Committee structure
Full Council
The county council comprises 84 councillors who all meet in full council at least six times a year. All meetings are broadcast live on our website as part of our policy of bringing decision-making closer to the public.
The main role of the full council is:
- to appoint the Leader
- to approve the constitution and any amendments to it;
- to determine policies that set the framework in which the county council carries out its functions; and
- to set the county council's budget and Council Tax levels.
Executive (Cabinet)
Within the budgetary and policy frameworks set by the Full Council, the Cabinet is responsible for carrying out almost all of the Council’s functions in delivering services to the community; mainly Children and Young People Services, Adult and Community Services, Highways and Transportation, Planning and the Environment, and Public Protection.
The Cabinet meets generally once a month, and can hold such other meetings as the Leader may consider necessary.
All meetings of the Cabinet are broadcast live on our website as part of our policy of bringing decision-making closer to the public.
The Cabinet can establish Committees, Working Groups or Panels – see below.
Cabinet Working Groups
Cabinet Working Groups
The following working groups have been established to assist the Cabinet. They cannot take any decisions and access to agenda/minutes may be restricted to members of the working group.
Scrutiny
The County Council has established five Scrutiny Committees. Scrutiny Committees have no power to make decisions or to make others act on their recommendations. However, the Council's Cabinet, relevant partners and NHS bodies must consider and respond to what has been recommended. Similarly, when looking at external organisations, Scrutiny Committees can still formulate recommendations, but they cannot make those organisations comply with them.
The Committees work to deliver local public sector accountability. They are able to require the Council's decision-makers, as well as those of its key partners, to account for their decisions and actions. They do not consider individual complaints, which must be made through the Council's complaints procedure.
The Committees are also a key mechanism for reviewing Council policies and services, as well as services delivered by other organisations in Lancashire.
- Education and Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
- External Scrutiny Committee
- Health Scrutiny Committee
- Internal Scrutiny Committee
Other Council Committees
By law, some important Council functions cannot be undertaken by the Cabinet, and some of these functions are exercised by the following Committees:
- Audit, Risk and Governance Committee
- Conduct Committee
- Development Control Committee
- Employment Committee
- Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board
- Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board - SEND Sub-Committee
- Lancashire Local Pension Board
- Pension Fund Committee
- Regulatory Committee
- Special Sub-Committee for VG 109 - Determination of Town and Village Green Application VG109 relating to land at Freemans Wood, off New Quay Road, Lancaster
- Special Sub-Committee for VG107 - Determination of Town and Village Green Application VG107 relating to land at Waterbarn Recreation Ground, Waterbarn Lane, Stacksteads, Bacup
- Student Support Appeals Committee
- Urgency Committee of the Full Council
Joint Committees
The following Joint Committees have been set up with District Councils to carry out responsibilities that have been delegated to them:
· Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Joint Advisory Committee
Other bodies
The County Council provides support to the following bodies. They are not Council Committees
· Lancashire Local Access Forum
· Lancashire SACRE – Quality and Standards Sub-Group
· Lancashire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)
· Lancashire Waste Partnership
· Lancashire Waste PFI Project Liaison Group
· Public Rights of Way and Access Forum
· Rivington and Brinscall Local Advisory Group (administrative support is no longer provided by the County Council)
· West Pennine Moors Area Management Committee (administrative support is no longer provided by the County Council)
- Central Lancashire Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Committee
- Growth Lancashire Limited
- Lancashire County Developments Limited Board
- Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Limited
- Lancashire Environmental Fund Board
- Lancashire Renewables Limited
- LEP - Business Support Management Board
- LEP - Enterprise Zone Governance Committee
- LEP - Growth Deal Management Board
- LEP - Lancashire Innovation Board
- LEP - Lancashire Skills and Employment Advisory Panel
- LEP - Performance Committee
- LEP - Transport for Lancashire Committee
- Marketing Lancashire Limited Board
- Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal - Combined
- The Lancashire Partnership Against Crime Board
Former (Cabinet Committees and Working Groups) and (Former Committees, Joint Committees and Forums)
- Burnley Three Tier Forum
- Cabinet Committee on Climate Change and the Environment
- Children's Services Scrutiny Committee
- Chorley Three Tier Forum
- Commons and Town Greens Special Sub-Committee for VG105
- Commons and Town Greens Sub-Committee
- Corporate Complaints Committee
- Education Scrutiny Committee
- Employment Appeals Committee
- Executive Scrutiny Committee
- Fylde Three Tier Forum
- Hyndburn Three Tier Forum
- Joint Lancashire Health Scrutiny Committee
- Lancashire Children's Services Improvement Board
- Lancaster Three Tier Forum
- Pendle Three Tier Forum
- Pension Fund Administration Sub-Committee
- Preston Three Tier Forum
- Ribble Valley Three Tier Forum
- Rossendale Three Tier Forum
- Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board
- South Ribble Three Tier Forum
- West Lancashire Three Tier Forum
- Wyre Three Tier Forum