Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Jeffrey Room, The Guildhall, St. Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE. View directions

Contact: Email: democraticservices@northampton.gov.uk  01604 837722

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from M Edwards, T Morris and Councillors Capstick and Patel.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 79 KB

(Copy herewith)

 

 

Minutes:

Following an amendment to the previous minutes, to include David Hughes as an attendee, the minutes of the meeting held on the 10th December 2012 were agreed and signed by the Chair.

3.

Deputations / Public Addresses

Minutes:

None

4.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None

5.

Matters of Urgency which by reason of special circumstances the chair is of the opinion should be considered

Minutes:

None

6.

Standards Committee Working Group - Recommendations relating to the appointment of Independent Person(s) pdf icon PDF 217 KB

(Copy hererwith)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Borough Secretary and Monitoring Officer submitted a report which provided the Committee with an update on the progress of the Standards Committee Working Group towards the recruitment of the Independent Person(s).  It was explained that the law requires Ian Harley, to cease to be the Independent Person after 30th June 2013 and that it was therefore necessary for the Standards Committee to make a recommendation to Full Council for the appointment of Independent Person(s) from the 1st July 2013. The Monitoring Officer explained that in accordance with the Localism Act, the Full Council must approve the appointment of Independent Person(s). 

 

In response to a question, the Borough Secretary and Monitoring Officer explained that the Act requires that the Council appoints at least one Independent Person and noted the advantages associated with the appointment of more than one Independent Person. 

 

Members of the Committee who had been on the Interview Panel reported that after shortlisting; they had interviewed two applicants for the role of Independent Person and reported their conclusions to the Committee.  Although some concern was voiced about the availability of one applicant, it was reported that it was considered that both would be able to effectively discharge the role, that the appointment of more than one Independent Person would be in line with the practice of a number of other Councils and would avoid the same person having to provide views to both the Monitoring Officer and Councillor simultaneously during the process for dealing with alleged breaches of Northampton Borough Council’s Code of Conduct/Codes of Conduct adopted by Parish Councils.

 

Upon a vote is was unanimously agreed:

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.    That the update on the process undertaken to recruit Independent Person(s) in accordance with the Localism Act 2011 (the “Act”) be noted. 

 

2.    That the conclusions of the Interview Panel in relation to the appointment of Independent Person(s) be noted.

 

3.    That Standards Committee recommend to Full Council the appointment as Independent Persons, of the two applicants that had been interviewed by the Interview Panel, such appointments to take effect from 1st July 2013 following the end of the transitional period.

 

4.    That the recommendation of the Working Group that an appropriate allowance for an Independent Person is £500 per year, be accepted, and that this amount be recommended to Full Council.