Most day-to-day decisions are made by the Executive Board, which is chaired by the Leader of the Council, Martin Jennings.

The role of the Leader includes :-

•  To chair the Executive Board;
•  To be the Lead Spokesman for the Council on matters of politics and policy;
•  To be the Council’s voting representative on the Local Government Association;
•  To be the Council’s principal representative at meetings of the Worcestershire Partnership;
•  To represent the Council at County and Regional levels;
•  To drive Corporate Performance;
•  To lead the Board Members on Comprehensive Performance Assessment matters;
•  To be the Lead Member for the Droitwich Canals and Droitwich Lido Projects;
•  To oversee urban regeneration projects
•  To be consulted by the Managing Director, together with the Executive Board Member for Resources and one other appropriate Executive Board Member, where and urgent decision has to be taken;
• To co-ordinate the Council's approach to Local Public Service Agreements.

Five other members of the board represent the following areas of services:

Community Partnership - Cllr P Middlebrough

•  Co-ordinating and managing consultation with the public;
•  Sport and recreation;
•  Arts, entertainment and cultural activities;
•  Tourism;
•  Young people and youth development;
•  Capital and improvement element of enhancements for towns, including market town initiatives;
•  The Council’s grant schemes, to make recommendations on grants to the Executive Board (Working Group to be chaired by a nominated Member responsible to Board Member);
•  Management of completed town enhancement schemes;
•  Economic Development;
•  Community safety, public order and co-ordinating the Council’s approach to the Crime and Disorder Act;
•  CCTV;
•  Acting as liaison on matters affecting policing and the courts.

Environment - Cllr Terry Spencer

•  Refuse collection, recycling, cleansing, grounds maintenance, land drainage, sewerage, public conveniences; highways and transportation including partnership arrangements with Worcestershire County Council;
•  Public open spaces, parks, gardens, recreation grounds and disused burial grounds;
•  Being the Board’s lead member on the accessibility of services to the people of Wychavon, and areas of exclusion;
•  Drawing together the Council’s approach to environmental matters including sustainability and biodiversity;
•  Public car parking;
•  Concessionary fares.

Housing and Health - Cllr Mrs Judy Pearce

•  Liaison with Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts etc and the Board’s lead member on health scrutiny;
•  Drawing together the Housing Strategy for consideration by the Council;
•  Managing the homelessness functions of the Authority;
•  Grants for improvement or conversion of housing accommodation;
•  Maintaining standards and conditions relating to private sector housing;
•  Implementing the Council’s commitment to provide at least 1000 new homes with the objective of up to 1300 new homes should planning constraints and development opportunities permit for the period to 2004 and, furthermore, developing ways of delivering affordable housing in future years;
•  Liaison with Housing Associations and housing agencies concerned with housing matters in the District.

Planning Policy & Rural Affairs - Cllr Mrs Audrey Steel

•  Preparation of the Community Plan;
•  Co-ordination of area renewal;
•  Liaison and consultation with the Development Control Committee
• and others about the operation of that function;
•  Managing the formulation of the Council’s District Local Plan and acting as the liaison point on the County Structure Plan, Regional Plans and Regional Spatial Strategy and Local Plans prepared by other Local Authorities;
•  Co-ordinating the Council’s approach to equalities;
•  Cross boundary issues;
•  Rural affairs including rural development, accessibility and transport issues.

Resources – Cllr Clive Holt

•  Advising the Council on electoral matters;
•  Managing the Civic Centre, Council Shops and development of the Service Centre;
•  Preparing annual revenue estimates and the proposed capital programme for consideration by Council;
•  Personnel and employee relations;
•  Acquisition and disposal of land and property;
•  Managing the administration of Benefits, Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax;
•  Purchase of land and property to help implement the Council’s commitment to provide at least 1000 new homes, with the objective of up to 1,300 new homes should planning constraints and development opportunities permit for the period to 2004, and furthermore, advise on any land and property matters relating to the delivery of affordable housing in future years;
•  Advising on diversification of the investment strategy of the Council to ensure effective rates of return on investment.

The Board currently meets once a month in public where it can make decisions as a group.

A Forward Plan, which shows for four months ahead what major decisions it is planning to make and is published on or near the 1st of each month

•  Co-ordinates the scrutiny and review of Council policies and decisions;
•  Look at particular topics and presents ideas to the Executive Board;
•  Can "call in" a decision of the Board if it thinks it should be reviewed – this means action on a Board decision will be delayed whilst the Board looks at it again in the light of any comments made by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Committee appoints small Teams of Councillors to review particular topics and issues. The Teams appointed so far in 2004/05 are to deal with:

• Health Scrutiny, including a review of Disabled Facilities Grants;
• Reviewing the Housing Strategy;
• Rural Transport.

The Health Scrutiny Team's meetings are usually held in public.

Click here to see the latest papers.

•  Decides planning applications according to the agreed policies;
•  Enforces planning decisions when these are not complied with.

The Committee will also meet about Four times a year to consider policy items only.  The Committee cannot decide policy items but is consulted prior to policy decisions being made at Executive Board.

Licensing Policy is dealt with by the Licensing Committee which has 11 members.  It is chaired by Cllr Don Lawley.

Sub-Committees made up of any 3 members of the Committee, determine applications for licenses at hearings, which are arranged on a weekly basis.  Responsibilites for licensing are being transferred to the Sub-Committees from Magistrates Courts during 2005.