Croydon Council is set to implement significant changes to its Council Procedure Rules (CPRs), including a new system for allocating motions based on political proportionality. The General Purposes Committee met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, to endorse these revisions, which aim to enhance the efficiency and fairness of council meetings.
Under the new rules, the right to move motions will be determined by the political makeup of the council. A total of 40 motions will be allocated over a four-year term, calculated based on the size of each political group. This calculation involves dividing the number of members in a group by the total number of council members (71) and then multiplying by 40. The CPRs provide an indication of how many motions each group would be allowed over the four years based on their group size.
This move is part of a broader overhaul of the Council Procedure Rules, which have been revised to better reflect a multi-party political landscape and improve the conduct of council business. Beyond motion allocation, the overhaul includes the introduction of written questions to the Executive Mayor and Cabinet, with one question per member per meeting. A total of 35 written questions will be considered per meeting, also allocated on a politically proportionate basis.
Other changes include a revised approach to allocating speaking time for oral questions, with 10-minute slots per political group. The speaking slots for public petitions for the administration and main opposition groups will be reduced. There will also be proportionate allocation of speaking slots for debating, amending, or referring back reports.
While the new rules aim for greater fairness, smaller political groups may face implications for debating motions. The text indicates that for debating motions, smaller groups would likely only speak when moving a motion, with debates primarily occurring between the two largest groups, unless a third or fourth group is of significant size. However, for council tax and budget setting meetings, a more inclusive approach is being adopted, ensuring that at least each group or any group on the council, including independent members, will have a right to speak.
The revised rules were approved by the General Purposes Committee on Tuesday 14 April 2026, and will be recommended to full council. A formal review of the revised rules will be undertaken after two ordinary council meetings to assess their effectiveness. The rules are being adjusted in preparation for potential shifts in the council's political makeup following the upcoming local elections. A review of the written question system, including its impact on officer time, will be undertaken within six months of its implementation.
Further details on the proposed changes can be found in the Draft Council Procedure Rules Clean Copy document.
