Sutton Council is set to transition to a cabinet system of governance following a decision by its Strategy and Resources Committee.
The committee met on Monday, October 5, 2026, to approve the approach for the transition, which is mandated by the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act. Sutton has operated under a committee system for 16 years, but the new legislation requires a move to a leader and cabinet model. This shift is part of broader reforms being introduced across local government, aiming to streamline decision-making processes.
Councillor Barry Lewis, Leader of the Council, acknowledged that while the committee system has been successful, the legislation leaves the council with no choice but to adopt the executive system. He stated that efforts would be made to ensure all members from all parties have a voice within the new structure. To achieve this, a series of cross-party member sessions
will be held to create a system that is right for Sutton within the rules of what we have to do.
Key principles for the transition, agreed by the committee, include transparent decision-making, collective ownership, constructive challenge, inclusive contribution, meaningful engagement, accountability, and financial viability.
While the specific differing powers of the cabinet system are not detailed, the report notes that the committee system makes that harder to achieve
in terms of opposition members having a clear voice and being present for decision-making.
The transition project will involve an intensive period of work over the coming months to design the new system. This intensive period is expected to run from October to December 2026, with a series of member sessions to bring proposals forward. Major milestones include the Strategy and Resources Committee considering final proposals on February 16, 2027, to recommend to the full council in March. The new model and constitution are aimed to be agreed by the March 2, 2027, council meeting, with the new model operational from the May 2027 Annual Council meeting.
The move to a cabinet model will require a major review of the Council's Constitution.
This will include incorporating mandatory features of a cabinet model of governance which are determined by the statutory framework,
such as limits on cabinet size, forward plan requirements, and the establishment of an overview and scrutiny committee. A cross-party constitutional working group will be convened to consider the relevant constitutional outputs.
The committee approved the approach of the transition project and the outlined principles. Constitutional amendments required to implement the new system will be presented to the council by March 2027, with the aim of operating under the new model from the annual council meeting.
