Council Procedure Rules
Councils are updating their procedure rules to enhance efficiency, public participation, and councillor conduct.
Harrow Council approved significant updates to its constitution in October 2026, including revised planning procedures and a strengthened code of conduct for councillors, driven by new government planning reforms. In April 2026, Croydon Council approved new rules to make its meetings more efficient and inclusive, particularly for backbenchers, and to allow public questions at budget meetings, extending the time from 15 to 30 minutes.
Croydon Council's General Purposes Committee also approved written questions for the Executive Mayor and Cabinet and a system for allocating motions based on political proportionality in April 2026. Lewisham Council's Governance Committee debated proposed constitutional amendments in February 2026, including the potential removal of deputations from Council Procedure Rules, which raised concerns about public involvement. Hounslow Council considered adopting a revised constitution in June 2026.
Other councils are also reviewing their Council Procedure Rules, which govern how meetings are conducted. Waltham Forest Council's Audit and Governance Committee reviewed its Councillor Code of Conduct and proposed increasing public statement time in October 2025. Haringey Council began a comprehensive review of its constitution, including the Member Code of Conduct, in November 2025, while Barnet Council approved constitutional amendments affecting building safety and governance in October 2025.
Key facts
- Harrow Council approved updates to its constitution, including revised planning procedures, in October 2026. Source
- Croydon Council approved new rules for more efficient and inclusive meetings in April 2026. Source
- Croydon Council approved allowing public questions at budget meetings, extending time to 30 minutes, in April 2026. Source
- Croydon Council approved written questions for its Executive Mayor and Cabinet in April 2026. Source
- Lewisham Council's Governance Committee debated removing deputations from Council Procedure Rules in February 2026. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.