Standards Committee
The Standards Committee is composed of five
Borough Councillors, three Independent Members and two Parish
Councillors.
Recent decisions
Recent decisions of the Standards Committee and its two
sub-committees can be found at:
The Standards Committee has the following roles and
functions:
- Promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by
Councillors and any Co-opted Members
- Assisting Councillors and any Co-opted Members to observe the
Members' Code of Conduct;
- Advising the Council on the adoption or revision of the
Members' Code of Conduct;
- Monitoring the operation of the Members' Code of Conduct;
- Advising, training and arranging to train Councillors and any
Co-opted Members on matters relating to the Members' Code of
Conduct;
- Granting dispensations to Councillors and any Co-opted Members
from requirements relating to interests set out in the Members'
Code of Conduct, or otherwise, or, in the case of Parish
Councillors, also granting dispensations from the rules relating to
the declaration of pecuniary interests.
Further information about the role and functions of the
Standards Committee can be found in Article
9 of the Council's Constitution.
The Standards Committee meets four times per year. The
agenda and reports for meetings of the Committee are ordinarily
available five clear days prior to a Meeting.
There are two sub-committees to the main committee. The
Referrals Sub-Committee considers every complaint
made against a Parish or Borough Councillor and decides what action
to take among four options:
- decide that no action should be taken in respect of the
allegation;
- refer the complaint to the Monitoring Officer to undertake
mediation, training or an alternate measure to address the issues
that have arisen;
- refer the allegation to the Monitoring Officer of the Authority
for investigation;
- in certain circumstances, refer the allegation to 'Standards
for England'. The role of the Review
Sub-Committee, with separate members to the Referrals
Sub-Committee, is to consider appeals by the
complainant against the decision of the Referrals
Sub-Committee that a complaint does not warrant further
action.