Meeting documents
Standards Committee
Monday, 2nd November, 2009
| Place: | Oaks Room, Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland PR25 1DH |
| Present: | Mr R Atkinson (in the chair), Mr S Ellison, Mr J Holt, Councillors Mr J E J Breakell, Mr F Heyworth, Mrs M J Robinson, Mr B Yates, Parish Councillors Mrs M Gelder and Mrs E Houghton |
| In attendance: | John Dakin (Monitoring Officer), Maureen Wood (Head of Corporate Governance), David Whelan (Legal Services Manager) and Dave Lee (Democratic Services Officer) |
| Public attendance: | None |
| Other Officers: | None Other Members: None |
| Item | Description/Resolution | Status | Action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPEN ITEMS | ||||
| 31 |
Welcome and Introductions The Independent Chairman welcomed members and officers to the meeting. |
Noted | ||
| 32 |
Apologies for Absence An apology for absence was submitted on behalf of Councillor Palmer. |
Noted | ||
| 33 |
Exclusion of Press and Public RESOLVED: that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following two items of business as they involve the discussion of information which was defined as exempt from publication under paragraphs 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. |
Agreed | ||
| EXEMPT ITEMS | ||||
| 34 |
Standards Committee?s Draft Response to the Adjudication Panel for England ? Appeal by Councillor Watts Standards Committee's Draft Response to the Adjudication Panel for England (124K/bytes) attached Further to the hearing of the Standards Committee held on 8 October 2009 (min. no.28 refers), Councillor Watts had applied for and been granted the right to appeal to the Adjudication Panel for England (APE) against the council?s decision. As a result the APE required the council?s formal written response to the appeal by 4 November 2009. The committee received and discussed the draft of the council?s proposed response to be sent to the APE including the additional comments that Councillor Watt made in the ?Application for Permission to Appeal?. RESOLVED: that ? (a) the council?s draft response to the right to appeal of Councillor Watts to the Adjudication Panel for England (APE) be approved; and (b) the finalising of the council?s response to the Adjudication Panel for England (APE) be delegated to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with chairman of the Standards Committee meeting on 8 October 2009 (Mr Holt). (At this point Councillor Yates left the meeting.) |
Agreed | Corporate Director (Policy & Neighbourhoods)Head of Corporate Governance, Legal Services Manager |
|
| 35 |
Item of Urgent Business: Standards Committee Procedure for Dealing with Matters at a Forthcoming Hearing (The chairman reported that he had authorised the consideration of this item of business as one of urgency in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as its delay until the next meeting of the committee would render the decision to be too late to be of effect.) The committee discussed the way forward in respect of the procedure for dealing with matters at a forthcoming hearing. RESOLVED: that ? (a) for the reasons stated at the meeting the possibility of amending the existing procedure in order for the committee to deal with the matters appropriately at a forthcoming hearing be supported; (b) the Legal Services Manager be asked to liaise with the Standards Boards over the possibility of this approach; (c) subject to there being no problems with (b) above, an item be placed on the agenda of that hearing to amend the existing procedures for dealing with the matters at that particular meeting; and (d) the Legal Services Manager be asked to liaise with the individual members concerned. |
Agreed | Corporate Director (Policy & Neighbourhoods)Head of Corporate Governance, Legal Services Manager |
|
4.55pm