Barnet Council Approves Constitution Updates, Including Petition Scheme

Barnet Council has unanimously approved updates to its constitution, including significant changes to its petition scheme and new rules for land transactions. The council convened on Thursday, March 5, 2026, to discuss and vote on several key policy matters.

Among the approved changes were updates to the council's constitution, specifically concerning the Access to Information Procedure Rules and the Petition Scheme. Further amendments were made to regulations regarding Land and Property Transactions Authorisation and Delegated Powers and HR Regulations for Council.

The vote on the constitution updates, detailed in item 14.1 of the meeting agenda, saw unanimous approval. The recommendation to approve the amendments and authorise the Head of Governance to implement these revisions was agreed without opposition or debate.

These constitutional updates are part of a broader review aimed at ensuring the council's governance frameworks remain robust and effective. The Access to Information Procedure Rules and Petition Scheme were revised to enhance transparency and public engagement, while the Land and Property Transactions Authorisation and Delegated Powers and HR Regulations for Council were updated to streamline processes and ensure compliance.

Further details on the specific changes within these areas can be found in the Constitution Review - Report of the Monitoring Officer - March 2026 document [https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s94407/Constitution%20Review%20-%20Report%20of%20the%20Monitoring%20Officer%20-%20March%202026.pdf]. Appendices provide specific details on the revised Access to Information Procedure Rules [https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s94408/Appendix%20A%20-%20Part%203E%20Access%20to%20Information%20Procedure%20Rules.pdf], the Petition Scheme [https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s94409/Appendix%20B%20-%20Part%203F%20Petition%20Scheme.pdf], Land and Property Transactions Authorisation and Delegated Powers [https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s94410/Appendix%20D%20-%20Part%204B1%20Land%20and%20Property%20Transactions%20Authorisation%20and%20Delegated%20Powers%20-%20Tables%20A%20a.pdf], and HR Regulations for Council [https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s94411/Appendix%20E%20-%20Part%204C%20HR%20Regulations%20for%20Council.pdf].