Annex A

 

 

 

 

                                                         

18 March 2025

Annual report for 2024/2025


Foreword from the Chair of the Joint Standards Committee

 

[To be inserted]

 

Cllr M Rowley BEM

Chair of Joint Standards Committee

 

Membership of the Committee

The Committee would like to thank all of its Members for supporting and attending the meetings during this year.  The Committee appointed Councillor Martin Rowley as the Chair and Councillor Mark Waudby as the Vice Chair.

City of York Council:

·        Councillor Martin Rowley BEM

·        Councillor Tony Fisher

·        Councillor Jenny Kent

·        Councillor Michael Pavlovic

·        Councillor Carol Runciman

Parish Councils

·        Councillor Mark Waudby

·        Councillor Diane Geogheghan-Breen

·        Councillor Christopher Chambers

Independent Persons

·        Mr Joe Leigh

·        Ms Rose Mazza


Complaints

The Council received the following Code of Conduct complaints in the Municipal year May 2024to May 2025:

Total number of complaints made: 9

Of those, number closed: 8

Number of current year complaints ongoing: 1

The following pie charts illustrate the nature of the complaints, who they came from, whether they were Parish or CYC and how they were dealt with (if closed) in the municipal year 22/23, 23/24 and 24/25 to allow for comparison.

Figure 1 Nature of complaints 24/25 8/9 disrespect/disrepute 1/9 not declaring an interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3 Nature of complaints 22/23 11/14 disrespect/disrepute 3/14 not declaring an interest Figure 2 Nature of complaints 23/24 19/21 disrespect/disrepute 2/21 not declaring an interest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 4 Origin of complaint 2024/25 CYC Councillor 2/9 Parish Councillor 1/9 Member of the Public 5/9 Officer/Other 1/9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 6 Origin of complaint 2022/23 CYC Councillor 3/14 Parish Councillor 5/14 Member of the Public 4/14 Officer/Other 2/14 Figure 5 Origin of complaint 2023/24 CYC Councillor 1/21 Parish Councillor 7/21 Member of the Public 11/21 Officer/Other 2/21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7 Subject Member of complaint 2024/25 CYC Councillor 5/9 Parish Councillor 3/9 Unknown 1/9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 8 Subject Member of complaint 2023/24 CYC Councillor 8/21 Parish Councillor 13/21 Figure 9 Subject Member of complaint 2022/23 CYC Councillor 8/14 Parish Councillor 6/14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 10 - Outcome of complaints received 2024/25
 Currently being assessed by the Monitoring Officer 0/9

NFA at filter stage 4/9

Referred to Assessment Sub-Committee – outstanding 0/9

Closed following Assessment Sub-Committee - no breach found 1/9

Informal resolution 3/9

Progressed to investigation - investigation ongoing 0/9

Closed following investigation - breach found 1/9

 

Figure 11 - Outcome of complaints received 2023/24
 Currently being assessed by the Monitoring Officer 5/21

NFA at filter stage 6/21

Referred to Assessment Sub-Committee – outstanding 0/21

Closed following Assessment Sub-Committee - no breach found 5/21

Informal resolution 1/21

Progressed to investigation - investigation ongoing 3/21

Closed following investigation - breach found 1/21

 

Figure 12 - Outcome of complaints received 2022/23
 Currently being assessed by the Monitoring Officer 2/14

NFA at filter stage 4/14

Referred to Assessment Sub-Committee – outstanding 1/14

Closed following Assessment Sub-Committee - no breach found 3/14

Informal resolution 1/14

Progressed to investigation - investigation ongoing 1/14

Closed following investigation - no breach found 2/14

All of the complaints received have been reported to meetings of the Joint Standards Committee throughout the year.


Other work

Consultation on Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England

On 18 December 2024, the Government published a consultation paper on strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England.

The Localism Act 2011 provides the legislative framework for the current standards regime in English authorities. It provides local authorities (“LAs”) with a broad discretion as to the 'arrangements' they implement and the form of the Member Code of Conduct they adopt. It also removed the requirement for LAs to have a Standards Committee.

Members and co-opted members of the Council Joint Standards Committee, as well as the wider local government community, have long voiced frustration with the weakness of sanctions available for dealing with poor conduct. This was recognised in the consultation paper which sought views on how best to equip LAs to deal effectively with conduct issues in the context of the wider devolution agenda.

Members of the Joint Standards Committee considered the consultation paper in full and agreed a response to be submitted on behalf of the Council in consultation with the Leader and the Chief Operating Officer.

The consultation closed on 26 February 2025.