26.Part II of the Act contains provisions for new political management structures for local authorities in England and Wales, including local authority executives and executive arrangements. This Part introduces a new decision-making framework in which there is a separation of decision-making and scrutiny of those decisions. It sets out three initial broad forms of executive on which all local authorities must consult, although for certain small district councils there is a further option for alternative arrangements on which to consult, which does not involve a separate executive (see sections 31 and 32).
27.The objective of the policy underlying Part II is to deliver greater efficiency, transparency and accountability of local authorities. The new arrangements are intended to ensure that decisions can be taken more quickly and efficiently than in the existing committee system, that the individuals or bodies responsible for decision-making can be more readily identified by the public, and that those decision-makers can be held to account in public by overview and scrutiny committees.
28.This Part of the Act allows the Secretary of State to specify further forms of executives and forms of alternative arrangements. It requires local authorities to hold a referendum:
where their proposals involve a form of executive which includes a directly-elected mayor, or a further form of executive specified in regulations under section 11 for which those regulations specify a referendum is required;
where 5% or more of the council’s electorate petition for a form of executive for which a referendum is required; or
where the Secretary of State requires an authority or group of authorities to hold a referendum on one of the forms of executive available in or under the Act.
In the last two cases this will be given effect by secondary legislation.