Agenda and minutes

To receive the apologies of any Member who is unable to attend this meeting.

Apologies for absence were submitted for Councillors Fry and Norton and Mr M Collins (Independent Member).

To invite Councillors to declare any interests they may have in items on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on the .

There were no minutes submitted for approval.

To review Members’ Declarations of Gifts, Hospitality and Interests.

(Report attached)

The Committee received a report on a review of gifts, hospitality and Interests made by Members in the last year and to review the Declaration of Gifts and Hospitality adopted by the Council on 13 August 2007.

Officers reported that Appendix 1 to the report had not included information regarding Independent Members’ and Parish Councillors’ personal interests and apologised for the omission.

Members noted that there were large variances in the way individual Members registered their personal interests and that there seemed to be uncertainty around what should or should not be included.

It was reported that work is ongoing to investigate ways of placing the Register of Members’ Interests on the Council’s website so that public access is available on the Internet as well as through paper copies held at the Town Hall.  Members expressed concern regarding the possibility of scanned signatures being included on the web-site.

Members were informed that only two declarations of interest had been made in the last two years in terms of gifts and hospitality.  Officers reported that when the Council’s Code of Conduct on Gifts and Hospitality was adopted it had been the intention that training would be provided for all Members.  This training had not taken place.

RESOLVED that

1)                 the report be noted;

2)                 a)         a single document be compiled in order to enable a comparison of Member’s responses when completing the Register of Interests form, which could be used in training;

b)     investigations continue regarding publication of a Register of Interest on the web-site;

3)                 training and further guidance be provided to all Members on the declaration of personal interests, including interests arising from gifts and hospitality; and

4)                 a further review be carried out on the Register of Interests following completion of forms in 2010 following completion of training.

To receive notification of which Members have not returned their Register of Interests.

Members were informed that the Register of Interests forms had been distributed in the last week.  To date 11 forms had been returned.

To consider any Chair / Member updates not separately covered on the agenda list, including brief feedback from any Seminars or Conferences.

(Oral report)

Members received a verbal report regarding conduct and procedure at a recent Planning Committee.

RESOLVED that

a number of Members attend Planning Committee to gain an overall impression of how the Committee is run and report to the next meeting.

To consider any report in relation to Feckenham Parish Council.

(Oral report)

There was no report from the Parish Council.

To consider and review the Committee’s Work Programme.

(Report attached)

Members received a report on the Committee’s Work Programme for 2009/10.  There were no additions to the Work Programme.

RESOLVED that

the report be received.