Cabinet meetings
The operational decisions of Milton Keynes City Council are taken by the Leader of the Council and a group of councillors known as the Cabinet or the Executive.
The Cabinet carries out all of the Council's functions which are not the responsibility of any other part of the Council.
The Cabinet produces monthly a Forward Plan of all key and non-key decisions which are to be taken.
Who are the Cabinet members and what are they responsible for?
- Pete Marland - Leader of the Council
- Lauren Townsend - Deputy Leader- Cabinet Member for Resources & Customer Experience
- Shanika Mahendran - Cabinet Member for Planning & Placemaking
- Donna Fuller - Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health & Communities
- Joe Hearnshaw - Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
- Ed Hume - Cabinet Member for Housing
- Mick Legg - Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services and Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Partnerships (Maternity Cover for Amber McQuillan)
- Jenni Wilson-Marklew - Cabinet Member for Public Realm
The areas that Cabinet Members are responsible for is set out in Cabinet Portfolios. Amber McQuillan will be on parental leave from 3 March. Her portfolio will be covered by Mick Legg.
Can I attend a Cabinet meeting?
Members of the public are welcome to attend meetings of the Cabinet unless there is confidential or exempt information being discussed. Thirty minutes is allocated at every meeting for public questions where notice has been given in advance to the Head of Democratic Services. The Government has produced a Guide to attending Cabinet meetings.
Due to the amount of business to be transacted the Cabinet has 'delegated authority' for some decisions to be taken by Council Officers. The Council's constitution provides a detailed description of these responsibilities.
Calling in a Decision
Decisions of the Cabinet or a decision by an individual Cabinet member are subject to a call-in procedure whereby members of Milton Keynes City Council can ask for a decision to be reviewed. 10% of the membership of the Council; or a minimum of 40% of the members of the relevant scrutiny committee may call-in a decision within a period of 5 days of that decision being published. A Parish, Town or Community Council can formally support a call-in if they notify the Director of Law and Governance by the deadline. The call-in will be considered at a meeting of a Scrutiny Sub-Committee, which will be held within 10 days of the call-in.
The Scrutiny Sub-Committee will have the power to
- refer the decision back to the Decision Maker (with reasons and recommendations as to what should be taken into consideration)
- Not refer the decision back (in which case the decision will stand)
- refer the decision to a meeting of full Council if they consider that the decision made materially departs from the Council’s policy and/or budgetary framework
- make recommendations for example, to the relevant Portfolio Holder, Cabinet, or the relevant scrutiny committee
If you wish to call-in a decision you can download a form which should be sent to:
The Director of Law and Governance
Civic Offices
1 Saxon Gate East
Milton Keynes
MK9 3EJ