Standards Committee
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The Code of Conduct
What is the Code of Conduct?
The public has a right to expect high standards of conduct from members of the borough and parish councils. The standards of conduct expected of local authority members are set out in a code of conduct. Each member has to sign up to the code of conduct when they accept office By signing up to the code, a member is actively taking on a formal obligation to abide by its requirements.
The code forms the bedrock of the conduct regime and aims to promote the public’s trust and confidence in their members and faith in local democracy. It does this by providing a robust set of standards of behaviour for members to abide by and work within. In doing this, the code also protects members from unreasonable expectations of behaviour being put upon them.
How is the code enforced?
Since May 2008, allegations that a member has failed to comply with the provisions of the members’ code are considered by local authority standards committees.
The Standards Committee is therefore responsible for maintaining high standards of ethical conduct by members of the borough and parish councils.
The terms of reference of the standards committee are:
- promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by Councillors and Co-opted Members;
- assisting Councillors and co-opted members to observe the Members’ Code of Conduct and the protocol on member-officer relations adopted by the Council;
- advising the Council on the adoption or revision of Members’ Codes Of Conduct and the protocol on member-officer relations;
- monitoring the operation of the Members’ Code of Conduct and the protocol on member-officer relations;
- advising, training or arranging to train Councillors and Co-opted Members on matters relating to the Members’ Code of Conduct and the protocol on member-officer relations;
- granting dispensations to Councillors and Co-opted Members from requirements relating to interests set out in the Members’ Code of Conduct;
- assessing complaints received about the conduct of councillors and co-opted members to decide whether or not to refer them for investigation or some other action; and
- dealing with reports from Case Tribunals or Interim Case Tribunals and reports from the Monitoring Officer on any matters referred by Ethical Standards Officers to him or her.
Further information about case tribunals and ethical standards officers is available from the Standards for England
Unhappy about a Councillors behaviour?
The Committee Members are as follows:
Chairman - Mr DDE Birchall (Independent Person)
Vice Chairman - Brenda Ackers
Kevin Eastham
Paul Hayhurst
Howard Henshaw
Mark Adamson (Independent Person)
Glynn Driver (Independent Person)
Roy Male (Independent Person)
Alan Marsh (Independent Person)
Linda Burn (Parish Member)
Harold Butler (Parish Member)
Richard Nulty (Parish Member)
Alan Metcalf (Parish Member)