APPENDIX 1

WORK PROGRAMME FOR STANDARDS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE – 2024/25

 

* standing items for each scheduled ordinary meeting of the Committee

 

MEETING

AGENDA ITEM

REPORT REQUIRED

PROGRESS

15 March 2024

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding latest developments in national ethical framework.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Complaints Update

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to complaints received of a potential breach of the relevant Members’ Code of Conduct by Members and voting co-opted Members of North Yorkshire Council and town and parish councils in North Yorkshire.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Brief presentation to Committee re complaint handling by Deputy Monitoring Officer

Brief powerpoint presentation by Deputy Monitoring Officer to accompany the Complaints Update

Presentation made at meeting.

 

* Standards Bulletin

Standing report by Monitoring Officer presenting draft Standards Bulletin for approval for circulation.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Work Programme for 2024/25

Report by Monitoring Officer setting out suggested draft programme of work for 2024 for Members’ consideration.

If approved, a standing report re review of Work Programme set will be considered at each meeting.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Protocol re relationship between code of conduct complaints and local authority grievance procedures

Report by Deputy Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Protocol for Members’ consideration.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Review of standards complaints process

Report by Monitoring Officer regarding a review of the standards complaint handling process and whether any amendments are required.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Annual Report of the Standards and Governance Committee

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Annual Report for Members’ consideration and approval.

To be presented to meeting of Council on 15 May 2024.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Feedback from Independent Persons regarding external standards training attended in February and March 2024

Oral report back from the Independent Persons who attended the external training.

Deferred to the Committee’s June meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint 3 North Yorkshire Council division members to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Community Governance Review of Dishforth Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services updating the Committee.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

9 April 2024

Special meeting

Temporary Appointment to Barton le Willows Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a North Yorkshire Councillor to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

26 June 2024

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding latest developments in national ethical framework.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Complaints Update

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to complaints received of a potential breach of the relevant Members’ Code of Conduct by Members and voting co-opted Members of North Yorkshire Council and town and parish councils in North Yorkshire.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Bulletin

Standing report by Monitoring Officer presenting draft Standards Bulletin for approval for circulation.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Work Programme for 2024/25

If approved by the Committee on 15 March 2024, there will be a standing report by the Monitoring Officer to each scheduled ordinary meeting regarding the programme of work for 2024/25 for Members’ review.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Members’ Attendance at Committees

 

Periodic report from Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny.

The report should record the number of attendance of Councillors at meetings of the Council and its Committees for the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Standards and Governance Committee Hearings Panel Procedure

Report of the Monitoring Officer reporting back on the Hearings Panel Procedure and Pre-Hearing Review process agreed by the Monitoring Officer under his delegated powers.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Standards Training Plan 2024/25

Consider standards training required for Members.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Feedback from Independent Persons regarding external standards training attended in February and March 2024

Oral report back from the Independent Persons who attended the external training.

Verbal report back to meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to Hellifield Parish Council 

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a North Yorkshire Councillor to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to Irton Parish Council  

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a North Yorkshire Councillor to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to parish councils process and themes

Report of Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Support to parish and town councils

Report of Head of Democratic Services and Scrutiny.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to Hellifield Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a North Yorkshire Councillor to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Temporary Appointment to Irton Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a North Yorkshire Councillor to sit on the Parish Council.

Report presented to meeting.

 

URGENT BUSINESS - Temporary Appointment to Welburn Parish Council

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services seeking approval for the Committee to delegate to the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services the power to appoint two North Yorkshire Councillors to sit on the Parish Council and to reaffirm the appointment of Councillor Goodrick.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

15 July 2024

Special meeting

Harrogate and Scarborough Community Governance Review

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services presenting the final recommendations for new town councils to be created for Harrogate and Scarborough, along with proposed minor amendments to parish boundaries in Scarborough affecting three parish councils.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Request for Dispensation

Report of the Monitoring Officer regarding a request for a dispensation from Councillor Peacock.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

6 September 2024

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding latest developments in national ethical framework.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Complaints Update

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to complaints received of a potential breach of the relevant Members’ Code of Conduct by Members and voting co-opted Members of North Yorkshire Council and town and parish councils in North Yorkshire.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Bulletin

Standing report by Monitoring Officer presenting draft Standards Bulletin for approval for circulation.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Work Programme for 2024/25

If approved by the Committee on 15 March 2024, there will be a standing report by the Monitoring Officer to each scheduled ordinary meeting regarding the programme of work for 2024/25 for Members’ review.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan 2024/25

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to standards training required for Members.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Review of standards documentation

Report by Monitoring Officer regarding whether any amendments are required to the standards documentation.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Standards and Governance Committee Hearings Panel

Report back by Monitoring Officer re options for the composition of the Hearings Panel.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Temporary appointments to parish councils

Report back by Monitoring Officer re options for the making of temporary appointments to parish and town councils.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Request for Dispensation

Report of the Monitoring Officer regarding a request for a dispensation from Councillor Gostlow.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

14 March 2025

Chief Executive Officer attending meeting.

 

 

 

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding latest developments in national ethical framework.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Complaints Update

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to complaints received of a potential breach of the relevant Members’ Code of Conduct by Members and voting co-opted Members of North Yorkshire Council and town and parish councils in North Yorkshire.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Bulletin

Standing report by Monitoring Officer presenting draft Standards Bulletin for approval for circulation.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Work Programme for 2024/25

If approved by the Committee on 15 March 2024, there will be a standing report by the Monitoring Officer to each scheduled ordinary meeting regarding the programme of work for 2024/25 for Members’ review.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan 2024/25

Standing report by Monitoring Officer in relation to standards training required for Members.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Annual Report of the Standards and Governance Committee 2024/25

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Annual Report for Members’ consideration and approval.

To be presented to meeting of full Council in May 2025.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matters to note

 

 

Ø  At its meeting on 19 July 2023, full Council agreed to extend, for four years, the terms of office of the predecessor authority NYCC’s two Independent Persons for Standards, Hilary Gilbertson MBE and Louise Holroyd (whose terms of office automatically continued post Vesting Day); and further approved the appointments, for four years, of Gillian Baker, Roy Martin, James Nelson and Richinda Taylor as additional Independent Persons for Standards for North Yorkshire Council.

Ø  Full Council also delegated power to the Monitoring Officer to extend the Independent Persons’ terms of office, in consultation with the Chair of the Standards and Governance Committee.

 

·       Protocol re Requests for Community Governance Reviews

Ø  15.9.23 – the Committee agreed the Protocol covering the period up to the scheduled May 2027 elections, setting out how the Council will respond to such requests. The Committee also granted authority to the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Executive Member for Corporate Services, to determine if requests for Community Governance Reviews should be treated as urgent and brought forward to the Standards and Governance Committee to recommend approval of terms of reference to the Council.

 

·       Schedule of Election Fees for Elections and By-elections in North Yorkshire

Ø  13.12.23 - The Committee agreed that the fee Schedule be amended in line with amendments made to the national indicative fee schedule in future years.