Please Contact: Lydia Hall
Please email: lydia.hall@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Please Direct Dial on: 01263 516047
30 January 2015
A meeting of the Standards Committee of North Norfolk District Council will be held in the
Council Chamber at the Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer on Tuesday 10 February
2015 at 2.00 p.m.
Members of the public who wish to ask a question or speak on an agenda item are
requested to arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the meeting. It will not always be
possible to accommodate requests after that time. This is to allow time for the Committee
Chair to rearrange the order of items on the agenda for the convenience of members of the
public. Further information on the procedure for public speaking can be obtained from
Democratic Services, Tel: 01263 516047, Email: democraticservices@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Anyone attending this meeting may take photographs, film or audio-record the proceedings
and report on the meeting. Anyone wishing to do so must inform the Chairman. If you are a
member of the public and you wish to speak on an item on the agenda, please be aware that
you may be filmed or photographed.
Sheila Oxtoby
Chief Executive
To District Members: Mrs H Cox, Mr B J Hannah, Mr P W Moore, Ms B Palmer, Mr J
Savory, Mr R Stevens, and Mr P Williams
Co-opted Members: Mr G Allen, Mr R Barr, Mr A Bullen, Mrs M Evans, Mr H Gupta, Mr A
Nash, Mrs A Shirley
Members of the Management Team, appropriate Officers, Press and Public.
If you have any special requirements in order
to attend this meeting, please let us know in advance
If you would like any document in large print, audio, Braille, alternative
format or in a different language please contact us
Chief Executive: Sheila Oxtoby, Corporate Directors: Nick Baker & Steve Blatch
Tel 01263 513811 Fax 01263 515042 Minicom 01263 516005
Email districtcouncil@north-norfolk.gov.uk Web site northnorfolk.org
AGENDA
1.
TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
2.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS
3.
MINUTES
(attached – p. 1)
To approve as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on
04 November 2014.
4.
ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
To determine any items of business which the Chairman decides should be
considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local
Government Act 1972.
5.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any
of the following items on the agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requires
that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a pecuniary
interest.
6.
PARISH AND DISTRICT MEMBERS’ REGISTER OF INTERESTS AND OFFICER
REGISTER OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
Members are reminded that the Parish and District Members’ Register of Interests
and Officer Register of Gifts and Hospitality are available for inspection in the
Democratic Services section.
7.
PARISH COUNCILS AND STANDARDS: WIDER ENGAGEMENT PHASE 2
To update Members on phase 2 of the engagement sessions.
8.
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
To pass the following resolution:
“That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public
be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that
they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1
and 3 of Part I of Schedule 12A (as amended) to the Act”
9.
STANDARDS COMPLAINTS - ASSESSMENTS
(attached - p.5)
NOT FOR PUBLICATION – BY VIRTUE OF PARAGRAPHS 1 & 3 OF PART 1 OF
SCHEDULE 12A (AS AMENDED) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972
Summary:
This report advises Members of complaints
received by the Monitoring Officer
Recommendations:
Members are asked to note the contents of
the report and consider the Monitoring
Officer’s recommendations
Agenda Item 3
STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Minutes of a meeting of the Standards Committee held on 04 November 2014
in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Holt Road, Cromer at 2.00pm.
Members present:
District
Councillors:
Miss B Palmer
Mrs H Cox (Chairman)
Mr P Moore
Mr B Hannah
Mr R Stevens
Co-opted
Members:
Mr A Bullen
Mr H Gupta
Mrs M Evans
NoNot Present:
Not Present:
Officers in
Attendance:
1.
Mr J Savoury
Mr G Allen
The Democratic Services Team Leader
The Democratic Services Officer
The Monitoring Officer
The Independent Person
Head of Legal Services
The Assistant Employed Barrister
TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies received from Mr R Barr, Mrs A Shirley, Mr A Nash and Mr P
Williams
2.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS
None
3.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards Committee held on 07 October
2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
4.
ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS
None
Standards Committee
04 November 2014
5.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
None
6.
PARISH AND DISTRICT MEMBERS’ REGISTER OF INTERESTS AND
OFFICER REGISTER OF GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY
None
7.
PARISH COUNCILS AND STANDARDS: WIDER ENGAGEMENT PHASE 2
The Democratic Services Officer informed Members that following on from the
first round of sessions in 2013, a further session named Phase 2 had been
organised across the district. Three sessions were booked as follows:
 Tuesday 18th November - WEST - Fakenham Connect
 Wednesday 26th November - CENTRAL - NNDC Council Offices
 Thursday 4th December - EAST - North Walsham Community Centre
Each of the sessions would run from 6:30pm until 8:00pm.
