CROFTON PARISH COUNCIL

                                   

 STANDING ORDERS 2012.

 

1. MEETINGS

 

Meetings of the Council shall be held on the third Tuesday of each month, except August when no meeting will be held.

Meetings of the council shall be held at an appropriate venue, at 19:00 unless the council otherwise decides at a previous 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.

 

2. CHAIR OF THE MEETING

 

The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all powers and duties of the Chair in relation to the conduct of the meeting.

 

3. PROPER OFFICER

 

Where a statute, regulation or order confers functions or duties on the proper officer of the Council in the following cases, he or she shall be the Clerk:-

To receive declarations of acceptance of office.

To receive and record notices disclosing pecuniary interests.

To receive and retain plans and documents.

To sign notices and other documents on behalf of the Council.

To receive copies of bye-laws made by a District Council.

To certify copies of bye-laws made by Council.

To sign summonses to attend meetings of the Council.

In any other case the proper officer shall be the Clerk.

To receive and record notices disclosing interests at meetings

To keep proper records for all Council meetings.

 

4. QUORUM

 

As stated in the Constitution SIX members shall be required for a quorum at meetings of the Parish Council.

If a quorum is not present or if during a meeting the number of councillors present

(not including those debarred by reason of a declared interest), falls below the required quorum, from that point no further business shall be transacted, with all untransacted business being carried forward to the next scheduled meeting or at an extra ordinary meeting.

 

5. VOTING

 

Members shall vote by show of hands, unless a ballot vote is requested and approved by a show of hands vote.

The Chair in the case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote

If the person presiding at the Annual Parish Council Meeting would have ceased to be a member of the Council but for statutory provisions which preserve the membership of the Chair and Vice-Chair until the end of their term in office, they may not give an original vote in an election for Chair

The person presiding must give a casting vote whenever there is an equality of votes in an election for Chair.

 

6. ORDER OF BUSINESS

 

In an election year councillors should execute Declarations of Acceptance of Office in each other’s presence, or of a proper officer previously authorised by the Council to take such declaration before the annual meeting commences.

At each Annual Parish Meeting the Chair shall present a report.

At each Annual Parish Council Meeting the first business shall be;

To elect a Chair

To receive the Chair’s declaration of Acceptance of office or, if not received, to decide when it shall be received.

To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office, which have not been received as provided by law, shall be received.

To elect a Vice-Chair.

To appoint members to working parties

At every meeting other than the Annual Parish Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a Chairman if the Chair and Vice-Chair are absent.

In every other year not later than the Annual Parish Council meeting members shall review the pay and conditions of service of the Clerk and existing employees.

After the first business has been considered, the order of business shall be as stated in the summons.

A motion to vary the order of business on the grounds of urgency, may be proposed by the Chair.

 

7. RESOLUTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

 

Resolutions dealing with the following matters may be moved without notice:-

                                               i.     To appoint a Chair of the meeting.

                                             ii.     To correct the Minutes.

                                            iii.     To approve the Minutes.

                                            iv.     To proceed to the next business.

                                             v.     To close or adjourn the debate.

                                            vi.     To refer the matter to a working party

                                          vii.     To adopt a report.

                                         viii.     To amend a resolution.

                                            ix.     To give leave to withdraw a resolution or an amendment,

                                             x.     To exclude the public.

                                            xi.     To silence or eject from the meeting a member named for misconduct.

                                          xii.     To invite a member having an interest in the subject matter under a debate to remain.

                                         xiii.     To give the consent of the Council where such a consent is required by these Standing Orders.

 

 

 

8. CORRECTIONS TO MINUTES

 

Discussion shall take place upon the Minutes concerning their accuracy.

Corrections to the Minutes must be initialled by the Chair.

 

9. DISORDERLY CONDUCT

 

No member shall at a meeting persistently disregard the ruling of the Chair, wilfully obstruct business, or behave irregularly, offensively, improperly or in such a manner as to scandalise the Council or bring it into contempt or ridicule.

The Chairman may suspend the meeting or take such further steps as may be reasonably necessary to enforce them.

