APPENDIX 1

WORK PROGRAMME FOR STANDARDS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE – 2025/26

 

* standing items for each scheduled ordinary meeting of the Committee

 

MEETING

AGENDA ITEM

REPORT REQUIRED

PROGRESS

14 March 2025

 

Chief Executive Officer attending meeting. [Deferred to September].

* 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 2025/26

Report by Monitoring Officer setting out suggested draft programme of work for 2025/2026 for Members’ consideration.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan 2025/26

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

Report presented to meeting.

 

Annual Report of the Standards and Governance Committee 2024/25

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Annual Report for 2024/25 for Members’ consideration and approval.

To be presented to meeting of Council on 21 May 2025.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Dispensation Request

Report by Monitoring Officer regarding dispensation request from Councillor Peacock.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

20 June 2025

* 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

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding the programme of work for 2025/26 for Members’ review.

Report presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan

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

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 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Temporary Appointment to Parish Council by the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer.

An update report from the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer regarding a temporary appointment to a parish council, made under delegated powers.

Report presented to meeting.

 

Community Governance Review

A report from the Deputy Monitoring Officer proposing a community governance review for a defined number of parish areas as set out in the draft Terms of Reference.

Report presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

17 September 2025

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

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

Report to be presented to meeting.

Chief Executive Officer attending 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

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding the programme of work for 2025/26 for Members’ review.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan

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

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Protocol re Councillors’ Use of Resources

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Protocol re Councillors’ Use of Resources, to assist Members.

Deferred to next meeting.

 

Temporary Appointment to Parish Council by the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer.

An update report from the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer regarding a temporary appointment to a parish council, made under delegated powers.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Community Governance Review - Kirby Grindalythe and Duggleby Parish Council

An update report from the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services proposing final recommendations to be made to full Council.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

 

 

 

13 March 2026

* Local Ethical Framework Developments

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

Report to be presented to meeting.

Leader of Council attending 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 2026/27

Standing report by Monitoring Officer regarding the programme of work for 2026/27 for Members’ review.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

* Standards Training Plan 2026/27

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 2025/26

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

To be presented to meeting of full Council in May 2026.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Protocol re Councillors’ Use of Resources

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting a draft Protocol re Councillors’ Use of Resources, to assist Members.

Report to be presented to meeting.

 

Community Governance Review

An update report from the Deputy Monitoring Officer re proposed community governance review for a defined number of parish areas as set out in the Terms of Reference.

Report to presented to meeting.

 

Dispensation requests re Community Governance Review

Report by Monitoring Officer presenting dispensations requests from dual-hatted Members.

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 (resigned with effect from 27 August 2025), 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 (resigned with effect from 31 December 2024), 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.

 

·       Community Governance Review

Ø  20.6.25 – Committee delegated the following powers to ACELDS:

v  That if the LGBCE final recommendations have an impact on the terms of reference the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services be delegated authority to amend the terms of reference accordingly;

v  That if further requests for a CGR from other parish areas come forward authority be delegated to the Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services to consider whether the request should be incorporated in this CGR and the terms of reference amended accordingly.

 

·       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.