Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from:

Ms S Gardner, Dr S Green and Mr G Clark, Independent Persons

To be notified of the appointment of any Substitute Members.

There were no substitute members.

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensations in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest or dispensations reported.

To confirm the minutes of the Standards Committee meeting held on 8 April 2021.

It was noted that four members of the Committee had volunteered to join the Code of Conduct Sub-group and a first meeting of the group would be arranged in the near future.

Resolved: That the minutes of the previous Standards Committee meeting held on 8 April 2021 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

To consider the Action Plan/Work Programme 2021-22 of the Standards Committee for the year up to 31 March 2022.

The Committee considered the report which set out a work programme for the year ahead.

Cllr Lott indicated his intention to visit neighbouring authorities to observe their Standards Committees to gain a wider understanding.

Resolved:  That the work programme as set out in the report be adopted.

Cllr F Lott, to provide his views to the committee on Ethical

Governance and Standards issues relating to his time as Chair of Planning Committee.

Cllr Lott gave a short presentation setting out his experiences of ethical governance and standards during his time as Chair of the Planning Committee.  He outlined some of the changes he introduced to improve standards and increase transparency and visibility for the public.  These included additional training and information for members on specific matters related to planning, observations of planning committee in other authorities, improved communication around planning decisions, the reintroduction of the weekly planning list circulated to ward members and physical changes to the committee layout.

Resolved:     That the information be noted.

To consider scope to work with other authorities across the region on a regional approach to ethical governance and standards.

It was noted that this item had been covered during the discussion of the work programme, with an initial intention of observing Standards Committee meetings in neighbouring authorities.