a) Councillor Birch
This Council notes:
· The recent response of the Committee for Standards in Public Life (CSPL) to the Government’s consultation on reforms to the Local Government standards regime.
· That the CSPL has recommended a mandatory minimum Code of Conduct, greater clarity on expected behaviours (including bullying and harassment), and new powers to suspend or, in the most serious cases, disqualify Councillors.
· The CSPL has further supported requiring all principal authorities to have a properly constituted Standards Committee, with Independent Persons and lay members playing a stronger role, and the creation of a fair and proportionate national or regional appeals process.
This Council believes:
· Public confidence in local democracy depends upon high standards of integrity, accountability, and transparency from elected members.
· Current sanctions available to local authorities are insufficient to deal with the most egregious breaches of the Code of Conduct.
· Councillors, complainants, and the public are all best served by a clear, consistent, and enforceable standards regime with an accessible right of appeal.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Formally support the CSPL’s recommendations for a mandatory minimum Code of Conduct, a laddered scale of sanctions (including suspension and disqualification where necessary), and an independent appeals mechanism.
2. Request that the Leader of the Council write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to communicate this Council’s support for these reforms.
3. Commit to reviewing this Council’s own Code of Conduct and Standards Committee arrangements in response to any legislative changes, ensuring that they are robust, transparent, and in line with best practice.
b) Cllr J Walker
Council notes that:
· The current Leader and Cabinet system limits opportunities for non-executive members to contribute to policy development prior to Cabinet deliberations.
· Engagement and participation from minority group leaders in Cabinet discussions have declined, with responses to member inquiries often being procedural rather than participatory.
· Many local authorities have successfully introduced Policy Panels to strengthen cross-party involvement in strategy formulation and improve transparency in decision-making.
· While Overview and Scrutiny Groups serve to retrospectively review and challenge decisions, Policy Panels would involve all Councillors in the Council's decision-making process from a much earlier stage.
Council believes that:
· Early, cross-party engagement in policy design enhances democratic legitimacy, improves policy quality, and builds trust between Councillors, Cabinet, and residents.
· Councillors’ ward-level knowledge and community insight are valuable assets in shaping effective and responsive policies.
Council therefore resolves to:
1. Approve the establishment of Councillor Policy Panels on a pilot basis to strengthen member engagement in policy development.
2. Authorise the Monitoring Officer and Democratic Services to finalise detailed operating procedures for the Panels, including membership, scope, and reporting arrangements.
3. Request that two pilot Panels (for example, on a West Bridgford Town Council and a Participatory Budget) be launched between January and June 2026.
4. Request that Overview and Scrutiny review the pilot outcomes after 12 months and report findings to Cabinet in Autumn 2026.
5. Commit to considering full implementation of Panels from 2027 onwards, subject to the pilot’s evaluation and considerations around Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).