Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the requirements for a city which decides to return from a mayoral form of governance to a Leader of the Council model, when the decision to have a mayor was made by the council itself and not through a referendum.

Where a council has established mayoral governance following a council resolution but without a referendum, it may change that governance model once 5 years has elapsed from the initial resolution.

A referendum on whether to move away from the mayoral governance model may be held at any time after this point, if the council resolves to hold such a referendum or if it is petitioned by 5% or more of the local electorate. The council must meet the cost of the referendum.

If the referendum takes place within the five years following the council resolution, but a second mayoral term of office has begun during those five years, the governance change will take place on the third day after the next ordinary election of a mayor.