The Local Government (Executive Arrangements) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

Publicity in connection with key decisions

22.—(1) Where a decision-making body intends to make a key decision, a document must be published, prior to that decision being made, in accordance with paragraph (2), which states—

(a) that a key decision is to be made on behalf of the relevant council;

(b) the matter in respect of which the decision is to be made;

(c) where the decision maker is an individual, that individual’s name, and title if any and, where the decision maker is a decision-making body, its name and a list of its members;

(d) the date on which, or the period within which, the decision is to be made;

(e) a list of the documents submitted to the decision maker for consideration in relation to the matter in respect of which the key decision is to be made;

(f) the address from which, subject to any prohibition or restriction on their disclosure, copies of, or extracts from, any documents listed is available;

(g) that other documents relevant to those matters may be submitted to the decision maker; and

(h) the procedure for requesting details of those documents (if any) as they become available.

(2) At least 28 clear days before a key decision is made, the document referred to in paragraph (1) must be —

(a) open to inspection by the public at the offices of the relevant council; and

(b) published on the relevant council’s website.

(3) Where, in relation to any matter—

(a) the public may be excluded under section 42(2) of the 2014 Act (admission to meetings of councils) from the meeting at which the matter is to be discussed; or

(b) documents relating to the decision need not, because of regulation 32(2), be disclosed to the public, the document referred to in paragraph (1) must contain particulars of the matter but may not contain any confidential information or exempt information.