Hillingdon Council is committed to strong political leadership, sound decision-making, effective scrutiny, and good governance. The council's constitution provides the framework to deliver this, in a robust way across the whole organisation.
The constitution is the council's most important document - owned by all 53 elected councillors.
Externally, the constitution protects the rights of residents and their part in the democratic process.
Internally, the constitution assures consistency and compliance in everything the council does, from how it makes decisions to how its services and finances are managed. It also sets out the high standards expected of those in public office.
The council's first constitution was introduced on 2 May 2002. It is modernised to meet changing needs locally, and to also include new national legislation. A remodelled constitution was agreed by full council at its annual general meeting (AGM) on 12 May 2022, following the local elections.
This newly structured constitution is divided into the 3 parts below, which encompass 26 functional chapters:
- Governance and local democracy
- How decisions are made and scrutinised
- How the council operates and is accountable
The constitution is available to download below. The document is user friendly, with a full contents and index section which can be used to easily navigate to the various parts within it.
Adopted Master Constitution (PDF, 6 MB)
Council governance structure
A key part of the council's governance is its close alignment with the Cabinet, Select Committees and Officer Directorates. This gives strong accountability in the council's decision-making.
Cabinet makes the decisions and sets the policy and direction of the council. Select Committees provide transparent oversight of services. Officer Directorates advise and implement the decisions made.
The structure chart below shows our top-level governance structure and these important relationships.
Council governance structure 2024-25 (PDF, 1 MB)