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Issue - meetings

ADOPTION OF UPDATED GUIDANCE TO COUNCILLORS ON OUTSIDE BODIES

 

 

Meeting: 29/01/2026 - Council (Item 78)

78 ADOPTION OF UPDATED GUIDANCE TO COUNCILLORS ON OUTSIDE BODIES pdf icon PDF 170 KB

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR - GOVERNANCE AND MONITORING OFFICER

To provide Members with an updated guidance document on the duties, obligations and liabilities that Councillor’s will have if they are appointed to (or are on) an outside body, highlighting the main changes to the previous guidance.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED: That Council approved and adopted the updated guidance for Councillors.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

 

(1)   The Council’s current guidance to Councillors on Outside Bodies was last updated in 2016.

 

(2)   A full review of the guidance to Councillors on outside bodies has been necessary to ensure: • Councillors are aware of their liabilities based on the type of organisation which they are appointed to and the risks associated with these appointments both to the Councillor and the Council. • That the guidance available to Councillors aligns with the updated statutory position and also best practice.

Minutes:

Audio recording – 28 minutes 34 seconds

 

Councillor Vijaiya Poopalasingham, as Chair of the Standards Committee, presented the referral from Standards Committee and the report entitled ‘Adoption of Updated Guidance to Councillors on Outside Bodies’ and advised that:

 

·       The last time the guidance to Councillors on Outside Bodies was updated was 2016.

·       There had been a late amendment to the report to change the word ‘company’ to ‘organisation’ in paragraph 8.8 of the report.

·       No fundamental changes had been made to the approach adopted by the Council and the update was to make the document easier for Members to read.

·       The initial part of the guidance had been updated to reflect the three most common types of outside body, as detailed in paragraph 8.5 of the report and point 2 of the guidance.

·       Details of any conflicts of interest that Councillors needed to be aware of was detailed in paragraphs 8.7 and 8.8 of the report.

·       Members could always seek guidance from the Monitoring Officer as detailed in points 7 and 8 of the guidance.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·       Councillor Claire Strong

·       Councillor Matt Barnes

 

In response to questions, Cllr Poopalasingham advised that the report had originally said ‘company’ instead of ‘organisation’ in paragraph 8.8 of the report.

 

In response to questions, the Deputy Monitoring Officer advised that:

 

·       The word ‘company’ had been changed to ‘organisation’ in the last bullet point of paragraph 8.8 on page 181 of the published agenda.

·       Paragraph 8.8 of the report also applied to Section 6 of the guidance to Councillors on Outside Bodies.

 

In response to a question, the Monitoring Officer advised that Members were covered by an Indemnity Policy, which was available on The Hub for Members to view.

 

Councillor Vijaiya Poopalasingham proposed and Councillor Ian Albert seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That Council approved and adopted the updated guidance for Councillors.

 

REASONS FOR DECISION:

 

(1)   The Council’s current guidance to Councillors on Outside Bodies was last updated in 2016.

 

(2)   A full review of the guidance to Councillors on outside bodies has been necessary to ensure: • Councillors are aware of their liabilities based on the type of organisation which they are appointed to and the risks associated with these appointments both to the Councillor and the Council. • That the guidance available to Councillors aligns with the updated statutory position and also best practice.