How we make decisions

Learn about decision making, including council meetings, the cabinet and our constitution. For full details of our decision making process view our constitution.

The Cabinet

At Epping Forest District Council, the Leader of Council leads the council with the support of the Cabinet, appointed by the Leader to manage a portfolio of services.

The Cabinet (also known as the Executive) is made up of 9 councillors. It makes many of the decisions relating to how Epping Forest District Council is run, working within its financial and policy guidelines.

The Cabinet is the Council’s main decision-making body and is responsible for strategic policy-making and budget setting. Routine decisions are taken by individual Cabinet Members acting under their delegated powers, rather than at Cabinet meetings.

Cabinet 2025 to 2026

PortfolioPortfolio Holder 2025 to 2026
LeaderCouncillor Chris Whitbread
Housing and HGGT (Harlow and Garden Gilston Town) and Deputy LeaderCouncillor Nigel Bedford
Finance and Economic DevelopmentCouncillor Holly Whitbread
Shaping our DistrictCouncillor Ken Williamson
Commercial and EstatesCouncillor Tim Matthews
TransformationCouncillor Smruti Patel
Contracts Delivery and Deputy LeaderCouncillor Ray Balcombe
Community, Health and WellbeingCouncillor Kaz Rizvi
Regulatory ServicesCouncillor Paul Keska

Full Council

Full Council is made up of the 54 elected councillors that represent the Epping Forest district.

Full Council is responsible for:

  • Adoption of and changes to the constitution
  • Approval of, adoption of and revisions to the policy framework and the budget
    (The budget includes the allocation of financial resources to different services and projects, proposed contingency funds, the Council Tax base, setting the Council Tax and decisions relating to the control of the council’s borrowing requirement, the control of its capital expenditure and the setting of virement limits)
  • Adoption of plans and strategies including the community plan / strategy, capital strategy, and other plans which it decides, as a matter of local choice, should be the responsibility of the council to adopt
  • Election / appointment of the chairman and vice-chairman of council, the Leader and members of the Cabinet, members of committees and sub committees
  • Agreeing and amending the terms of reference for committees, deciding on their composition and making appointments to them
  • Appointing representatives to outside bodies
  • Adoption of the code of conduct
  • Adopting an allowances scheme
  • Confirming the appointment or dismissal of the head of paid service
  • Making, amending, revoking, re-enacting or adopting bylaws and promoting or opposing the making of local legislation or personal bills
  • Inviting contributions from relevant community groups or representatives
  • Agreeing and supporting the community engagement activities

Committees and panels

There are a number of other committees and panels where councillors take decisions, each focusing on a specific council function. The committees consider issues in detail at scheduled meetings, and then decisions or recommendations are made to the Cabinet or to the Full Council.

Decisions

View decisions that have been taken, Search by date, decision maker or decision status.

Forward plan of decisions

The forward plan is a list of key decisions made over the foreseeable future. By law the Cabinet must give at least 28 days notice before making a key decision.

Delegated decisions

Certain officers of the council are empowered under the council’s constitution to make certain decisions which are recorded here to ensure openness and transparency in the council’s decision making.

The decisions registered here do not include executive decisions taken under the statutory executive decision making process.

More information