Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations made.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 23 March 2022 be approved as a correct record.

The Committee considered recommendations made by the Parish Remuneration Panel with regards to the level of allowances paid to parish and town councillors.  Arrangements for parish council allowances are contained in Part 5 of the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003. These state that where an authority proposes to pay a parish basic allowance, whether to its chairman only or to each of its members (elected or non-elected), it must have regard, in setting the level or levels of such allowances, to the recommendations made by a parish remuneration panel which may be established by a responsible authority (the Borough Council).

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

The Committee was presented with a report that gave the Government response to the Committee on Standards in Public Life review of local government ethical standards.  In 2018, the Committee on Standards in Public Life undertook a review of local government ethical standards. The Council responded to the consultation exercise which informed the report. The full details of the outcomes of the review, including best practice and recommendations, were reported to the Committee on 14 March 2019. 

A further report was presented to the Committee on 4 July 2019.  This informed members about the best practice recommendations which were incorporated into the Councils Ethical Framework where appropriate.  The Government published its response to the report on 18 March 2022 and was attached at Appendix B to the report.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.      

The Committee considered a proposal to extend the dispensation previously granted for all councillors from S.85 of the Local Government Act 1972 for a period of six months. This was proposed given the issues that some councillors may encounter in attending face to face meetings due to the Coronavirus pandemic.  Given that this was now the last year of the Council administration  an alternative proposal to grant the dispensation until the next all-out elections was also presented to the Committee.

RESOLVED:

That a dispensation to allow all councillors dispensation from S.85 of the Local Government Act 1972 be granted until the next all-out elections.  As the meeting took place online in a deliberative manner the decision, reflecting the views of the Committee, was formally made by officers using emergency powers within the Council’s constitution.

To resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as there may be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972

RESOLVED:

That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business as there may be disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:

That the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 23 March 2022 be approved as a correct record.

Consideration was given to Standards complaints received by the Monitoring Officer since the previous Committee meeting.