P John Ley-Morgan	P Jill Iles
P Liz Wells

 

 

P: Present

A: Apologies for absence submitted

 

Also present (co-opted, non-voting): Ian Carrington-Porter (Independent Lay Person)

 

Officers in attendance: Sara Saunders (Solicitor, Corporate Services Directorate), Sue Efford (Corporate Services Directorate)

 

SSC 11

Election of Chairman for the Meeting (Agenda Item 1)

Resolved: that Councillor Ley-Morgan be elected Chairman for the meeting.

 

(Councillor Ley-Morgan in the Chair)

 

SSC 12

Declarations of Interest by Members (Agenda Item 3)

None

 

SSC 13

Minutes of the Meeting held on 11 August 2016 (Agenda Item 4)

It was noted that none of the members in attendance at the previous meeting were present to confirm them as a correct record. A member present at the meeting on 11 August would therefore be asked to sign them as a correct record.

 

SSC 14

Exclusion of Press and Public

Resolved: that the press, public and officers not required by the members or officers advising to remain during the exempt session be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that its consideration will involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Section 1001 of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minute no. SSC 15 Reason for the Exemption

Paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972

 

SSC 15

Complaint against a North Somerset Councillor (03/2016) Exempt Appendices (Agenda Item 5)

The Sub-Committee considered a complaint received from a member of the public regarding a North Somerset Councillor stating that he had breached the North Somerset Council Code of Conduct applicable to councillors.

 

The Solicitor and Deputy Monitoring Officer outlined the complaint.

The Sub-Committee considered the complaint, together with the response from the councillor concerned and received the views of the Independent Lay Person.

 

In discussing the key issues the sub-committee did not consider the councillors actions had breached the Code of Conduct, but did indicate that where at all possible, it is best practice for councillors to distance themselves from such situations and to be mindful of public perception.

 

Resolved:

 

(1) that the sub-committee does not find that the councillors conduct breached the Code of Conduct; and

 

(2) that the Solicitor and Deputy Monitoring Officer write to the councillor in question setting out the views of the sub-committee in relation to the need to follow best practice and to be mindful of public perception.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chairman

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