Constitution

Please click on the appropriate link below to view the document. Please note that all these documents are in Adobe Acrobat pdf format and by necessity quite large.

The Dartford Borough Council's Constitution

The Constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people. Some of these processes are required by the law, while others are a matter for the Council to choose. The Constitution is divided into 16 Articles and eight parts which set out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures to be followed (see below) to ensure transparency and accountability to local people.

PART 1 - Summary and Explanation

PART 2  - Articles of the Constitution

Policy and Budget Frameworks - List of Documents

PART 3 - Committees, Delegations, Committee Procedures/Protocols

• Responsibility for Functions
• Scheme of Delegations to Officers
• Rules of Substitution
• Crime and Disorder (Overview and Scrutiny) Committee Protocol
• Licensing Sub-Committee Hearing Procedure
• Development Control Board Public Speaking Protocol
• Deed,Trust and Obligations Committee - Conflicts of Interest Policy
• Recording, Filming, Photographing and Broadcasting Council Meetings
• Joint Transportation Board (JTB) Agreement

PART 4 - Standing Orders, Financial Regulations

• Standing Orders (Procedural)
• Contract Standing Orders
• Financial Regulations

PART 5 - Member Code of Conduct, Arrangements (for dealing with alleged Code breaches), Member Protocols etc

• [Member] Code of Conduct
• Arrangements for dealing with [Member] Code of Conduct Complaints
• Member Dispensations Procedure Guide
• Member/Officer Relations' Protocol
• Member/Officer Relations' FAQs
• Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality
• Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality FAQs
• Probity in Planning Protocol
• Probity in Licensing Protocol
• Sensitive Interests
• Use of Council Facilities and Resources by Councillors
• Use of Council Facilities and Resources by Councillors FAQs
• Outside Bodies
• Protocol on Release of Confidential Information
• Protocol on Release of Confidential Information FAQs
• Dual-hatted Members' FAQs
• Lobbying FAQs
• Predisposition, Predetermination and Bias FAQs
• LGA Overview of Social Media for Councillors
• LGA Councillors' Guide to Handling Harassment, Abuse and Intimidation
• LGA Checklist for Councillors - How can you most effectively use social media as a councillor?

PART 6 - Employees, Management/Staffing Structure, Joint Working/Partnerships

• Employee Code of Conduct
• Pay Policy Statement 2022-23
• Management Structure
• Politically Restricted Posts
• Joint Working - Partnerships - Code of Practice and Partnerships' Register
• Dartford Community Safety Partnership MoU

PART 7 - Members' Allowances, Indemnities

• Members' Allowances Scheme
• Indemnities for Members and Officers

PART 8 - Probity, Propriety

• Counterfraud and Corruption Strategy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Code of Corporate Governance

PART 9 - Other

• Corporate Complaints
• Environmenatl Information Regulations
• ePetitions
• Freedom of Information
• Openness Regulations
• RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers) Policy Statement
• Policy for Interrogating Social Media for Investigative Purposes
• Data Protection
• Corporate Data Quality Policy
• Processing Electronic Card Payments
• Disposal of Council owned land
• Strategic Asset Management Plan 2021-2024
• Assets of Community Value - Community Right to Bid
• Violent and Potentially Violent Persons Warning Markers – Their Use and Best Practice

Petitions Procedure

(Minimum fifteen (15) valid qualifying signatures) - Petitions which are referred to an Officer for action/decision under delegated authority or to the Cabinet, relevant Committee, Board etc. Petitions exclude support for or opposition to planning and licensing applications

Member Code of Conduct and Interests' Registers

On 16 July 2012, Dartford Borough Council adopted a Code of Conduct which describes how Councillors and [voting] Co-opted Members on committees of the Council should conduct themselves. Parish/Town Councils in the Borough of Dartford must also adopt a code of conduct.

Aldermen/Alderwomen and Freemen/Freewomen of the Borough of Dartford

Please address any enquiries relating to items on this page to:

Head of Legal Services & Monitoring Officer
Dartford Borough Council
Civic Centre
Home Gardens
Dartford
Kent DA1 1DR

DX 142726 DARTFORD 7

Tel: 01322 343434
Online: Contact Legal Services