Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are asked to declare any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or

non-pecuniary interests relating to items on the agenda.

No declarations for interests were received.

To receive and agree the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020.

The minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2020 were agreed.

ACTION:Jeremy Chambers, Director of Law and Governance, to circulate minutes of the meeting on 3 March 2020 for approval by email.

To receive the Annual Report of the Councillor Conduct Committee 2020/21.

Jeremy Chambers, Director of Law and Governance presented the Councillor Conduct Committee Annual Report. The following key points were highlighted:

·         The Committee is required to produce a report annually highlighting work completed throughout the year.

·         The report contains a similar amount of detail as other borough’s Annual Report.

·         It is important to be cautious of the level of detail provided in the report  for reasons such as many complaints once they are investigated are closed.

·         It was important the Annual Report was not used a “naming and shaming” document.

The Committee agreed the Councillor Conduct Committee Annual Report and noted it would go to Council on 22 September 2021.

To receive a report for the Independent Persons update.

Joan Mansfield has been appointed as one of the Council’s Independent Persons for two years.

Christine Chamberlain has also agreed to continue as an Independent person until the Council’s Annual Meeting in 2022.

To receive a Confidential Appendix from the Director of Law and Governance

on the complaints currently being considered.

AGREED in accordance with Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for consideration of Items 1 and 2 listed on Part 2 of the agenda on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006).

The Committee noted the update from the Director of Law and Governance on the current complaints.