Birmingham City Council financial challenges - time to Reset

To find out more about the budget and section 114 notice, visit our budget information page

View cabinet meeting dates, agendas, reports and decisions

Leader of the council

Councillor John Cotton

Leader’s portfolio

The Leader has ultimate political responsibility for the Council, and accountability for the following strategic functions:

  • Strategic policies: Development and implementation of the Council Business Plan and Medium Term Financial Strategy/Budget.
  • Structure and Governance of the Council: Overall organisational design of the Council, including the Council’s corporate governance arrangements.
  • Lord Mayor’s office: Appropriate support to the Lord Mayor and other holders of civic office.
  • Communications: Internal and external stakeholder engagement and formal consultation on Council performance and use of resources.
  • Financial strategy: In conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, the Council’s strategic approach to the use of financial resources and budget, including alignment between other local authority bodies (e.g. Combined Authority), partners (e.g. Health, LEP etc), the BCC General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, capital spending and the use of reserves.
  • Council Wide Efficiency and Improvement: Jointly, with the Deputy Leader, to take a strategic lead in relation to efficiency and improvement across all Council services and to foster lean governance in all areas of Council work.
  • Policy and Partnerships: Positioning Birmingham as a leader in public policy development at city, regional, national, European and international levels. Representing the Council’s policy agenda as appropriate through proactive engagement with Government, national policy networks and relations with the media.
  • West Midlands Combined Authority: Representing the City Council on the West Midlands Combined Authority Board.
  • Major projects: Responsibility for major physical regeneration and infrastructure projects in the city and engagement with key economic growth partners, partnerships, and investors in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness.
  • Promotion of the city and Inward Investment: Working in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage and Tourism for Promotion of the city and Inward Investment. Promotion of Birmingham regionally, nationally and internationally. This includes work with partners such as West Midlands Growth Company, the universities, and cultural organisations of citywide, regional, or national significance. Marketing Strategies to encourage investment in Birmingham.
  • Council land use and property assets including appropriation: Oversight of the Council’s land use and property strategy and asset management plan including framework for reuse, disposal and requisition of land and property in the Council’s priorities – including assets of heritage and community value. Including oversight of Council owned land and property facilities, amenities and services including markets.
  • Economic growth and jobs: Strategic approach to economic growth and regeneration programmes and strategic planning policy. Representing the City Council on the Local Enterprise Partnership Board.
  • Business Improvement Districts: Partnerships with the Business Improvement Districts, including city centre management opportunities.
  • Land Use Planning: Local Development Plan, Neighbourhood Plans, Development Briefs and Supplementary Guidance; including advice to Planning Committee.
  • Housing Development: To review the supply of housing and tenure based on an analysis of housing need.
  • Enforcement: In relation to licensing policy and enforcement
  • Localisation: Neighbourhood Management – Development of the Council’s neighbourhood engagement model and work with wider Council and partners to ensure integration at the local level.
  • Human Resources (including Member Development Programmes): An effective organisational development function for shaping the future workforce of the Council.
    • Development of effective change/transformational programmes deployed corporately.
    • Member development programmes.
    • Processes and procedures to support good staff performance development and equality objectives.
    • Staffing structures at JNC level and personnel procedures that comply with good practice and natural justice (in consultation with the Leader).

[The Council Business Management Committee deals with issues around the employment of staff and their terms and conditions of employment].

  • Major Sporting Events Development: Jointly with the Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Digital, Culture, Heritage & Tourism
  • Finances: Overall financial direction within the Financial Strategy developed by the Leader, including Best Value and appropriate financial, accounting and audit controls and procedures.
  • Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility: Application of the Birmingham Business Charter for Social Responsibility that requires contractors to offer, inter alia, local employment and training opportunities, and to adopt Birmingham’s Living Wage policy.
  • Commercialisation: To take the strategic lead in the consideration of all commercial opportunities available to the Council.
  • Revenues and Benefits Service: To ensure effective management of the Revenues and Benefits service.
  • Procurement: Oversight of procurement management.
  • Contract Management: Strategic approach to and compliance with contract management policy to ensure best value.
  • Internal Trading Operations: Effectiveness and holding to account the management of all internal trading operations.
  • Commissioning: Strategic approach to, and compliance with, the commissioning approach. Ensuring that council commissioning supports its wider social objectives such as employment provision, training, encouraging social enterprise and delivering social cohesion, internally and externally in line with the Council’s objectives
  • Rent Service: The Rent Service’s primary function is to maximise the collection of rent from Local Authority tenants and the recovery of current/former tenants and Housing Benefit Overpayments for Local Authority tenants.

Page last updated: 28 March 2024

rating button