Issue - meetings

The report set out the work undertaken by the Standards Committee and supporting team for the 2025/26 civic term.

This included the work on Code of Conduct complaints during 2025. A total of eight complaints were received, relating to both District and Town/Parish Councillors. Following initial assessment, one complaint was rejected as outside jurisdiction, two were resolved informally through training, and no complaints were referred for investigation. The Committee noted a continued year?on?year reduction in the number of complaints and investigations, reflecting early intervention and effective case management by the Monitoring Officer and team.

It also set out the response to Government consultation on proposed changes to the Standards regime.  The proposed changes will require a change in legislation and further details are pending.

Dispensations were also granted to dual-hatted Council councillors and those who work for another local authority in Devon, to permit them to speak and vote on any local government reorganisation matter before the authority.

Comments from the committee included:

·        Clarity on some complaints having more than one code of conduct breach included in the complaint;

·        Helpful and clear report to present the work of the committee to a wider audience;

·        Question if feedback was sought from complainants on how they found the process; in response, whilst some feedback was provided, there was no prescriptive way to obtain that.  The Monitoring Officer agreed to review the use of a feedback form as utilised by other authorities to help further evaluate the process;

·        Entering into discussion with complainants helped to explain fully the process and possible outcomes;

·        Overall a positive move on complaints from previous years due to improvements made;

·        Concern over pending changes in legislation on bringing back suspensions – in response, the expectation was that there would be safeguards (such as a right of appeal) but the government response was still pending;

·        Suggestion to highlight sections 4 and 7 of the report in presenting the report to full Council.

RESOLVED that

1.     The Annual Report, outlining the work undertaken by the Standards Committee for the civic term 2025/26, be agreed to be presented to Council, with any subsequent additions from the meeting of the committee to be included;

2.     Delegated authority to be granted to the Monitoring Officer in conjunction with the Chair and Vice Chair to make any changes required by the Committee.