Decision details

Having considered the report to the informal meeting of Standards Committee Members held on 17 September 2021; the views of the Committee Members and Independent Person for Standards expressed at that informal meeting; and the revised proposed amendments to the Members’ Code of Conduct presented to the Chief Executive Officer since that informal meeting taking into account those views, and all relevant information, the Chief Executive Officer agreed that:

a) the proposed amendments to the Council’s current Members’ Code of Conduct as set out in Appendix 3 to the report to the Chief Executive Officer be recommended to full Council for approval;

b) it be recommended to full Council that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make consequential amendments to the registration of Members’ interests form proforma, any other relevant standards documentation and the Constitution to reflect the changes made to the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members; and

c) tailored guidance, specific to the Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct, be circulated to Members if the proposed amendments to the Code are ultimately approved by full Council.

By whom: Richard Flinton, Chief Executive Officer, under his emergency delegated powers and after consultation with the Members of the Standards Committee and the Independent Person for Standards

PLEASE NOTE that as a non-executive function, this decision is not open to call in.

Under his delegated decision making powers in the Officers’ Delegation Scheme in the Council’s Constitution, the Chief Executive Officer has power, in cases of emergency, to take any decision which could be taken by the Council, the Executive or a committee.

Following on from the expiry of the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 (“the 2020 Regulations”), which allowed for committee meetings to be held remotely, the County Council resolved at its meeting on 5 May 2021 that, for the present time, in light of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic circumstances, remote live-broadcast committee meetings should continue, as informal meetings of the committee Members, with any formal decisions required being taken by the Chief Executive Officer under his emergency decision making powers and after consultation with other Officers and Members as appropriate and after taking into account any views of the relevant Committee Members and all relevant information. This approach is being kept under review and will be reviewed again by full Council at its November 2021 meeting.

The Chief Executive Officer has taken all relevant information into account in exercising his emergency delegated powers in this matter, including considering the views of the Standards Committee Members and Independent Person for Standards expressed at that informal meeting, and considering the revised proposed amendments to the Members’ Code of Conduct presented to him since that informal meeting taking into account those views; and has made the recommendations set out earlier in this decision record to ensure consistency with developments in the national standards regime.

N/A.