Standards Committee
The Council's Standards Committee was established in 2001 as
part of the modernisation of Local Government, and are tasked with
promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct by
Councillors and assisting them to observe the Code of
Conduct.
Codes of Conduct seek to ensure that Councillors are open, fair
and transparent in the conduct of their official duties, that they
respect others in the conduct of their public lives and ensure that
any decision making on behalf of their Council is properly carried
out.
The committee is currently made up of 3 Borough
Councillors, 3 Parish / Town Councillors and 3
Independent Members.
Click here to view
agendas and minutes for meetings of Allerdale Borough Council's
Standards Committee.
The Code of Conduct for Borough Councillors can
be found in the Downloadable Documents section at the
bottom of this page. (Please note that this revised code was
adopted by the Council in June 2007).
Individual Parish Clerks should be contacted regarding the codes
of conduct for parish councillors.
Complaints
On 8 May 2008, new regulations came into effect, which changed
the framework for local authority Standards Committees:
- Standards Committees will be responsible for receiving
allegations and complaints that a Councillor has broken the Code of
Conduct, and deciding whether any action needs to be taken
(referred to as local assessment)
- Standards Committees will report periodically to the Standards
Board for England
- Standards Committees will be allowed to enter into joint
working arrangements with other Standards Committees
- The Standards Board will be responsible for monitoring and
ensuring the effectiveness of local arrangements, including
supporting authorities who may be experiencing difficulties and
driving up their performance
If you think that a Borough Councillor, Parish Councillor,
Co-opted Member or former Councillor has breached the Code of
Conduct, you should send your complaint the Standards Committee
using the electronic form
below, or in writing to:
The Standards Committee
C/o Democratic Services
Allerdale Borough Council
Allerdale House
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 3YJ
Telephone: 01900 702550
Fax: 01900 702785
Email: democratic.services@allerdale.gov.uk
The complaint should set out the name of the
Councillor, the name of the relevant Council, should set
out clearly the facts as you see them and the details of
the alleged breach of the code of conduct. You should try
to submit as much evidence as possible with your
complaint.
What happens next?
- Within 20 working days of receiving the complaint, an initial
assessment will be made by a sub committee made up of 3 members
drawn from the Standards Committee.
- The sub committee may decide on one of 5
possible outcomes:
- 1. To dismiss your complaint with
reasons
- 2. Ask you for additional information
- 3. Refer your complaint to the monitoring officer for
investigation
- 4. Refer your complaint to the monitoring officer for other
action
- 5. If it is deemed that the complaint is so serious, it may be
referred to the Standards Board for
England for investigation
- You will be notified in writing of the sub
committee's decision.
- If you do not agree with the decision, you can appeal for
a review by notifying the Standards Committee in writing,
stating your reasons for requesting a review, within 30
days in total of the decision. A different sub committee
of the Standards Committee will then consider the complaint,
and will decide on one of the five outcomes listed above. It
is only possible to request one review of
a decision.
- If your complaint has been referred to the monitoring officer
for investigation, you will be contacted by the person carrying out
the investigation, as will all of the other relevant
individuals. The investigator will prepare a report to be
presented to the Standards Committee, and you will be sent a copy
of the report. The Councillor who is the subject of the complaint
will also be sent a copy of the report. The Standards Committee
will consider the investigation report and it's recommendations,
and will decide what action to take or penalty to
impose.
- If the report finds that there has been no failure to comply
with the Code of Conduct, the Standards Committee will decide
on one of 3 possible outcomes:
- 1. To accept the findings of the Monitoring Officers report,
and no further action will be taken
- 2. The matter will be heard at a formal hearing of the
Standards Committee
- 3. The matter will be referred to the Adjudication Panel for
determination
- If the report finds that there has been a failure to
comply with the Code of Conduct, the matter will be heard at
a formal hearing of the Standards Committee who will decide
on one of 3 possible outcomes:
- 1. That there has been no breach of the Code
- 2. That the Member has failed to
comply with the Code of Conduct, but that no action needs to be
taken
- 3. That the Member has failed to
comply with the Code of Conduct and should be: Censured;
or Restricted access to the premises and the resources of the
Authority for a maximum period of six months; Suspended or
partially suspended for a maximum period of six months; Required to
submit a written apology or undertake any training or conciliation
as specified by the Committee; or Suspended or partially
suspended for a maximum period of six months or until such time as
he/she submits a written apology or undertakes any training or
conciliation specified by the Committee.
- You will be told in writing of the
Standards Committee's decision.
-
Where the Committee determines that
the Member has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct, the
Chairman shall inform the Member of his or her right of appeal
against the determination to an appeal tribunal drawn from the
Adjudication Panel. Permission to appeal can be sought in writing
to the President of the Adjudication Panel for England at 23
Victoria Avenue, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5RD within 21 days
of the written Notice of Findings.
Click here to view
agendas and minutes for meetings of the Assessment
Sub Committee of Allerdale Borough Council's Standards
Committee.
All Councillors have a duty to abide by the Code of Conduct and
sanctions can be taken against a Councillor who has been found to
have breached any part of the code.
Further information about the Standards Board for
England, including up to date bulletins, advice and guidance,
can be found obtained from the Standards Board for England
website www.standardsboard.gov.uk
The Council is committed to the highest possible standards of
openness, probity and accountability. In line with that commitment
we expect employees, and others that we deal with, who have serious
concerns about any aspect of the Council's work to come forward and
voice those concerns. It is recognised that most cases will have to
proceed on a confidential basis. Click
here to view the Council's confidential
reporting code.
Interest
Members are required by law to declare certain interests when
they become a Councillor. These interests include the name of
their employer and their occupation, details of any land or house
they occupy within the District, and companies and securities in
the Borough in which they have a substantial interest.
Gifts and Hospitality
Declarations of gifts and hospitality offered over the value of
£25 must be declared on a Register of Interests form.
Register of Borough Councillors Interests
This is open for inspection by the public at Allerdale House,
Workington during normal office hours. Please contact
Democratic Services on 01900 702550 to arrange an appointment if
you wish to view the register.
Councillors must also declare at meetings of the Council,
Executive or meetings of Committees at which they attend, if they
have an interest in any of the matters being discussed.
Dispensations
The Standards Committee may grant a dispensation to a Borough or
Parish Councillor in certain circumstances. Please contact
Democratic Services on 01900 702550 if you would like to know more
about the circumstances in which dispensations may be granted.
Below is a list of the dispensations granted by the Standards
Committee.
| Keswick Town Council |
Feb 2005 |
to May 2007 |
In respect of matters concerning Hope Park Charitable Trust and
the Fitz Park Charitable Trust. |
Politically Restricted Posts
A new role for the committee will be to
consider applications from Authority employees for exemption from
political restriction in respect of their posts, and where
appropriate, to issue directions requiring the Authority to include
a post in the list of politically restricted posts, and give
general advice on the application of criteria for designating a
post as politically restricted. A list of the Councils
Politically Restricted Posts
can be viewed in the downloadable
documents section at the bottom of this
page.
Allerdale Borough Council
