Council and committee structure


Belfast has 51 councillors representing the nine electoral areas across the city. The current political make-up of the council is 16 Sinn Féin, 16 Democratic Unionist Party, eight SDLP, six Alliance, three Ulster Unionist Party and two Progressive Unionist Party.

Following a review of its decision-making arrangements, in June 2007, the council approved a new committee structure, which is now based on the full council and six standing committees.

Through the work of committees, our councillors oversee the work of the council. All committee decisions need to be ratified by the full council except where committees have been granted delegated authority to make decisions. This means that the council has authorised the committee to make decisions on specific matters.

Council

The full council, which consists of all 51 elected representatives, is the overarching decision-making body and sits monthly with the exception of August. 

 

Subject to any statutory requirement to the contrary, the order of business at every monthly meeting of the council shall be as follows:

 

  • confirmation of minutes
  • official announcements or memorials
  • deputations
  • minutes of the proceedings of the several committees and their recommendations
  • notices of motion

Therefore, any decisions taken by the standing committees cannot be implemented until they have been ratified by the full council, except where committees have been granted delegated authority to make decisions.

 

We aim to publish the minutes of the committee meetings the day following the council meeting at which they have been approved but no later than three working days after the meeting.  The minutes of the monthly council meeting will be published within five working days after the date of the meeting.

 

Watch council meetings

 

Click on the link below to find details of the membership and other information relating to the council.

Council

The full council, which consists of all 51 elected representatives, is the overarching decision-making body and sits monthly with the exception of July. 

Subject to any statutory requirement to the contrary, the order of business at every monthly meeting of the council shall be as follows:

 

  • confirmation of minutes
  • official announcements or memorials
  • deputations
  • minutes of the proceedings of the several committees and their recommendations
  • notices of motion

Therefore, any decisions taken by the standing committees cannot be implemented until they have been ratified by the full council, except where committees have been granted delegated authority to make decisions.

 

We aim to publish the minutes of the committee meetings the day following the council meeting at which they have been approved but no later than three working days after the meeting.  The minutes of the monthly council meeting will be published within five working days after the date of the meeting.

 

Watch council meetings

 

Committees

A committee is a group of councillors appointed by the council who meet to review, scrutinise or make decisions on a range of functions within its particular remit (the full details of which can be found within the council’s standing orders). 

 

The council currently has 6 committees, the members of which are appointed at the annual meeting of the council.

 

Each of the committees consists of 20 councillors with the quorum (the minimum number of councillors that are required to be present to transact business legally) of each committee being 5 members.  Committees sit at least monthly with the exception of July.  All committees are constituted to reflect, as far as practicable, the different political parties into which the members of the council are divided.  The posts of chairman and deputy chairman of committees are allocated on the basis of proportionality as set out in Standing Order 37.

 

Click on the links below to find details of the membership and other information relating to a particular committee.