The following motions were approved at the meeting of Full Council on 18 July:
- Hope for private renters [PDF, 0.1MB]
- Sewage pollution in our water [PDF, 0.1MB]
- Our voting system [PDF, 70Kb]
- Declaration of a water emergency [PDF, 0.1MB]
- Cambridge: Our vision [PDF, 0.1MB]
- TUC Volunteer Charter: Strengthening relations between paid staff and volunteers [PDF, 0.1MB]
Understanding motions
One of the ways decisions are made at Cambridge City Council is by executive councillors. These decisions are subject to analysis by non-executive councillors from across the different groups on the council, who meet at one of the four different scrutiny committees at the council to check and monitor decisions.
Decisions relating to planning and licensing applications, or other regulatory matters, are made by our Planning, Licensing and Civic Affairs committees.
Another way that councillors can influence the business of the council, or discuss matters of importance to the community, is through ‘motions’ at regular meetings of Full Council, which all Cambridge City councillors are able to attend.
Motions can be put forward (or ‘moved’) by any councillor, and then supported (or ‘seconded’) by any other councillor. The motion will then be debated at the meeting of Full Council, before being voted on by those councillors who are present at the meeting.
Before the motion is debated and voted on, there is an opportunity for councillors to ‘move’ an amendment to the motion. Amendments to the motion, if ‘seconded’ by another councillor, would be debated and voted on prior to the debate and vote on the motion itself. If the amendment is approved, the motion would then be debated and voted on as amended. If the amendment is not approved, the motion would be debated and voted on in its original form.
If the majority of councillors vote to approve the motion, the text of the motion (including amendment where relevant) then becomes a statement of the council’s position on a topic.
You can find the schedule of all council meetings online. The text of motions to be discussed at council can also be viewed via the meeting link, once the agenda is published ahead of each meeting, and you can watch the meeting online via the same link.
