Chairman: Councillor N Poole
Venue: Function Room 1, Civic Centre, Scunthorpe
Time: 2 pm
AGENDA
1. Declarations of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Personal or Personal and Prejudicial interests, if any.
2. To take the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 2015 as a correct record and authorise the chairman to sign.
3. Any other items that the chairman decides are urgent by reason of special circumstances that must be specified.
The public are likely to be excluded from the meeting for consideration of the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
4. Localism Act 2011 – Code of Conduct – To consider eight complaints.
The following documents are EXEMPT
Complaints – (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii) and (viii)
Response from subject members
The Code of Conduct, and
Assessment Criteria.
MINUTES
PRESENT: – Councillors Poole (in the chair), T Foster and O'Sullivan.
Mr R Johnson - Independent Person.
The panel met at the Civic Centre, Scunthorpe.
131 DECLARATIONS OF DISCLOSABLE PECUNIARY, PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS – There were no declarations of interests made at the meeting.
132 MINUTES – Resolved – That the minutes of the proceedings of the meeting held on 6 November 2015, having been printed and circulated amongst the members be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the chairman.
133 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC – Resolved – That the public be excluded from the meeting for consideration of the following items (minutes 134 to 135 refer) on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).
134 (10) LOCALISM ACT 2011 – CODE OF CONDUCT – COMPLAINT – SC/15/14 BY A SCHOOL BOARD OF GOVERNORS AGAINST A MEMBER OF NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL – In accordance with the council's adopted Arrangements, the panel considered a complaint. The panel had been provided with the complaint and the response of the subject member.
Mr R Johnson (Independent Person) submitted his views on the complaint, which were considered by all members.
Resolved – That no action be taken on the complaint.
135 (11) LOCALISM ACT 2011 – CODE OF CONDUCT – COMPLAINTS – SC/15/07, SC/15/12, SC/15/13, SC/15/15, SC/15/16, SC/15/17 AND SC/15/19 BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS OF GOXHILL PARISH COUNCIL AGAINST A MEMBERS OF GOXHILL PARISH COUNCIL – In accordance with the council's adopted Arrangements, the panel considered the above complaints. The panel had been provided with the details of each complaint and the responses of the subject members.
Mr R Johnson (Independent Person) submitted his views on the complaints, which were considered by all members.
The panel was also informed that since the agenda papers had been circulated to members, a further four complaints had been received in addition to the above. The
Monitoring Officer requested the panel how they wished for these additional four complaints to be considered.
Resolved - (a) That no action be taken on the complaints, (b) that a letter be sent to the chairman, clerk, above subject members and all other members of Goxhill Parish Council strongly advising that they follow and implement a suggested course of action (to be detailed by the council's Monitoring Officer in consultation with the chairman) to improve the working relationships and conduct of members, and ultimately the public perception of the council as a democratic organisation operating on behalf of the local community, (c) that the panel emphasises that following implementation of the above, and in the interim, it would take a tougher line on any or similar complaints received against and submitted by Goxhill Parish councillors, as provided for within the published Standards Arrangements, and (d) that the Monitoring Officer consider the additional four complaints in accordance with the published Standards Arrangements and having sought the views of the Independent Person, taking into consideration the above decision and action during his deliberations.