Agenda and draft minutes

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.

The following declarations were made by members of the Sub-Committee in relation to items on the agenda for the meeting:

Declarations of Interest

Councillor Rachel King, Other Interest: Councillor King declared that she was a ward councillor for the same ward as Councillor Neil Dallen and that Councillor Neil Dallen was a friend of her parents. Councillor King also declared that she had travelled on a Town Twinning trip to Chantilly with Councillor Dallen and other members of the Town Twinning Association but had not stayed at the same hotel as Councillor Dallen and had not spent more time with Councilllor Dallen than other members. Councillor King stated that she had not prejudged the matter and came to the meeting with an open mind.

The Sub-Committee unanimously appointed Councillor Rachel King as the Chair for the meeting.

Prior to beginning consideration of item 2 of the agenda (“Report in respect of an allegation that a member failed to comply with the code of conduct”), the Sub-Committee received a number of concerns and comments from Councillor Chris Ames and his representative. These related to the appointment of the Sub-Committee members, arrangements for complaints against councillors and arrangements for Standards Sub-Committee hearings.

The Legal Officer was invited by the Chair to provide responses to the matters raised by Councillor Ames and Councillor Ames’ representative. The Legal Officer informed the meeting that it would help the council if it had a comprehensive and consolidated document setting out the arrangements for complaints against councillors and Standards Sub-Committee hearings but that there was no legal requirement for this. The Legal Officer informed the meeting that there is a legal requirement under the Localism Act 2011 for the council to have arrangements under which complaints against councillors can be investigated and for decisions upon complaints to be made, and that the Council’s constitution provided this.

Following responses to the matters raised by Councillor Ames and his representative, and an opportunity for all parties to raise any other matters, the Sub-Committee adjourned between 16:59 hours and 17:21 to consider the matters raised so far during the meeting.

Following the adjournment, the Chair informed the meeting of the decision of the Sub-Committee, which was follows.

The Sub-Committee resolved to:

(1)          Adjourn the meeting until a future date and recommend to the Standards and Constitution Committee that it review the arrangements for complaints against councillors and Sub-Committee hearings moving forward.

In resolving the above decision, the Sub-Committee meeting adjourned without considering any further items on the agenda for the meeting.