Clackmannanshire Council Online

A Visitors' Guide to Council meetings

A Visitors' Guide to Council meetings

Introduction

This information explains what happens at a Council meeting. While it does not describe all the rules that apply to Council meetings, it should give you an insight.

When and where does the Council meet?

The Council meets once every nine weeks, with a break during the summer.  The meetings are usually held in the Council Chamber at Kilncraigs, Alloa; however meetings may also take place virtually via MS Teams. 

Details of the meeting dates are published the meetings diary section on this site.

Special Council meetings can be called if a decision is needed before an item can be discussed at an ordinary meeting of the Council. Our Standing Orders explain the circumstances and procedures for calling a Special meeting.

Can the public come to the meetings?

Clackmannanshire Council welcomes visitors to the Council Chambers. Most of our meetings are open to the public and representatives from the press and they are very welcome to sit in and listen to the proceedings. If the meetings are being held in person in the Council Chamber, members of the public will be met by Committee Services staff who will ensure they have signed the Fire Register, give them a Visitor Badge and escort them to the Council Chambers.  Members of the public are also welcome to register to attend virtual meetings of the Council and will be sent a link to join and listen to the meeting.

Unless you have applied for and been granted permission you will not be able to speak at the meeting.   You may leave and re-enter the meeting at any time.

Mobile phones should be switched off in the Council Chamber. If attending virtually, you should ensure your microphone is muted at all times.  Taking of photographs (including screen shots), audio or video recordings are not permitted during meetings unless with the express permission of the Convener.

Occasionally, for legal reasons or reasons of confidentiality, we may have to take the meeting in private. These exempt items are usually the last on the agenda and public and press will be asked to leave the meeting before the debate begins.

Who comes to the Council meetings?

Our 18 councillors all attend the Council meetings. We sit round the table, with the Convener as the Chair Person. The Chief Executive and the Clerk to the Council sit at the top table, beside the Convener, to provide guidance and advice.

Usually at least one officer from each Council service will attend to answer councillors' questions. A Committee Services Officer takes the minutes. The press also attend to report what happens in the local papers.

What happens at Council meetings?

Our Council meetings usually start at 9.30 am but this can vary. After the opening, the Convener will deal with the items of business as they appear on the agenda, allowing time for questions and debate. If all the councillors do not agree on a decision, a vote will be taken to decide the matter.

Copies of the agenda and all non-confidential reports are available at the start of each meeting.

If you would like a copy of the agenda, please contact us using the details below. Copies of the agenda and reports are available to download from the meetings diary section on this site.

Is a record taken of the meetings?

The official record of our Council meetings is contained in the ‘minutes’.  This is not a word-for-word note but a record of our decisions.   Minutes of our Council meetings are public documents. You can view electronic copies on the meetings diary section on this site and can also be viewed in our libraries. 

Meetings can also be held virtually and video recordings of these meeting are also available on our website. 

Other Council meetings

In addition to full Council meetings decisions can be taken at our committees, which are also open to the public.

Main Committees

Our main committees are Audit and Scrutiny, Planning and Regulatory. Our Planning Committee takes decisions on a range of matters including planning applications and planning enforcement while the Regulatory Committee has responsibility for civic licensing functions such as taxi licensing and the licensing of marriage venues. Members of the public can also attend meetings of the Local Review Body and the Clackmannanshire Licensing Board.

Who can help you?

A Committee Services Officer attends each meeting and will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

For more information please contact us using the details below.