Basingstoke & Dean Borough Council
Councillors:
54
Wards:
18
Committees:
22
Meetings (2025):
67
Meetings (2024):
72
Meeting
Standards Committee - Basingstoke & Dean
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Monday, 11th July 2022
6:30 PM
Monday, 11th July 2022
6:30 PM
End:
Monday, 11th July 2022
9:30 PM
Monday, 11th July 2022
9:30 PM
Actual Time
Started:
Monday, 11th July 2022
6:30 PM
Monday, 11th July 2022
6:30 PM
Finished:
Monday, 11th July 2022
11:45 PM
Monday, 11th July 2022
11:45 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
11 Jul 2022
11 Jul 2022
Location:
Council Chamber - Deanes
Council Chamber - Deanes
Webcast:
Available
Available
Meeting Attendees
Chair
Ms C Proctor (Independent Standards Assessor)
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Ms V Murricane (Independent Standards Assessor)
Apologies
Committee Member
Ms A Orchard (Independent Standards Assessor)
Apologies
Committee Member
Chair of the Audit and Accounts Committee
Committee Member
Chair of the Investigating and Disciplinary and Standards Appeals Committee
Reserve
Cabinet Member for Major Projects and Regeneration
Reserve
Leader
Reserve
Cabinet Member for Communities, Partnerships and Inclusion
Committee Member
Mrs L Agnew (Parish Councillor)
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Mr M Slatford (Parish Councillor)
Present, as expected
Agenda
1
Apologies for absence and substitutions
Minutes
Apologies were received from V Murricane
Apologies were received from Amanda Orchard
Apologies were received from Councillor Howard-Sorrell
The Chair announced that Parish Councillor Mr L Fryer had now resigned as a Chineham Parish Councillor and therefore was no longer eligible to sit on the Standards Committee.
Apologies were received from Amanda Orchard
Apologies were received from Councillor Howard-Sorrell
The Chair announced that Parish Councillor Mr L Fryer had now resigned as a Chineham Parish Councillor and therefore was no longer eligible to sit on the Standards Committee.
2
Appointment of Vice-Chair
To appoint a Vice-Chair to the Standards Committee for the 2022/23 municipal year.
Minutes
Councillor D Putty was appointed as Vice-Chair for the municipal year 2022/23.
3
Declarations of interest
Minutes
There were no declarations of interest.
4
Urgent matters
To consider any items of business, other than those shown on this agenda and which, by reason of special circumstances to be stated at the meeting, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.
Minutes
There were no urgent items.
5
Minutes of the meeting held on 14th March 2022
The Chair will move that the minutes of the meeting be signed as a correct record. The only part of the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.
Attachments:
- Document Minutes of the meeting held on the 14th March 2022 01 Jul 2022
Minutes
The minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2022 were confirmed by the committee as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
6
Government Response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life Review of local government ethical standards
The Committee has previously considered the Report on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). This report provides an update following the response of the Government to recommendations arising from the Report.
Contact Officer: Fiona Thomsen
Contact Officer: Fiona Thomsen
Minutes
The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and advised the Committee that the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) undertook a comprehensive review of local government ethical standards and published a report in January 2019. The Committee made formal recommendations to the Government and Best Practice recommendations to Local Authorities. Some of those recommendations required changes in legislation to implement.
In December 2020, the Local Government Association (LGA) published its new Model Councillor Code of Conduct and it was adopted by the Council, following consultation, on 24 March 2022. It came into effect following the local elections in May 2022.
On 18 March 2022, the Government published its response to the CSPL’s review of Local Government Ethical Standards attached at Appendix 1 of the report.
Resolved: the Committeenotes the report.
In December 2020, the Local Government Association (LGA) published its new Model Councillor Code of Conduct and it was adopted by the Council, following consultation, on 24 March 2022. It came into effect following the local elections in May 2022.
On 18 March 2022, the Government published its response to the CSPL’s review of Local Government Ethical Standards attached at Appendix 1 of the report.
Resolved: the Committeenotes the report.
7
Complaints Update Report
This report seeks to update the Committee on progress in determining Code of Conduct complaints received against borough, parish and town councillors.
Contact Officer: Fiona Thomsen
Contact Officer: Fiona Thomsen
Attachments:
- Document Complaints Update Report 01 Jul 2022
- Document Complaints Update Appendix 1 01 Jul 2022
Minutes
The Monitoring Officer introduced the report which provided an update to the Committee on the progress in determining Code of Conduct complaints received against Borough, Parish and Town councillors.
She confirmed that since the last meeting two new complaints had been received one of which had been disposed of and the other was still ongoing.
Resolved:
· The Committee notes the progress made on complaints received and the learning derived from the consideration of complaints
She confirmed that since the last meeting two new complaints had been received one of which had been disposed of and the other was still ongoing.
Resolved:
· The Committee notes the progress made on complaints received and the learning derived from the consideration of complaints
8
Review of the Work Programme
The committee is asked to note and review its Work Programme.
Attachments:
- Document Work Programme 2022 2023 01 Jul 2022
Minutes
The committee reviewed and agreed its work programme with the following comments:-
· Code of Conduct Training had been provided for the Borough Councillors on the 28th June and ananother session would be arranged for the Members that were unable to attend.
· The Committee highlighted a fundamental issue that the Parish/Town Councils had adopted various Code of Conducts. It was believed that the best way forward was for the new Code of Conduct produced by the Local Government Association and adopted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council be the standard for all the Parish/Town Councils.
Therefore, the Committee agreed that it was important to engage, encourage and promote the benefits prior to any training.
· An e-learning Code of Conduct training module would be created to train the
Parish/Town Councillors subject to the results of engagement referred to above.
· It was requested that any in person or virtual training be scheduled in the evening.
· Update at the November Committee on the Code of Conduct in terms of the engagement and training of Parish/Town Councillors.
· Recruitment would be scheduled for a meeting next year.
The meeting ended at 7.15 pm.
Chair
· Code of Conduct Training had been provided for the Borough Councillors on the 28th June and ananother session would be arranged for the Members that were unable to attend.
· The Committee highlighted a fundamental issue that the Parish/Town Councils had adopted various Code of Conducts. It was believed that the best way forward was for the new Code of Conduct produced by the Local Government Association and adopted by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council be the standard for all the Parish/Town Councils.
Therefore, the Committee agreed that it was important to engage, encourage and promote the benefits prior to any training.
· An e-learning Code of Conduct training module would be created to train the
Parish/Town Councillors subject to the results of engagement referred to above.
· It was requested that any in person or virtual training be scheduled in the evening.
· Update at the November Committee on the Code of Conduct in terms of the engagement and training of Parish/Town Councillors.
· Recruitment would be scheduled for a meeting next year.
The meeting ended at 7.15 pm.
Chair
Previous Meetings
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