Who we are and what we do

This class contains information on the organisational structure of the Council, including it's constitution, and how to contact the council.

The council

This class contains information on:

The Council's Constitution. The Constitution sets out how the Council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures that are followed in reaching those decisions. The Constitution is divided into sections. The list of the contents linked to the relevant sections is set out below:

Section 1: This section contains information on the Executive. It covers the Terms of Reference of Cabinet, the Role of the Leader of the Council, Procedure for Removing and Replacing the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Portfolios, Delegation of Powers to Portfolio holders, Procedure for Executive Decision Making, Procedure for Making Urgent Decisions Outside Policy and/or Budget, and Call in Procedures for Executive Decisions.

Section 2: This section contains information on Review Panels. It covers Terms of Reference of Review Panels, Operational Rights and Rights of access to Information and Role of Review Panel Chairmen.

Section 3: This section contains information on The Council and Committees. It covers Delegations from Council to Committees and Panels, Terms of reference of Committees, Roles of Committee Chairmen, Role of the Chairman of the Council, Role of the Vice-Chairman of the Council, Role of all Members Elected as Representatives, and Role of Opposition Group Leaders.

Section 4: This section contains information on Setting Strategic Plans and Budget, Best Value, and resolving disputes between Council and Cabinet. It covers the Procedure for Setting Strategic Plans, Policy and Budget, the Best Value Process, and the Procedure for Resolving Disputes between Council and Cabinet.

Section 5: This section contains information on Standing Orders, Codes of Practice, Codes of Conduct and other working documents of the Council. It covers the Statement of Partnership with Local Councils "Working Together", Standing Orders for meetings, Procedure for Public Participation at Meetings, Standing Orders for General Procedures, Appointment and Dismissal of Employees (except Chief Executive and Chief Officers), the Local Code for Member/Officer Relations, Tenant Consultation Arrangements, and Indemnity of Members and Officers. It also includes the following key documents which govern the way the Council operates:

Financial Regulations
Standing Orders as to Contracts
Members' Allowances Scheme
Code of Conduct for Members
Code of Conduct for Employees
Policy Statement - Access to Information
Information and Communications Technology Security - Members
Whistle Blowing at Work Policy
Role and responsibilities of the Monitoring Officer
Roles and Responsibilities of the Chief Finance Officer
Anti Fraud and Corruption Policy

Council structures

The Council Democratic Structure is explained in the Constitution.

The Organisation structure; The organisation is headed by the Executive Management Team (EMT), which comprises the Chief Executive, and five Executive Heads.

Contact details

Our contact us page gives information on the location of Council offices and their opening times, including maps of how to get to the two main offices at Appletree Court, Lyndhurst and the Town Hall Lymington.

It also provides a list of contact centre telephone numbers and contact email addresses for services.

Electoral services

Information on Electoral Services can be found on their Homepage: Electoral Services

Electoral Services deal with two main areas:

The registration of electors
The administration of elections for Town and Parish Councils, New Forest District Council, Hampshire County Council, the UK Parliament New Forest East and New Forest West Constituencies, the European Parliament South East Region, and any By-elections and Referendums called.

Election results are published on the Electoral Services Pages, together with useful links to the UK Parliament, the Electoral Reform Society and the Electoral Commission websites.

Relationship of New Forest District Council with other authorities

There are a number of organisations that the New Forest District Council partners with and they all work together for one reason: 'To enhance the quality of lives of the present and future generations of the people of the New Forest.'

Hampshire County Council administers the Blue Badge Scheme.

Information on the provides links to Hampshire County Council, Town and Parish Councils, The New Forest National Park Authority, the Forestry Commission, Hampshire Constabulary and Hampshire Fire and Rescue. Significant partnerships such as the Community Safety Partnership and Hampshire's Primary Care Trust are also published.