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If you are unfamiliar with local government you may find it useful to understand the role of local government and exactly what Thanet does.
KentCounty Council
Thanet District Council
Parish Councils
The services marked '*' in the table are statutory functions that we are required to provide by law.
The Council has a statutory obligation to support the community in times of emergency i.e. floods. Employees are required to assist in the Emergency Plan and training will be provided for those staff selected for specific roles and you should be aware that you may be called upon at any time.
In 2007 the Council set out its Corporate Plan for the next four years, setting out six key themes for development.
The Council is run by councillors, who are elected by the local community. The Full Council is made up of 56 Councillors. It sets the Budget (and Council Tax) and the policy framework within which all decisions must sit. It also chooses the Council Leader, who then chooses his or her own Cabinet.
Decisions on the Council's services are taken by the Executive (Cabinet) consisting of a Leader and Cabinet. All key decisions to be made by the Executive will be published in the Forward Plan. Each of these Councillors has a portfolio which covers an individual area of responsibility and for some of these they can make delegated decisions outside of Cabinet. There are six portfolio areas:-
All decisions of the Executive must be in line with the overall framework set by the Council (policies and budget).
The Council also has an Overview and Scrutiny Panel which has the power to scrutinise executive decisions. They can also 'call in a decision' after it has been made so they can examine alternative actions that may be possible. That prevents the decision taking effect until the process has been concluded.
Read more about Decision making at the Council
Employees of the Council are known as 'Officers' and elected councillors are known as 'Members'. The Council employs officers to give advice, implement decisions and manage the day to day planning and management of the Council. A Code of Conduct governs the relationships between officers and Councillors.
The Corporate Management Team is responsible for managing the activities of the Council staff and for advising councillors on the potential implications of political decisions.
By law, senior Council Staff are not allowed to participate in any party political activity and are expected to advise and assist all councillors irrespective of their political affiliations.
The Corporate Management Team (CMT) comprises Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and five Directors as detailed in the structure below. The Council employs over 700 staff working in a variety of roles.
Link through diagram of structure
Customer Services
E-mail:
customer.services @thanet.gov.uk
Tel: 01843 577000