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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED – (i) That the Application Form to become an Independent Member of Wrexham County Borough Council’s Standards Committee be amended slightly to enable applicants to refer to a different title to those provided if necessary. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the form be agreed. Reason for decision To review the criteria for appointment of independent members to the Standards Committee.
RESOLVED – That the Group Leader Report Form be noted. Reason for decision To review the Group Leader Report Form on their duties under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.
RESOLVED – That the listed of items in the Forward Work Programme for the coming year be agreed.
RESOLVED – (i) That the current Vice-Chair, Liz Granger be appointed as Chair of the Standards Committee for a period of not less than four nor more than six years; or until her term of office as an independent member comes to an end. (ii) That the Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee be appointed at the next Meeting of the Committee.
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Kelly Huxley-Roberts, Kerry Mackay, Steve Tilston and Councillor I David Bithell, MBE.
The Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 September 2024 were submitted. RESOLVED – That the Minutes of the Meetings held on 3 September 2024 be signed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – (i) That the Application Form to become an Independent Member of Wrexham County Borough Council’s Standards Committee be amended slightly to enable applicants to refer to a different title to those provided if necessary. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the form be agreed. Reason for decision To review the criteria for appointment of independent members to the Standards Committee.
The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (COGC/21/25) to review the criteria for appointment of independent members to the Standards Committee. A discussion ensued and the following points were highlighted during the debate: · Confirmation that the criteria was used during the last recruitment period in 2024, and there were no changes proposed. · Clarification sought regarding political group membership. Officers advised that a candidate may not be a member of a registered political party, but may promote certain views assigned to a political party. The interview process would enable the Panel to ask questions regarding this matter if it was felt necessary. · Confirmation that a spouse/partner of a former Councillor or Officer would not be excluded from applying. Members were advised that the interview process would enable the Panel to seek information and come to a conclusion as to whether they could be truly independent in their role if successful. · Suggestion that the form be amended as applicants may use a different title to the examples included on the form. RESOLVED – (i) That the Application Form to become an Independent Member of Wrexham County Borough Council’s Standards Committee be amended slightly to enable applicants to refer to a different title to those provided if necessary. (ii) That, subject to the aforementioned amendment, the form be agreed. Reason for decision To review the criteria for appointment of independent members to the Standards Committee.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – That the Group Leader Report Form be noted. Reason for decision To review the Group Leader Report Form on their duties under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.
The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (COGC/23/25) to review the Group Leader Report Form used to assess the extent to which Groups Leaders have complied with their duties. The Monitoring Officer presented the report and in doing so explained that she had previously sent a copy of the form to Group Leaders to obtain their views. Those who had responded had confirmed that they were happy with the content and hadn’t suggested any changes. A debate ensued and the following points were raised: · One Group Leader had queried whether there was an anonymous survey seeking views of Officers regarding the standards of elected Members. The Monitoring Officer advised that this was something she would take forward. · Confirmation that the WLGA had been running some training sessions on values and behaviours, so members may wish to incorporate that into the form. · The Monitoring Officer will provide an update to the Committee in June which would be incorporated into the annual report presented to Council later in the year. RESOLVED – That the Group Leader Report Form be noted. Reason for decision To review the Group Leader Report Form on their duties under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – That the listed of items in the Forward Work Programme for the coming year be agreed.
The Monitoring Officer submitted a report (COGC/22/25) to consider the proposed items in the Forward Work Programme for the period June 2025 to May 2026. RESOLVED – That the listed of items in the Forward Work Programme for the coming year be agreed.
RESOLVED - That the press and public be excluded from the Meeting during consideration of the following item of business, as it comprises a matter referred to the Standards Committee pursuant to section 70(4) or (5) or section 71(2) or (4) of the Local Government Act 2000. The requirement to publish or otherwise make available to the public, agendas for, records of, or information connected to this business under sections 100B to 100D Local Government Act 1972 do not apply pursuant to Regulation 26(2A)(a) Standards Committees (Wales) Regulations 2001.
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