Agenda item

Report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services which provided a review of ethical standards in the three parish Councils in the City, Allesley, Finham and Keresley.

The report outlined the status and functions of parish councils and with regard to the three Coventry parish Council’s, provided the following information in relation to each:-

·  Number of seats on Council

·  Number of Councillors (as at 20/11/18)

·  Members’ or Chair’s allowance (where appropriate)

·  Funding for 2018/19

·  Precept charge per Band D property

The role of the Monitoring Officer and of the City Council itself in the operation of parish councils is limited. The Monitoring Officer is required to publish the register of interest of parish councillors and to deal with complaints about parish councillors under their code of conduct. In all other areas of ethical standards and governance the Monitoring Officer, and the City Council, can only advise parish councils on good practice and cannot require them to take a particular course of action. How the parish council operates is a matter for the parish council. As the information provided by the parish clerks about their governance arrangements does not vary much from year to year, the Monitoring Officer has conducted a table top exercise to check what information is available to the public on the parish websites. 

The report detailed each parish councils’ ethical standards in relation to the following, together with the Monitoring Officer’s conclusions and recommendations on this matter:-

·  Adoption of the Code of Conduct

·  Completion and Review of Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

·  Declaration of Interests at meetings

·  Standing Orders

·  Publication of meeting dates, agendas, reports and minutes on websites

·  Complaints about parish councillors

·  Public engagement with parish councils

In addition the report indicated the situation in relation to Keresley Parish Council where, as a result of the resignation of a number of parish councillors and the clerk to the parish, the City Council had made an Order under Section 91 of the Local Government Act 1972 appointing Councillor R Weaver as a temporary Councillor until such time new councillors could be elected. Councillor Weaver, Chair of the Meriden Parish Council, worked with the remaining parish councillors and City Council officers to get the parish council into a position where it was able co-opt three new Councillors. The Clerk to Meriden Parish Council, Barbara Bland, acted as locum clerk to the parish council. Councillor Weaver has continued to work with and mentor the members of Keresley Parish Council and her help in establishing and executing the remedial action needed to be taken to get the parish council back on track has been invaluable. Mrs Bland had also agreed to carry on as locum clerk and it was hoped that the parish council would be able to appoint to this vital role in the near future.

RESOLVED:-

(1)  That the report be noted

(2)  That the Monitoring Officer be requested to continue to offer any suggestions to the parish clerks on where their good practice on ethical standards might be further improved; and

(3)  That the Committee places on record it’s appreciation for the work carried out by Councillor Weaver and Mrs Bland in helping and advising Keresley Parish Council.