Loading
The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the update in respect of the Overview of Ombudsman Code of Conduct Cases from 1st April – 31st August 2025 be noted.
RESOLVED That the contents of the written decision of the Adjudication Panel for Wales, dated 9 July 2025, be noted.
RESOLVED That the contents of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter 2024/25, with regard to complaints under the Code of Conduct for Members, be noted.
RESOLVED That work programme be noted.
Mrs Maggie Hughes nominated Mr David Parsons; Seconded by Ms Moira Saunders. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That Mr David Parsons be elected as the Vice-Chair. The Chair wished to highlight that as an Independent Member he was only able to sit for two terms on the Committee, and advised Members that his second term would come to an end in March 2027.
There were no declarations of interest received.
Mrs Maggie Hughes Moved that the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 14 July 2025 be approved as a correct record; Seconded by the Chair. The vote, by way of show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 July 2025 be approved as a correct record.
The Chair announced that the application for dispensation had been withdrawn.
There were no urgent applications for dispensation.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the update in respect of the Overview of Ombudsman Code of Conduct Cases from 1st April – 31st August 2025 be noted.
The Head of Law and Governance introduced the report and commented that recognition and remorse went a long way and that the Public Services Ombudsman of Wales seemed to be taking into account personal circumstances of Members. The Recommendation was Moved by Ms Moira Saunders; Seconded by Mrs Maggie Hughes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the update in respect of the Overview of Ombudsman Code of Conduct Cases from 1st April – 31st August 2025 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the contents of the written decision of the Adjudication Panel for Wales, dated 9 July 2025, be noted.
The Head of Law and Governance introduced the report and stated that it was of particular interest as it related to former Councillor, Andrew Edwards, who was found to have breached paragraph 61A of the Code of Conduct, which was that you must not bring your office or Authority into disrepute. She explained that the Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW) had disqualified him for a period of four years. She believed that the judgement was a good and well reasoned decision, and that the terms of the way in which it was set out, along with the mitigating and aggravating factors, was interesting. She added that it would be useful for the Committee to note this aspect for any future hearings. The Chair referred to previous meetings of the Forum of Standards Committee Chairs, where the outgoing president of the APW commented on the Standards Committee hearing decision reports needing to be comprehensive, as when it came to appeal them, there was not enough information. He agreed that it was interesting to see the layout and composition of this report, and suggested that it be used as an example for any future hearings that the Committee might have. Mr David Parsons commented that it was a well drafted judgement that dealt with the facts and arguments on both sides, which resulted in a sensible analysis and conclusion. He agreed that it should be used as an example. The Recommendation was Moved by Ms Moira Saunders; Seconded by Mrs Maggie Hughes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the contents of the written decision of the Adjudication Panel for Wales, dated 9 July 2025, be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the contents of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter 2024/25, with regard to complaints under the Code of Conduct for Members, be noted.
The Head of Law and Governance introduced the report and stated that the number of complaints relating to County Councils was quite steady and the results were that five showed no evidence, one was discontinued and one was sent to the Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW). She added that out of 23 Town and Community Council complaints, which were said to be up on previous years, 15 of those were attributable to just one Town Council. Mrs Maggie Hughes referred to the 47 complaints received about Pembrokeshire County Council and sought clarification in regards to what was meant by the intervention rate of 17%. In response, the Head of Law and Governance explained that the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ (PSOW) annual letter included not just Code of Conduct complaints, but complaints about the Council generally. She believed that the intervention rate referred to where the Public Services Ombudsman would get involved with certain complaints and work with the Council on such matters. The Chair wished to note that for one particular Town Council there were still outstanding matters being considered by the APW and the PSOW, therefore it was not appropriate for discussion at this stage. He believed that it would be beneficial in the future, if there was an opportunity, for the Committee to reach out to offer help regarding behaviour and conduct. The Recommendation was Moved by Mrs Maggie Hughes; Seconded by Mr David Parsons. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the contents of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter 2024/25, with regard to complaints under the Code of Conduct for Members, be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That work programme be noted.
The Committee considered the Forward Work Programme that outlined the upcoming items between December 2025 and June 2026. The Chair questioned whether there were any upcoming hearings for the Committee, to which the Head of Law and Governance confirmed that there were none. The Recommendation was Moved by Ms Moira Saunders; Seconded by Mrs Maggie Hughes. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That work programme be noted.
The Chair confirmed that the date of the next meeting would be on 8 December 2025 at 10am.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.