Croydon Council to allow public questions at budget meetings

Croydon Council is set to introduce a new provision allowing members of the public to ask questions at council tax and budget setting meetings, aiming to enhance public engagement in crucial financial decision-making processes. The change was approved by the General Purposes Committee on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Under the revised Council Procedure Rules, the time allocated for questions to the Executive Mayor and Cabinet member for finance at these specific meetings will be extended from 15 to 30 minutes. Written questions must be submitted 15 working days before the council meeting .

Public submitted questions must focus on the budget proposal papers to be considered relevant. For written questions, the draft proposals suggest a limit of one written question per member, per meeting . For oral questions, the current proposal is a maximum of two questions per member, though this may vary depending on political groups.

The council will ensure the extended question time is effectively managed. While the total time for questions to the Executive Mayor and Cabinet will remain between 75-77 minutes, divided into 10-minute slots for each political group, the chair has discretion to manage time. This includes potentially reducing a group's allocation if they are overrunning, or even taking a minute or two from a group's time if a member takes too long to pose their question. Supplementary questions will not be a right but will be at the discretion of the group.

These revisions to the Council Procedure Rules, developed by the Constitutional Working Group, are designed to improve the efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity of council meetings. The changes were made particularly in preparation for potential shifts in the council's political makeup following the upcoming local elections. Discussions around political proportionality for allocating speaking time and motions, and the inclusion of rights to speak for all groups and independent members at council tax and budget setting meetings, indicate an aim to ensure fairness and inclusivity regardless of the council's future political composition.

Further details on the revised Council Procedure Rules can be found in Appendix B - Draft Council Procedure Rules Clean Copy and Appendix A - Draft Council Procedure Rules. The meeting agenda and reports are available in the Public reports pack 14th-Apr-2026 18.30 General Purposes Committee.