Agenda and draft minutes

To take any questions or statements from members of the Public.

No questions or statements from members of the public were received.

To receive declarations of any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or other registrable or non-registrable interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.

Review of Code of Conduct Complaints:

Councillor Chris Ames, Other Interest: Councillor Chris Ames declared that he was the subject of complaints listed in the report, and stated that he would withdraw from the meeting prior to the Committee's consideration of the item.

The Committee is asked to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 16 April 2025 (attached) and to authorise the Chair to sign them.

The Committee confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 16 April 2025 and authorised the Chair to sign them.

The following report proposes an update to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation, for adoption at Full Council in February 2026.

The Committee received a report proposing an update to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation, for adoption at Full Council in February 2026.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Proposed Removal of Appendix 2 to the Report. A Memberenquired as to the reasoning behind the proposal put forward within the report’s addendum to remove Appendix 2 from the report.

At this point in the conversation, the direction changed to include details regarding changes to the Constitution on a broader level. The Chair stated that following a discussion with Group Leaders at the Constitution Working Group, in which the Chair mentioned Cllr Chinn by name, the Group Leaders had agreed not to undertake any further major changes to the Constitution as a result of Local Government Reorganisation.

Subsequent to the meeting the Chair wished to clarify that his comment was made in reference to Appendix 2 to the Constitution – not regarding Appendix 2 to the report currently before Members – and wished to offer his apologies to the Members of the Committee and to Cllr Chinn for any misunderstanding and confusion caused.

b)            Proposal of Additional Recommendation. Further to the proposal contained within the report’s addendum to recommend to Full Council to update wording to Appendix 2, paragraph 4.1 (i) of the Constitution, in respect of the scrutiny process for urgent decisions, Councillor Chris Ames proposed the following additional recommendation to the report:

Recommend to Full Council to reword Appendix 2, paragraph 4.1 (ii) of the Constitution as follows: “Any councillor may request that (with the exception of decisions made by the Planning Committee and licensing hearings) decisions taken by officers under delegated powers are scrutinised by the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, and such a request shall be met at the next meeting of the Committee.”

The proposal did not receive a seconder and the proposal was lost. With advice having been received from the Monitoring Officer, the Chair stated that the matter, at the request of Councillor Chris Ames, would be taken to Constitution Working Group for consideration.

Following consideration, the Chair proposed amendments to the report and to the report’s recommendation, as set out in the published addendum to the report, as follows:

1. Replace Para 2.3-2.5 of the report as follows:

“2.3 - Further to the Decision Making and Accountability 2024/25 Internal Audit Report, the progress of which was noted before Audit and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 13 November 2025, there was a proposed management action as follows:

To reword Appendix 2, paragraph 4.1 (i) of the Constitution, as follows: “A report should be presented annually to the Audit & Scrutiny Committee setting out urgent decisions taken by officers under delegated powers in the previous year.”

2.4 – It is proposed to capture this update to Appendix 2 within the proposed list of updates to the Council’s Constitution as set out within this report”

2. Remove Appendix 2 & reword the recommendation as follows:

“Recommend to Full Council to approve and adopt the updates to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Contract Standing Orders (‘CSOs’) were last updated in December 2024, ahead of the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023. Since this time, officers have conducted the annual review of the CSOs, and identified several areas where minor updates could improve their practical application and strengthen governance.

The Committee received a report proposing amendments to the Council’s Contract Standing Orders (‘CSOs’).

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Recommend Full Council approve the revisions to the Contract Standing Orders, attached at Appendix 1 to this report.

This report outlines the progress made on the Council’s 2025-2027 Strategic Priority 1.

The Committee received a report outlining the progress made on the Council’s 2025-2027 Strategic Priority 1.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved (4 for, 1 abstaining) to:

(1)      Note the update and progress made as set out in the report below.

To provide an update on complaints made under the Code of Conduct for Members from 5 December 2023 to 17 December 2025.

Further to his declaration, Councillor Chris Ames withdrew from the meeting prior to the Committee’s consideration of this agenda item.

The Committee received a report providing an update on complaints made under the Code of Conduct for Members from 5 December 2023 to 17 December 2025.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Note the update set out within paragraph 2.6 of the report.