Part 2 – Articles of the Constitution

Article 1 – The Constitution

1.1 Powers of the Council

The Council will exercise all its powers and duties in accordance with the law and this Constitution.

1.2 The Constitution

This Constitution, and all its appendices, is the Constitution of Spelthorne Borough Council.

1.3 Purpose of the Constitution

The Council’s overall aim is to deliver quality, best value for money services that matter most to our residents and its approach to achieving this is based on the following values:

· Community – developing strong, thriving, cohesive communities

· Opportunity - providing equality of opportunity for all; and

· Self-Reliance – focusing on those most disadvantaged and in need

· Accountability - taking responsibility for our own actions

· Tradition - recognising the importance of our heritage, history and tradition.

The Council has tried to embody its values in this Constitution.

The purpose of the Constitution is to:

1. enable the Council to provide clear leadership to the Spelthorne community and work in partnership with residents, businesses and other organisations to make Spelthorne a place where people are fully engaged and are both respected and respectful, promoting an environment that is healthy, safe, inclusive, prosperous and sustainable;

2. support and encourage the active involvement of the Spelthorne community in the decisions which affect them;

3. help councillors represent their constituents more effectively;

4. help councillors to carry out their civic duties effectively;

5. enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively;

6. create an effective means of holding decision-makers to public account;

7. ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions;

8. provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the Spelthorne community; and

9. ensure that high standards of probity and ethics are evident in all aspects of the Council’s decisions and activities.

1.4 Interpretation and Review of the Constitution

Where the Constitution permits the Council to choose between different courses of action, the Council will always choose that option which it thinks is closest to the purposes stated above.

The Council will monitor and evaluate the operation of the Constitution as set out in Article 13.