Alderstead Council is the local democratic authority for Alderstead. Councillors make decisions about the council services and local responsibilities assigned to the authority, while professional officers administer those decisions and provide legal, financial and service advice.

This section brings together the council's democratic information: who represents Alderstead, how meetings and decisions work, how the executive is held to account, and how the council manages standards, audit and governance.

Full Council, Leader and Cabinet

Full Council is the meeting of all Alderstead councillors. It deals with matters reserved to the whole council and provides the formal democratic forum for decisions that cannot be taken by the executive or officers. The council uses a leader-and-cabinet model. The Leader is elected by Full Council and the Cabinet carries out executive functions within the responsibilities and delegations set out in the council constitution.

The constitution is the main governance document. It explains how functions are allocated between Full Council, the Leader and Cabinet, committees and officers, and sets out the procedural rules that support lawful and accountable decision-making.

Scrutiny, audit and standards

Overview and scrutiny examines policy, service performance and executive decisions. The Audit and Governance Committee considers the council's governance, audit, risk, internal control and financial stewardship. Separate standards arrangements apply to the conduct of councillors and relevant declarations of interest.

These functions are different but complementary. Scrutiny challenges policy and performance; audit and governance provides assurance about control and stewardship; standards arrangements deal with elected-member conduct.

Follow council business

Use Meetings and decisions for agendas, reports, minutes and published decision records. Use Councillors for information about elected members and Elections and voting for local electoral arrangements.