The Democratic Services Officer said that the invitations had been sent to all
Parish and Town Councils. The information on the Phase 1 sessions had
been included as directed by the Committee at the last meeting.
Phase 2 would include a presentation by NALC and any other topics brought
forward by the attending Councils themselves.
The Democratic Services Team Leader informed Members that she had spoken
with the Electoral Services Manager regarding three sessions to encourage
people to stand as town and parish councillors as requested in the last
meeting. She reported that the Electoral Services Manager felt that the work
commitments of the team were too great to enable three sessions across the
district but that she was happy to attend one central session at the Council
offices.
The Democratic Services Team Leader said that between the teams an
agreement had been reached that Democratic Services would organise the
event and that the Electoral Services team would give a presentation. She
suggested that well-functioning parish councils were invited to attend. She
added that if the initial lone session was successful and generated interest,
further follow up sessions could be organised across the district.
The Chairman said that the events were aimed at towns and villages and that
the Committee should go out to them. She added that she appreciated that the
Electoral Services Team had a large workload with three elections in May 2015.
The Members discussed how to attract people's attendance through advertising
and publicity and whether the sessions should be held in parish meetings or
whether they should be held and run separately as to attract all parishioners
rather than the existing councillors in the area.
Standards Committee
04 November 2014
The Democratic Services Team Leader asked Members about whether a
budget was available.
The Chairman and Members agreed that the events should be rolled out at a
minimal cost and by Democratic Services. They agreed that the Elections team
did not need to have an input and that the information that would be relaid
would be around behaviours and be quite general rather than anything
specifically connected with elections.
The Chairman asked the Democratic Services Officer to organise events for the
122 parish and town councils to start in mid-January.
Mr P Moore added that few parish seats were contested at the last election.
The Chairman said that the aim was to get more people involved in parish and
town councils and to disband negativity.
The Independent Person commented that elections remind Councillors that
they are accountable.
8.
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
None present
9.
STANDARDS COMPLAINTS - ASSESSMENTS
The Monitoring Officer informed Members that there were two complaints for
assessment on the agenda and that a third complaint was to be assessed as
a matter of urgent business under agenda item 4.
The Monitoring Officer reminded Members that the complaints were
confidential at this stage.
i) The first complaint was assessed and Members agreed with the Monitoring
Officer that the case should be referred for investigation.
ii) The second complaint was assessed and Members agreed with the
Independent Person that further action was required.
It was proposed by Cllr P Moore and seconded by Cllr B Hannah that
The complaint be referred for investigation
iii) The third complaint mirrored one of the previous two complaints and was
made against the same individual.
It was proposed by Cllr P Moore and seconded by Cllr B palmer that
The complaint be referred for investigation.
10.
STANDARDS INVESTIGATION – FINAL REPORT (CASE REFERENCE
69712)
Standards Committee
04 November 2014
The Head of Legal Services outlined the complaint and her report as included
in the meeting’s agenda on purple pages. She informed Members that no
breach had been found.
The Members questioned the Head of Legal Services and after some debate
and discussion, it was proposed by Cllr B Hannah and seconded by Cllr B
Palmer that
No breach had been found
The Monitoring Officer said that he would inform the parties involved of the
committee's findings.
11.
STANDARDS INVESTIGATION - FINAL REPORT
The Assistant Employed Barrister outlined the complaint and her report as
included in the meeting’s agenda on purple pages. She informed the
Members that a breach had been found.
The Members questioned the Assistant Employed Barrister and after some
debate and discussion, it was proposed by Cllr P Moore and seconded by Cllr
B Hannah that
A breach of the Code of Conduct had been found
Members agreed to feedback this information to the Councillor involved and
to reflect on the behaviour found in breach and to make a formal apology to
the complainant. Members agreed that if the Councillor did not agree to the
Committee's findings that the case would be referred for a formal hearing.
12.
FEEDBACK ON A MEETING WITH COMPLAINANT FROM HICKLING
The Monitoring Officer gave feedback to the Members on a meeting with a
complainant from Hickling.
The Chair thanked the Monitoring Officer on a satisfactory outcome.
The next meeting of the Standards Committee was scheduled for 02
December 2014.
The meeting concluded at 15.10 pm
Chairman
Standards Committee
04 November 2014