Issue - meetings

To receive a report of the Improvements and Issues Working Group held on 22 February 2011 and to consider any appropriate action.

The report of the Improvements and Issues Working Group provided an update on the work being undertaken. The Group held a meeting on 22 February 2011, at which time Members had focused on the abolition of the Standards regime. Options for an alternative system had been explored and were presented to the Committee.

The Group had concluded that the Council should adopt a voluntary Code of Conduct for the following reasons –

i)                    ensure compliance with the duty to promote and maintain high standards of conduct for Members and co-opted Members;

ii)                  promote transparency within local government and retain the support of local people; and

iii)                reduce the number of cases which might otherwise result in litigation.

The Group had recommended the preparation of a simple draft Code of Conduct for wider consultation (the draft to be based on the current Code of Conduct) and the establishment of an inexpensive democratically-run committee to deal with complaints quickly, fairly and transparently.

Members discussed the Group’s proposals and agreed, in principle, to the recommendations, commenting as follows:

• Where complaints were of a serious nature, a structured robust system would be essential to deal with such complaints, and a “simple” system was aspirational but may not be adequate.
• The composition of a committee should broadly mirror the composition of the current Standards Committee.

The draft Code would be submitted to the Standards Committee for comment, following which it would be issued for consultation purposes. The Committee would consider the responses to the consultation and would make any appropriate amendments.

A second draft of the document would be submitted to the Constitution Committee and then to full Council for adoption.

RESOLVED:

1.                  That the Borough Council’s Monitoring Officer and the Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils prepare a draft voluntary Code of Conduct for consultation purposes, based on discussions at this meeting; and

2.                  That the draft Code be submitted to an early meeting of the Standards Committee.