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Standing Orders
Great Coxwell Parish Council Standing Orders May 2006
Meetings
Meetings of the Council shall be held in each year on such dates and times and at such place as the Council may direct.
The Statutory Annual Meeting
In an election year the Annual Parish Council Meeting shall be held on or within 14 days following the day on which the councillors elected take office and In a year which is not an election year, the Annual Parish Council meeting shall be held on such day in May as the Council may direct. In addition to the Statutory Annual Parish Council Meeting at least three other statutory meetings shall be held in each year on such dates and at such times and at such place as the Council may direct.
Chairman of the Meeting
The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the meeting.
Proper Officer
Unless otherwise prescribed by statute, regulation or order, any function or duty to be done by the proper officer refers to the Clerk of the Council. 6 Quorum of the Council
Three members or one-third of the total membership, whichever is the greater, shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Council. If a quorum is not present or if during a meeting the number of councillors present (not counting those debarred by reason of a debarred interest) falls below the required quorum, the meeting shall be adjourned and business not transacted shall be transacted at the next meeting or on such other day as the Chairman may fix. A quorum relating to a committee or sub-committee shall be determined specifically for such committee.
Voting
Members shall vote by show of hands or' if at least two members so request, by signed ballot.
If a member so requires, the Clerk shall record the names of the members who voted on any question so as to show whether they voted for or against it. Such a request must be made before moving onto the next business. (1) Subject to (2) and (3) below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in any case of equality of votes may give a casting vote whether or not he gave an original vote. (2) If the person presiding at the annual meeting would have ceased to be a member of the council but for the statutory provisions which preserve the membership of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman until the end of their term of office he may not give an original vote in an election for Chairman. (3) The person presiding may give a casting vote whenever there is an equality of votes in an election for Chairman.
Order of Business
At each Annual Parish Meeting the first business shall be: To elect a Chairman of the Council To receive the Chairman's declaration of acceptance of office or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received. In the ordinary year of election of the Council, to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations. To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office which have not been received as appointed by law shall be received. To elect a Vice-Chairman of the Council. To appoint any representatives to outside bodies. To appoint any committees or sub-committees. And shall thereafter follow the order set out in Standing Order 15. At every meeting other than the Annual Parish Council Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a chairman if the Chairman and Vice Chairman be absent and to receive such declarations of acceptance of office (if any) and undertaking to observe the Council's code of conduct as are required by law to be made or, if not then received, to decide when they shall be received. In every year, not later than the meeting at which the estimates for next year are settled, the Council shall review the pay and conditions of service of existing employees. Standing Order 38 must be read in conjunction with this requirement. After the first business has been completed, the order of business, unless the Council otherwise decides on grounds of urgency, shall be as follows: To read and consider the Minutes; provided that if a copy has been circulated to each member not later than the day of issue of the summons to attend the meeting, the minutes may be taken as read. After consideration to approve the signature of the Minutes by the person presiding as a correct record. To deal with business expressly required by statute to be done. To dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last meeting. To receive and consider reports and minutes of committees. To authorise the sealing of documents. If necessary, to authorise the signing of orders for payment. To attend to (and as appropriate, decide upon) such other matters as were listed on the agenda. To discuss any other business. Disorderly Conduct
All members must observe the Code of Conduct, which was adopted by the Council on 15 April 2002, a copy of which is annexed to these standing orders. No member shall at a meeting behave in such a manner as to bring the Council into disrepute. If, in the opinion of the Chairman, a member has broken the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Order, the Chairman shall express that opinion to the Council and thereafter any member may move that the member named be no longer heard or that the member do leave the meeting, and the motion, if seconded, shall be put forthwith and without discussion. If a member reasonably believes that another member is in breach of the code of conduct, that member is under a duty to report the breach to the Standards Board. If either of the motions mentioned in paragraph (c) is disobeyed, the Chairman may adjourn the meeting or take such further steps as may reasonably be necessary to enforce them.
Discussions and Resolutions affecting employees of the Council
If at a meeting there arises any question relating to the appointment, conduct, promotion, dismissal, salary or conditions of service of any person employed by the Council, it shall not be considered until the Council or Committee (as the case may be) has decided whether or not the press and public shall be excluded. (See standing order no. 28.) Sealing of documents
A document shall not be sealed on behalf of the Council unless its sealing has been authorised by a resolution. Any two members of the Council named in a resolution moved under the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Order may seal, on behalf of the Council, any document required by law to be issued under seal. Committees and Sub-Committees
The Council may at its Annual Meeting appoint standing committees and may at any other time appoint such other committees as are necessary, but subject to any statutory provision in that behalf, shall not appoint any member of a committee so as to hold office later than the next Annual Meeting. The Council: may appoint persons other than members of the Council to any committee; and may at any time dissolve or alter the membership of a committee. Special Meeting The Chairman of the Council or the Chairman of a committee (as appropriate) may summon an additional meeting of the Council/committee at any time. An additional meeting shall also be summoned on the requisition in writing of not less than a quarter of the members of the committee. The summons shall set out the business to be considered at the special meeting and no other business shall be transacted at that meeting. Voting in Committees 21 Members of committees or sub-committees entitled to vote, shall vote by show of hands, or if at least two members so request, by signed ballot. 22 Chairmen of committees and sub-committees shall in the case of an equality of votes have a second or casting vote. Interests If a member has a personal interest as defined by the code of conduct adopted by the Council on 15 April 2002, then he shall declare such interest as soon as it becomes apparent, disclosing the existence and nature of that interest as required.
If a member who has declared a personal interest then considers the interest to be prejudicial, he must withdraw from thee room or chamber during the consideration of the item to which the interest relates. The clerk may be required to compile and hold a register of members' interests in accordance with the agreement reached with the monitoring officer of the responsible authority, and/or as required by statute. Inspection of documents
A member may for the purpose of his duty as such (but not otherwise) inspect any document in the possession of the Council or a committee, and if copies are available shall, on request, be supplied for the like purpose with a copy. All minutes kept by the Council and by any committee shall be open for the inspection of any member of the Council. Admission of the public and the press to meetings The public and the press shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and its committees and sub-committees, which may, however, temporarily exclude the press and the public by specific resolution. Liaison with County and District Councillors
A summons and agenda for each meeting shall be sent, together with an invitation to attend, to the County and District Councillors for the appropriate division or ward. Unless the Council otherwise orders, a copy of each letter ordered to be sent to the County or District Council shall be transmitted to the County Councillor for the division or to the District Councillor for the ward, as the case may require. Planning Applications The Clerk shall, as soon as it is received, circulate the particulars of every planning application notified to the Council: the date on which it was received the name of the applicant the place to which it relates; The Clerk shall refer every planning application received to the Chairman or in the Chairman's absence, the Vice Chairman, within 48 hours of receipt. Financial Regulations The Council shall adopt financial regulations suitable to govern its conduct of financial business, taking account of the need to approve the precept and other requirements of law, as appropriate for the level and scope of its activities and its financial position and needs. Code of conduct complaints Except for those complaints that should be directed to the Standards Board for consideration, the Council shall deal with complaints of maladministration allegedly committed by the Council or by any officer or member in such manner as adopted by the Council. Variation, revocation or suspension of standing orders Any or every part of the Standing Orders except those printed in bold type may be suspended by resolution in relation to any specific item of business. A resolution to add, vary or revoke a Standing Order permanently shall when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of the Council. Standing orders to be given to members A copy of these Standing Orders shall given to each member by the Clerk upon delivery to him of the member's declaration of acceptance of office and written undertaking to observe the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council.
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