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BABERGH DISTRICT COUNCIL STANDARDS COMMITTEE
MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM 1, COUNCIL OFFICES, CORKS LANE, HADLEIGH ON FRIDAY 21 APRIL 2006
PRESENT: Members Co-opted Members
Mrs S P Clarke Mr J Newton
Mr R E Kemp Miss P F Cook
Mr N A Ridley
Mrs J N Cole, Mr N H J Irwin and Mr B Riley were unable to attend the meeting
1 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN
Mrs S P Clarke was elected Chairman of the Standards Committee for the ensuing year.
2 ELECTION OF VICE-CHAIRMAN
Mr J B Newton was elected Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee for the ensuing year.
3 DECLARATION OF INTERESTS
None received.
4 MINUTES
RESOLVED
That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2006 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.
5 PETITIONS
None received.
6 QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS
None received.
7 CORRECTION TO REPORT E298 – REFERRED COMPLAINT IN RESPECT OF A COUNCILLOR OF BENTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
The Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services reported that on 14 March 2006 the Standards Committee had considered Paper E298 concerning the Standards Board referral of a complaint against a Councillor of Bentley Parish Council. Paragraph 4.2 of that report referred to face-to-face interviews with the Councillors, along with Mrs Scott and Miss Pam Lovell, a local parishioner. Miss Lovell was in fact interviewed by telephone and not face-to-face. Although this error will not have impacted upon the Committee’s finding of the complaint, a written apology has been given to Miss Lovell.
RESOLVED
That the correction to Paper E298 be noted.
8 MEMBERS CODE OF CONDUCT
The Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services submitted a report (Paper F12) outlining recent case reports arising from investigations of alleged breaches of the Members Code of Conduct.
During discussion of the item Members agreed the following points:
RESOLVED
That the information contained in Paper F12 be noted.
9 QUARTERLY MONITORING REPORT
The Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services submitted a report (Paper F13) to provide the Committee with the monitoring report for the period 1 January 2006 to 1 March 2006.
RESOLVED
That the information contained in Paper F13 be noted.
10 TRAINING FOR TOWN/PARISH COUNCILS
The Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services reported that all Parish Councils had been written to informing them of ‘Probity in Planning’ training sessions that had been arranged for Parish Councillors, at no charge. The training would take place as follows:
- 3 May 2006 at 2.30 pm at Stoke-by-Nayland Golf club
- 10 May 2006 at 6.45 pm at Sudbury Town Council
- 17 May 2006 at 6.45 pm at Corks Lane, Hadleigh
- 25 May at 2.30 pm at the Holiday Inn, Ipswich
The Head of Planning (Control) would be providing training on the planning process and the Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services would attend each session to provide training on Standards issues in relation to planning matters.
Members were also invited to attend one of the two training sessions that had been arranged in conjunction with the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC), on the Code of Conduct, to be held on 8 June 2006 at 10.00 am and 2.30 pm in the Council Chamber at Corks Lane, Hadleigh. SALC had written to Parish Councils inviting them to attend the training, at a cost of £5 per head. Members considered this was an acceptable fee, but agreed that the take-up should be monitored to ensure that attendance was not reduced because of the charge.
Members expressed disappointment and concern that there had been no progress on the production of a user-friendly leaflet that could be used as an aid to training; the Acting Head of Legal and Administrative Services would raise the matter at the next Monitoring Officers Group meeting.
RESOLVED
That the position be noted.
The meeting concluded at 10.45 a.m.
Note: Following the meeting a guidance DVD produced by the Standards Board, entitled Going Local: Investigations and Hearings, was shown to Members
Chairman
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