The Council
45 councillors represent the London Borough of Bexley; each of the Borough’s 17 Wards has two or three councillors.
Structure
The Council has a Leader and Cabinet model of governance, the Cabinet consists of the Leader of the Council together with seven other Cabinet Members.
These are currently as follows:
- Councillor Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE - Leader of the Council
- Councillor David Leaf - Deputy Leader of the Council/Cabinet Member for Resources
- Councillor Brian Bishop – Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing
- Councillor Richard Diment - Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods
- Councillor Cafer Munur - Cabinet Member for Place Shaping
- Councillor Caroline Newton, Cabinet Member for Education
- Councillor Melvin Seymour - Cabinet Member for Adults' Services & Health
- Councillor Chris Taylor – Cabinet Member for Children's Services
Details of the responsibilities of the Cabinet Members
Leader
- Corporate Policy and Resource Plan
- Annual Budget
- Capital Strategy and Programme
- Medium Term Financial Strategy
- Corporate Governance including Council Constitution
- Annual Planning Cycle including Budget, Performance and Service Outcomes
- Corporate Issues re Government, LGA, Thames Gateway, Local London and Regional Bodies
- Housing Strategy
- Communications and Marketing
- Bexley 2050
Deputy Leader/ Resources
- Value for Money/Economy, Effectiveness and Efficiency
- Service Design, Transformation and Change Programmes
- ICT and Digital Strategy and Plans
- Customer Experience Strategy and Standards
- People Strategy including Policy
- Asset Management Strategy
- Corporate Planning and Performance Framework
- Access to Services, Quality, Consultation and Complaints
- Corporate Financial Administration
- External Funding
- Strategic Procurement
- Financial Eligibility Assessments
- Council Tax and Business Rates Collection and Benefits Administration
- Corporate Services Budget and Development Plan
- Management and Maintenance of Public Buildings
- Civic Accommodation, Facilities Management and Building Services
- Electoral Registration and Elections
- Civil Protection and Emergency Plans
- Risk Management Strategy and Corporate Risk Management
- Grants to Voluntary and Other Bodies
- Information Governance and Data Protection
- Registrars
- Legal Department
Adults’ Services and Health
- Lead Member for Adults’ Services
- Prevention Strategy
- Adult Social Care Workforce Plan
- Ageing Well Strategy incorporating Dementia
- Adult Social Care Transformation Programme
- Learning Disability Strategy
- Mental Health Strategy
- Extra Care Housing
- Development of Bexley Care
- Adult Social Care Transport
- Local Health and Social Care Integration – Local Care Network
- Transfer of Care Collaborative
- Liaison with Voluntary Sector for Adult Social Care
- Development of Digital Assistive Technology
- Professional Workforce Development and Standards
- Safeguarding Adults at Risk and Care Quality
- Reablement and Independence
- Information, Advice and Guidance
- Transitions to Adults’ Social Care/Preparing for Adulthood
- Carers
- Disability and Sensory Impairment Services
- Public Health
- Local Delivery Plan for Health
- Social Care and Market Shaping and Development
- Community Care
- Drug and Alcohol Services
- Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy
- Adult Social Care Vison Statement
- Adult Autism Strategy and Action Plan
Children’s Services
- Lead Member for Children’s Services
- Corporate Parenting Lead
- Liaison with Voluntary Sector for Children’s Services
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Early Intervention Services for Children
- Children and Young People’s Vision and Improvement Plan
- Service Based Health Related Matters
- Joint Planning with Other Agencies
- Services for Care Leavers
- Children’s Social Care
- Youth Services
- Adoption and Fostering
- Child Protection
- Children’s Safety Partnership
- Disabled Children’s Services
- Family Wellbeing and Children’s Services
- Youth Offending Team
- Commissioned Youth Delivery
- Family and Parenting Services
- Transition to Adulthood (Children with Disability and Looked After Children)
Communities and Housing
- Equality and Inclusion Policy and Annual Action Plan
- Encouraging Community Networks and Support Systems
- Community Cohesion Policies
- Improvement Public Involvement
- Public, Private and Voluntary Sector Coordinated Responses
- Corporate Liaison with Voluntary Sector
- Community Strategy
- Community Participation
- Housing Allocations
- Services for Homeless Families
- Housing Aid and Advice
- Enforcement of Housing Standards
- Former Housing Stock Contracts
- Community Centres
- Community Safety Partnership Strategy including CCTV and Associated Work Plan
- Alcohol and Borough Licensing Strategy (as part of Shared Service with Sevenoaks)
- Services to Travellers and Management of Service Delivery
- Library Vision and Implementation Plan including Local Studies
- Channel Panel
Education
- School Standard and Improvement
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Strategy and Services
- SEN Travel Assistance
- Attendance and Behaviour Strategy
- Bexley Selection Test and Coordination of School Admissions
- School Place Planning
- Strategic Education Partnership
- Schools Forum
- Headteacher Liaison
- Early Years
- Wraparound Care
- 14-19 Provision
- Holiday Activities and Food Programme/Free School Meals
- Links with South East London College
- Learning and Enterprise College Bexley
- Maintained School Maintenance
- Traded Services to Schools
- Appointment of LA Governors
- Secular Curriculum, RE and Worship
Neighbourhoods
- Planning Enforcement Matters not within remit of Planning Committee
- Highway Maintenance
- Improvement and Maintenance of Highway and Drainage Infrastructure
- Local Transport Issues
- Road Safety Plan
- Public Transport Liaison
- Traffic Management and Parking Schemes
- Licensing
- Local Safety Schemes
- Car Parking and Parking Enforcement
- Road Safety Promotion and Implementation
- Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan
- Climate Change and Green Infrastructure Plan
- Waste Management and Recycling
- Unauthorised Incursions by Travellers
- Engineering and Construction Related Services
- Home Energy Conservation
- Environmental Sustainability
- Management and Development of Parks, Open Spaces, Allotments and Cemeteries
- Environmental Health Standards
- Environmental Trading Standards
- Environmental Health and Safety
- Food Safety
- Leisure Development and Sports Strategy
- Sports and Recreation
- Management and Development of Leisure Facilities
Place Shaping
- Growth Strategy
- Borough Housing and Investment Strategy
- Supporting/Deputising for the Leader on Local London
- Regeneration Partnerships
- Unitary Development Plan and Local Development Framework Issues
- Economic and Employment Development Strategy
- Major Development Schemes
- Planning Briefs and Development Agreements
- Town Centre Management including Shopping Centres
- Land Acquisition and Disposal Programmes
- Land Management in particular the Council’s Non-Operational Land
- Developing and Monitoring Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal Policies
- Policies Relating to Affordable Housing and Sustainable Housing Strategy
- Housing Investment Programme and Strategy
- Housing Corporation Approved Development Plan
- Skills and Growth
- Strategic/Regional Transport
- Building Control
- Bexley Business and Employment
- Events Programme
- Tourism
- Cultural Services and Development including Heritage and Arts
Council Committees and Meetings
Regulatory Committees such as the Planning Committee and Licensing Committee take decisions that are legally outside of the remit of the Cabinet.
Overview and Scrutiny Committees hold the Cabinet to account and look into specific topics in order to make recommendations.
The full Council, all 45 Councillors sitting together, take overarching strategic decisions that are outside of the remit of the Cabinet and Regulatory Committees.
Council Constitution
The Council’s Constitution and Code of Corporate Governance sets out in detail how the Council operates.
Get involved
Find out how to get involved in the Council’s decision-making.