Standards and ethics
Introduction
It is important that the public and organisations in our district have confidence in local democracy, and in those of our community who have been elected or appointed to serve on our local councils.
Our councillors are expected to live up to high standards of behaviour and demonstrating that they do so underpins that confidence in local democracy.
The standards committee has a statutory responsibility for promoting high standards in local councillors and for investigating allegations that a councillor’s behaviour may have fallen short of the required standard’.
News
Standards committee - news
Local assessment of complaints that a Councillor may have broken the Members Code of Conduct was introduced in May 2008
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 introduced the local assessment of new complaints that members have breached the Code of Conduct. The Act was passed in October 2007 and also gives the Standards Board for England a new regulatory role.
To put the revised framework in place, the government has now published detailed Regulations to prescribe how the system will work in practice.
The Standards Committee has been working towards implementation of its new duties for some time and has now published guidance to all Councillors and to Town and Parish Councillors via the Parish Clerks, together with guidance on how to make a complaint and a complaint form.
The Standards Board is producing guidance to support local authorities in the implementation and function of the new framework. The Committee has reviewed its working practices in the light of the guidance and is now operating under its new responsibilities.
The Committee has also been busy in recruiting new members to fill the Independent member and Parish Council Member vacancies. The Committee now consists of four District Councillors, five Independent Members and four Parish Council representatives.
You can find out more about the Committee and how it works by clicking on the links below.
Introduction
It is important that the public and organisations in our district have confidence in local democracy, and in those of our community who have been elected or appointed to serve on our local councils.
Our councillors are expected to live up to high standards of behaviour and demonstrating that they do so underpins that confidence in local democracy.
The standards committee has a statutory responsibility for promoting high standards in local councillors and for investigating allegations that a councillor’s behaviour may have fallen short of the required standard’.
News
Standards committee - news
Local assessment of complaints that a Councillor may have broken the Members Code of Conduct was introduced in May 2008
The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 introduced the local assessment of new complaints that members have breached the Code of Conduct. The Act was passed in October 2007 and also gives the Standards Board for England a new regulatory role.
To put the revised framework in place, the government has now published detailed Regulations to prescribe how the system will work in practice.
The Standards Committee has been working towards implementation of its new duties for some time and has now published guidance to all Councillors and to Town and Parish Councillors via the Parish Clerks, together with guidance on how to make a complaint and a complaint form.
The Standards Board is producing guidance to support local authorities in the implementation and function of the new framework. The Committee has reviewed its working practices in the light of the guidance and is now operating under its new responsibilities.
The Committee has also been busy in recruiting new members to fill the Independent member and Parish Council Member vacancies. The Committee now consists of four District Councillors, five Independent Members and four Parish Council representatives.
You can find out more about the Committee and how it works by clicking on the links below.
Standard committee vacancies
There are no current vacancies.
Standard committee member downloads
- About North Devon (Word 32kb)
- Terms of reference (Word 27kb)
- Consideration of allegation - independent member (Word
21kb)
- Role description - independent member (Word
21kb)
- Person specification - independent member (Word
25kb)
- Consideration of allegation - parish councillor (Word
21kb)
- Role description - parish councillor (Word
21kb)
- Person specification - parish councillor (Word
23kb)
The following news items will also appear here in due course:
- responses to consultation
- outcomes of investigations
Further information
- Members of the standards committee
- Role of the standards committee
- North Devon Council members' code of conduct (pdf
41kb)
- The Standards Board for England
- How to make a complaint (Word 59kb)
- Complaints Form (Word 66kb)
- What happens when a complaint is made (Word
59kb)
- ''The 'first filter' assessment and guidance for members of the sub-committee' - this document is currently being drafted and will appear shortly
- 'The hearings procedure' - this document is currently being drafted and will appear shortly
- Anonymous,vexatious etc complaints (Word
70kb)
- Hearing Procedure (Word 55kb)
