To: Councillors Stebbings (Chair), Dryden, Howell, Hughes, Pinnington and Taylor. External members - Dr A Clark, Ms L Hobbs
STANDARDS COMMITTEE
Date: Wednesday 22 October 2003
Time: 6.00pm
Place: Committee Room 1, The Guildhall
Contact: John Blunt Direct Dial: (01223) 457012
AGENDA
1 MINUTES
To confirm the minutes
of the meeting held on 25
June 2003.
2 APOLOGIES
3 DECLARATIONS
OF INTEREST
Members are asked to
declare at this stage any interests which they may have in any of the following
items on the agenda. If any member is unsure whether or not they should declare
an interest on a particular matter, they are requested to seek advice from the
Head of Legal and Democratic Services before the meeting.
4 PUBLIC
QUESTION TIME – see
below for detail of the scheme and other public information.
5 CODE
OF CONDUCT: STANDARDS COMMITTEE PROCEDURE FOR LOCAL DETERMINATION OF ALLEDGED
BREACHES (Report By Simon Pugh,
Tel 457401)
Appendix
1: Procedure for local
determination of allegations about the personal conduct of Council members
6 Planning
Code of Good Practice (Report By Simon Pugh, Tel 457401)
As members will be aware, officers have been aiming to develop a local
code of good practice for the consideration of planning applications. Attached
to this agenda is the model code which has been prepared by the Association of
Council Secretaries and Solicitors. This carries considerable weight, as it has
been endorsed by the Standards Board, the Local Government Ombudsman and the
Audit Commission.
The model code has been considered informally by the Planning Committee.
Whilst the Planning Committee was supportive of the introduction of a code, it
disliked the style of the model code. Some changes are also needed to reflect
local practice. The Planning Committee therefore asked the officers to redraft
the model code. Officers hope to be able to produce a revised version shortly
and will submit this formally to the Planning Committee and to this committee.
It
is likely that the code recommended by the officers will be substantially
similar in content to the model code, if not in form.
7 DISCUSSION
PAPER – PROMOTING THE WORK OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE (Report By Margaret Walker, Tel 457301)
Appendix
1: Work Programme – Updated August
2003
The
next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 7 January 2004 at 6pm.
Information
for the public
You are welcome
to attend this meeting as an observer, although it may be necessary to ask you
to leave the room during the discussion of matters which are described as
confidential on the agenda.
o0o
You can ask
questions on an issue included on the agenda, or on an issue which is within
this committee’s powers. If you wish to ask a question related to an agenda
item contact the committee officer (listed above under ‘contact’) before the meeting starts. If you wish to ask a question on a matter
not included on this agenda, please contact the committee officer by 10.00am
the working day before the meeting.
Further details concerning the right to speak at committee can be
obtained from the committee section.
o0o
In the event
of the fire alarm sounding (which is a
continuous ringing sound), you should pick up your possessions and leave the
building by the route you came in. Once clear of the building, you should
assemble on the pavement opposite the main entrance to the Guildhall and await
further instructions. If your escape route or the
assembly area is unsafe, you will be directed to safe areas by a member of
Cambridge City Council staff.