of Swansea Council Constitution met on Thursday 3 September 2026 to discuss the adoption of a comprehensive Council Constitution. The report pack provided to attendees detailed the proposed structure and articles of the constitution, outlining how the council operates, the roles of its members and officers, and the rights of citizens.

The Council Constitution

The meeting was scheduled to consider the adoption of the City and County of Swansea Council Constitution, a document designed to govern the operation and governance of the council. The constitution is divided into six parts, covering the summary and explanation of its purpose, the articles that set out the basic rules for the council's business, the responsibility for functions and scheme of delegation, rules of procedure, codes and protocols, and councillor allowances.

The constitution aims to provide clear leadership, support citizen involvement in decision-making, enable efficient and effective decisions, and ensure accountability. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of councillors, the executive (Cabinet), overview and scrutiny arrangements, regulatory committees, the standards committee, area committees, joint arrangements, and officers. It also details decision-making processes, financial, contract, and legal matters, and procedures for reviewing and revising the constitution.

The report pack included detailed articles on various aspects of the constitution, such as:

• Article 1: The Constitution: Outlining the purpose and interpretation of the constitution, including policy commitments and the council's vision for Swansea.
• Article 2: Members of the Council: Detailing the composition, eligibility, roles, rights, duties, and conduct of councillors.
• Article 3: Citizens and the Council: Setting out citizens' rights regarding voting, petitions, information access, participation, and complaints.
• Article 4: The Council Meeting: Describing the functions of the Full Council, including its role in setting the budget, approving the policy framework, and making key strategic decisions.
• Article 5: Chairing the Council: Defining the roles and functions of the Presiding Member and Deputy Presiding Member.
• Article 6: Overview and Scrutiny: Explaining the purpose and general roles of scrutiny, acting as a 'critical friend' to the Cabinet to promote better services, policies, and decisions.
• Article 7: The Cabinet (Executive): Outlining the role, form, composition, and proceedings of the Cabinet, which is responsible for most day-to-day decisions.
• Article 8: Regulatory and Other Committees: Indicating the appointment of committees such as the Planning Committee and Licensing Committee.
• Article 9: The Standards Committee: Detailing the composition, role, and function of the Standards Committee in promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct among councillors.
• Article 10: Area Committees and Forums: Allowing for the appointment of Area Committees to improve service delivery and decision-making.
• Article 11: Joint Arrangements: Enabling the council to establish joint arrangements with other local authorities to exercise functions or advise the council.
• Article 12: Officers: Describing the management structure, the roles and responsibilities of Chief Officers, and the statutory functions of the Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Chief Finance Officer, and Head of Democratic Services.
• Article 13: Decision Making: Setting out the principles and rules for decision-making by various constitutional bodies.
• Article 14: Finance, Contracts and Legal Matters: Referring to the Financial and Contract Procedure Rules for the management of the council's financial affairs and contracts.
• Article 15: Review and Revision of the Constitution: Outlining the duty to monitor and review the constitution and the procedure for making changes.
• Article 16: Suspension, Interpretation and Publication of the Constitution: Detailing the rules regarding the suspension of procedure rules, interpretation of the constitution, and its publication.
• Article 17: Schedule 1 - Description of Executive Arrangements: Consolidating the description of the executive arrangements, including Overview & Scrutiny Boards, the Cabinet, and Area Committees.

The report pack also included detailed sections on the Scheme of Delegation, Terms of Reference for various committees and groups, and the Rules of Procedure for Council meetings, Cabinet meetings, contract procedures, financial procedures, land transactions, officer appointments, disciplinary procedures, scrutiny, and local authority governor appointments. These sections provided specific details on how functions are delegated, the terms of reference for different bodies, and the procedural rules governing their operation.

The documents provided indicate that the meeting was scheduled to discuss and potentially adopt a comprehensive framework for the council's governance and operational procedures. However, the report pack does not contain information about any discussions that took place or any decisions that were made during the meeting.