Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
N/A |
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Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc) |
Y |
|
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Relevant Group Head review |
Y |
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MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
N/A |
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This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
N |
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Reviewed by |
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|
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Finance comments (circulate to Finance) |
LH |
12/10/25 |
|
Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil) |
LH |
12/10/25 |
|
Legal comments (circulate to Legal team) |
LH |
12/10/25 |
|
HR comments (if applicable) |
N/A |
|
For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Completed by |
Date |
|
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
12/10/25 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
T.Collier |
13/10/25 |
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
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|
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Title |
Review of Councillor Code of Conduct in Part 5(a) of the Constitution |
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Purpose of the report |
To inform and assure |
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Report Author |
Linda Heron, Group Head Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards |
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Exempt |
No |
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Exemption Reason |
N/A |
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Corporate Priority |
This report is for information only |
|
Recommendations
|
This report is for information only |
|
Reason for Recommendation |
This report is for information only |
1. Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)
|
What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• The Council has previously adopted Local Government Association (LGA) Model Councillor Code of Conduct (“the Code”) |
• To comply with best practice |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• Review the Code to ensure this aligns with the LGA annual revisions |
• To note the contents of this report |
2. Key issues
2.1 Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote and maintain high standards of conduct by their members and co-opted members (s.27(1) Localism Act 2011). By way of discharging this duty, all local authorities must adopt a Code dealing with the conduct that is expected of members and co-opted members when they are acting in that capacity (s.27(2) of the Localism Act 2011).
2.2 Consequently, the Council has adopted the Code (part 5(a) of the Constitution) which is based on the LGA Model Councillor Code of Conduct.
2.3 LGA reviews the Model Councillor Code of Conduct annually to ensure it continues to be fit for purpose and incorporates relevant changes in legislation. The Council is not required to undertake annual review of the Code, but it is best practice to do so. Annual review of the Code also demonstrates the Council’s commitment to high standards of conduct by members and co-opted members.
2.4 The Council’s Code was last reviewed in late 2023. In June 2025 this Committee approved the new Protocol on relations between members for incorporation in the Council’s Constitution.
2.5 The Monitoring Officer has reviewed the Code and does not consider that any changes are required at this stage.
2.6 Between December 2024 and February 2025 the government undertook a consultation on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities, and the outcome of that consultation is awaited.
2.7 That consultation indicates that the government is considering making significant changes to the standards and conduct framework including a nationwide mandatory minimum code of conduct for councillors.
2.8 Workstreams within the context of the Local Government Reorganisation (“LGR”) are gathering pace and the government’s decision on the LGR proposals submitted by Surrey local authorities is awaited later this month. Once the composition of the new unitary authorities and the Council’s positioning within the relevant unitary authority is known, LGR governance workstream will inevitably require preparation of the new constitution and associated policies and documentation.
2.9 For these reasons the Monitoring Officer will keep this under constant review and will bring proposals for consideration should the LGR workstreams identify provisions in the Code that may require amendments and / or new provisions that may need to be incorporated in the Code, and once the government’s final decision on the changes to the standards and conduct framework are announced.
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 This report is for information only.
4. Risk implications
4.1 None arising directly from this report.
5. Financial implications
5.1 There are no financial implications arising directly from this report.
6. Legal comments
6.1 Legal comments are contained within this report.
Corporate implications
7. S151 Officer comments
7.1 As there are no financial implications from this report there are no budgetary implications.
8. Monitoring Officer comments
8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.
9. Procurement comments
9.1 There are no procurement implications directly arising from this report.
10. Equality and Diversity
10.1 There are no implications directly arising from this report.
11. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
11.1 None arising directly from this report.
12. Other considerations
12.1 None arising directly from this report.
13. Timetable for implementation
13.1 Not applicable.
14. Contact
14.1 Linda Heron, Group Head Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer (l.heron@spelthorne.gov.uk)
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers: Councillor Code of Conduct – part 5(a) of the Constitution.
Appendices: None