Code of Conduct and Standing Orders
Following the Localism Act coming into force on 1st July 2012, the former Standards Board for England and Wales ceased to exist, as did the Code of Conduct under which it operated and the rules that councillors were bound to observe when conducting council business. The Parish Council adopted the new simplified Code of Conduct, based on the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) recommendations, at an Extraordinary Meeting on 10th August 2012, and adopted its new Standing Orders at the Parish Council Meeting on 18th October. A revised version of the Code of Conduct and of the Standing Orders was adopted on 17 January 2013.
The Code of Conduct can no longer be enforced by statutory powers, but is rather based upon the widely recognised Seven Principles of Public Life (often referred to as the Nolan Principles) which councillors should endeavour to abide by when on council business. The Code of Conduct is now linked to the new Standing Orders, which are considerably more comprehensive than those they have replaced. Again, the Parish Council chose to follow the NALC national model, making a few amendments so as to make them entirely relevant to Hormead.
There is also a change regarding the interests that must be declared by councillors, the most important being that of the publication of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs), which councillors must declare by law. A copy of each of the Parish Councillors DPIs can be viewed on this website under the Meet the Parish Council section.
The Standing Orders and the Code of Conduct, as adopted on 17 March 2016, can be downloaded below here.
