STRATTON-ON-THE-FOSSE PARISH COUNCIL

MEETINGS

1. Meetings of the Council shall be held at 7.45 pm on the third Monday of each month, except August, in the Village Hall unless the Council decides otherwise at a previous meeting. Additional meetings shall take place as necessary and as decided by the Council in a monthly meeting.

2. The Statutory Annual Meeting will take place in the Spring of each year unless the Council decides otherwise at a previous meeting.

3. Additional meetings will take place at the discretion of the Council as when needed.

CHAIRMAN OF MEETING

4. 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

5. When a statute, regulation or order confers functions or duties on the proper officer of the Council he shall be the Chairman.

QUORUM

6. Four members shall constitute a quorum.

VOTING

7. Members shall vote by show of hands, or, if at least two members so request, by signed ballot.

8. 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.

9. a. Subject to b. and c. below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes, he may be given a casting vote even though he gave no original vote.

b. 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.

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

ORDER OF BUSINESS

10. At each Annual Meeting the first business shall be:

a. To elect a Chairman.
b. To receive the Chairman's declaration of acceptance of office, or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received.
c. In the ordinary year of election of the Council to fill any vacancies left unfilled at the election by reason of insufficient nominations.
d. To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office which have not been received as provided by law shall be received.
e. To note any deeds and trust instruments in the custody of the council:
and shall therefore follow the order set out in Standing Order 12.

11. At every meeting other than the Annual Meeting, the first business shall be to appoint a chairman if the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are absent and then to receive such declarations of acceptance of office (if any) as are required by law to be made, or if not then received to decide when they shall be received.

12. After the first business has been completed, the order of business, unless the Council otherwise decides on the ground of urgency, shall be as follows:

a. To read and consider the Minutes. Provided that 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.
b. To consider and approve the signature of the Minutes by the person presiding as a correct record.
c. To deal with business expressly required by statute to be done.
d To dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last meeting.
e. To receive such communications as the person presiding may wish to lay before the Council.
f. To answer questions from Councillors.
g. To receive and consider reports and minutes of committees.
h. To receive and consider reports from officers of the Council.
i. To authorise the sealing of documents.
j. To consider resolutions or recommendations in the order in which they have been notified.
k. Any other business specified in the summons.
l. To authorise the signing of orders for payment.

13. A motion to vary the order of business on the ground of urgency:

a. May be proposed by the Chairman or by any member and, if proposed by the Chairman, may be put to the vote without being seconded, and
b. Shall be put to the vote without discussion.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

14. a. No member at a meeting shall persistently disregard the ruling of the Chairman, wilfully obstruct business or behave irregularly, offensively, improperly or in such a manner as to scandalise the Council or bring it into contempt or disrepute.
b. If, in the opinion of the Chairman, a member has broken the provisions of Paragraph a. above, the Chairman should express that opinion to the Council and thereafter any member may move that the member named shall no longer be heard or that the member named shall leave the meeting, and the motion, if seconded, shall be put forthwith and without discussion.
c. If either of the motions mentioned in Paragraph b. above is disobeyed, the Chairman may suspend the meeting or take such further steps as may reasonably be necessary to enforce them.

DISCUSSION AND RESOLUTIONS AFFECTING
EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNCIL

15. If at a meeting a the 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.

EXPENDITURE

16. Orders for the payment of money shall be authorised by resolution of the Council and signed by two members.

SEALING OF DOCUMENTS

17. a. A document shall not be sealed on behalf of the Council unless its sealing has been authorised by a resolution.
b. Any two members of the Council named in a resolution moved under the provisions of Paragraph a. above of this Order may seal, on behalf of the Council, any document required by law to be issued under seal.

COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES

18. 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:
a. Shall not appoint any member of a committee so as to hold office later than the next Annual Meeting.
b. May appoint persons other than members of the Council to any Committee; and
c. May at any time dissolve or alter the membership of a committee.

19. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman ex officio shall be members of every committee.

20. Every committee shall at its first meeting before proceeding to any other business, elect a Chairman and may elect a Vice-chairman who shall hold office until the next Annual Meeting of the Council, and shall settle the programme of meetings for the year.

21. The Chairman of a committee or the Chairman of the Council may summon an additional meeting of the 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.

22. Every committee may appoint sub-committees for purposes to be specified by the committee.

23. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the committee shall be members of every sub-committee appointed by it unless they signify that they do not wish to serve.

24. Except where ordered by the Council in the case of a committee, or by the Council or by the appropriate committee in the case of a sub-committee, the quorum of a committee or sub-committee shall be one half of its members.

VOTING IN COMMITTEES

25. Members of committees and sub-committees entitled to vote shall vote by show of hands, or, if at least two members so request, by signed ballot.

