Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutions.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Attewell.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 28 July 2021 and the extraordinary meeting held on 29 September 2021.

The minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 28 July 2021 and the extraordinary meeting held on 29 September 2021 were agreed.

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

There were none.

To note those complaints made under the Members’ Code of Conduct for the period January 2020 to October 2021 and how they have been dealt with.

The report outlined the complaints that had been received between January 2020 and October 2021.  Where complaints had been determined, the outcome of these were also reported.

It was confirmed that assessment panels were held in private, with investigation panels generally being held in public, depending on the subject of the complaint.

The members’ code of conduct and the complaints processes were reviewed at appropriate intervals.  The process for persistent and vexatious complainants was contained in a separate Council policy.

There was discussion about the upcoming standards training for councillors.  The committee requested that there be a specific section on the use of social media, in particular responding to multiple or persistently challenging individuals.

The committee noted that complaints were taking some time to be considered which was due to the high number that were being received.  The committee requested that the date complaints were received, determined, and by who be included in future reports.  It also requested that the origin of political complaints be reported, subject to smaller groups sharing a category.

The report was noted.