 

10. VOTING ON APPOINTMENTS

 

Where more than two persons have been nominated for any position to be filled by the Council and of the votes given there is not an absolute majority in favour of one person, the name of the person having the least number of votes shall be struck off the list and a fresh vote taken, and so on until a majority of votes is given in favour of one person. The Chair in the case of an equality of votes, may give a casting vote.

 

11. 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 has decided whether or not the public shall be excluded

 

12. WORKING PARTY’S

 

The Council may at the Annual Parish Council Meeting appoint a working party and at any other time appoint such other working party as are necessary, but subject to any statutory provision in that behalf:-

May at any time dissolve or alter the membership of the working party.

A minimum of TWO members shall be on every working party.

Any meetings held or decisions made, shall be reported at the next Parish Council meeting.

No cost should be incurred other than those agreed in the financial standing orders.

 

13. VOTING IN A WORKING PARTY

 

Members of a working party shall vote by show of hands.

 

14. PRESENCE OF NON-MEMBERS OF WORKING PARTY MEETINGS

 

A member who has proposed a resolution, which has been referred to any working party of which he is not a member, may explain his resolution to the working party but shall not vote.

 

15. CANVASSING OF AND RECOMMENDATIONS BY MEMBERS

 

Canvassing of members or of any working party, directly or indirectly, for any appointment under the Council shall disqualify the candidate for such appointment. The Clerk shall make known the purpose of this sub-paragraph to every candidate.

A member of the Council shall not solicit for any person any appointment under the Council or recommend any person for such appointment or for promotion; but, nevertheless, a member may give a written testimonial for submission to the Council with an application for appointment.

 

16. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS

 

A member may for any purpose of his duty as such (but not otherwise), inspect any document in the possession of the Council or a working party, and if copies are available shall, on request, be supplied for the like purpose with a copy.

All Minutes kept by the Council shall be open for the inspection of any member of the Council or member of the public.

 

17. UNAUTHORISED ACTIVITIES

 

No member of the Council (or of any working party) shall in the name of or on behalf of the Council;

i   Speak or be representative of the views of the Council

ii Inspect any land or premises, unless authorised to do so by the Council.

 

18. ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS TO MEETINGS

 

The public shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and its working party’s however they may be temporarily excluded, in the following cases;

That in view of the special and confidential nature of the business about to be transacted, it is advisable in the public interest that the public be temporarily excluded and they are instructed to withdraw.

The Clerk shall afford the press reasonable facilities for taking their report of any proceedings at which they are entitled to be present.

If a member of the public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting, the Chair may, after warning, order that he/she be removed from the Council meeting.

The Chair shall allow a reasonable time to receive statements from the public.

 

19. LIAISON WITH THIRD PARTIES AND THE PUBLIC

 

A copy of the minutes shall, at the discretion of the Parish Council, be sent to District Councillors for the Ward, the Library and the Press.

 

20. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

 

The Clerk shall send to each member, unless a declaration has been agreed, the particulars of every planning application recorded in the Parish,

It will include;

                                         xiv.     The date on which it was received:

                                          xv.     The name of the applicant:

                                         xvi.     The place to which it relates:

 

Upon the summary of the nature of the application, a response will be lodged by the Clerk based on the members comments

 

21. CODE OF CONDUCT

 

All members must observe the Crofton Parish Council Code of Conduct, as adopted by the Council.

All members are issued with a copy of the Code of Conduct.

 

22. CODE OF CONDUCT ON COMPLAINTS

 

The Council shall deal with complaints of maladministration allegedly committed by the Council or by any officer or member, in an appropriate manner.

 

23.VARIATION, REVOCATION AND SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

 

Any or every part of the Standing Orders, may be suspended only by resolution reached at a meeting of the Parish Council in relation to any specific item of business.

 

24. STANDING ORDERS TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS

 

A copy of these Standing Orders shall be given to each member by the Clerk, upon delivery to him of the member’s declaration of acceptance of office.

 

 

22 April 2012.