26. Chairmen of committees and sub-committees shall in the case of an equality of votes have a second or casting vote.

ESTIMATES

27. The Council shall approve written estimates for the coming financial year at its meeting in the month of January at the latest.

INTERESTS

28. If any member has any pecuniary interest, direct or indirect, within the meaning of Sections 94-95 of the Local Government Act, 1972, in any contract proposed contract or other matter, he shall, while it is under consideration by the Council, withdraw from the meeting unless the interest is trivial in the manner described in Section 97(5) or:

a. The disability imposed upon him by those sections has been removed by the District Council; or
b. The Council invite him to remain; or
c. The contract, proposed contract or other matter is under consideration as part of the report of a committee and is not itself the subject of debate.

29. The Clerk shall record in a book to be kept for the purpose, particulars of any notice given by any member or any officer of the Council of a pecuniary interest in a contract, and the book shall be open during the reasonable hours of the day for the inspection of any member.

30. If any member has a non-pecuniary interest within the ambit of the National Code of Local Government Conduct he shall declare it and thereupon be invited to withdraw from the meeting.

31. If a candidate for any appointment under the Council is to his knowledge related to any member of or the holder of any officer under the Council, he and the person to whom he is related shall disclose the relationship in writing to the Clerk. A candidate who fails so to do shall be disqualified for such appointment, and, if appointed, may be dismissed without notice. The Clerk shall report to the Council or to the appropriate committee any such disclosure. Where relationship to a member is disclosed Standing Order 30 shall apply. The Clerk shall draw this provision to this Standing Order to every candidate.

INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS

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

33. All Minutes kept by the Council and by any committee shall be open for the inspection of any member of the Council.

UNAUTHORISED ACTIVITIES

34. No member of the Council or of any committee or sub-committee shall in the name of or on behalf of the Council:

a. Inspect any lands or premises which the council has a right or duty to inspect, or
b. Issues orders, instructions or directions

unless authorised to do so by the Council or the relevant committee or sub-committee.

ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS TO MEETINGS

35. The public shall be admitted to all meetings of the Council and to committees and sub-committees, which may, however, temporarily exclude the public by means of the following resolution.
"That in view of the [special] [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."
(Notes: The special reasons should be stated Circular 1/86 issued by the National Association deals with the situations where it is likely to be desirable to exclude the public. If a person's advice or assistance is needed they may be invited (by name) to remain after the exclusion resolution is passed.)

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

37. If a member of the public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting, the chairman may, after warning, order that he be removed from the Council Chamber.

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS

38. a. No member of the Council or of any committee or sub-committee shall disclose to any person not a member of the Council any business declared to be confidential by the Council, the committee or the sub-committee as the case may be.

b. Any member in breach of the provisions of Paragraph a. above of this Standing Order shall be removed from any committee or sub-committee of the Council by the Council.

STANDING ORDER ON CONTRACTS

39. a. Where it is intended to enter into a contract exceeding £1,000 but not exceeding
£10,000 in value for the supply of goods or materials or for the execution of works*, the clerk shall give at least three weeks public notice of such intention in the same manner as public notice of meetings of the Council is given.
Where the value of the intended contract exceeds £10,000, similar notice shall be given in addition to all firms included in the appropriate standing approved list of contractors maintained by the District Council, or if no such list is maintained then** in such local newspapers as the Council shall direct.
b. Notice of a contract exceeding £10,000 shall state the general nature of the intended contract and state the name and address of the person to whom tenders are to be addressed and the last date by which those tenders should reach that person in the ordinary course of post.
c. Tenders shall be opened by the Clerk or other person to whom tenders are required to be addressed on the date specific pursuant to Paragraph b. above of this Order and shall be reported by the person who opened them in the Council or, where the tenders have been sought by a committee or sub-committee to that committee or sub-committee.
d. Neither the Council nor any committee, or sub-committee is bound to accept the lowest tender.
e. If no tenders are received or if all the tenders are identical the Council may make such arrangements for procuring the goods or materials or executing the works as it thinks fit.
f. A notice issued under this standing order shall contain a statement of the effect of Standing Order 31.

CODE OF CONDUCT ON COMPLAINTS

40. The Council shall deal with complaints of mal-administration allegedly committed by the Council or by any officer or member in the manner in Circular 2/86 issued by the National Association of Local Councils.

VARIATION, REVOCATION AND SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

41. 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.

42. A resolution permanently to add, vary, or revoke a Standing Order shall when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion in the next ordinary meeting of the Council.

STANDING ORDERS TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS

43. 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.

JD PADFIELD
Chairman
Stratton-on-the-Fosse Parish Council January 2001

NOTE.

Items in bold type are statutory and may not be changed nor suspended.