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STOKE TRISTER WITH BAYFORD PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS

STOKE TRISTER WITH BAYFORD PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS

An Agenda for each meeting will be posted on the Parish notice boards at Bayford Village Hall, Bayford; by School House, Stoke Trister; by the triangle.  Agendas will be posted at least three clear working days prior to the meeting.  From time to time, extraordinary meetings may be called that do not appear on the dates list below.

Past and current Minutes can also be found on the Parish Council website:

www.stoketristerwithbayford.net

Any issues to be raised at the next meeting should be addressed to the Clerk ten days prior to the meeting by emailing the clerk at stoketristerpc@gmail.com  or by post to: 25 Helena Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2HQ.  Separate meetings are sometimes held on site to consider planning applications and agendas are posted on the notice boards three clear working days before a meeting is held.

Meeting dates 2025

Thursday 9^th January

Thursday 13^th March

Thursday 8^th May  – Annual Meeting of the Parish Council

Thursday 10^th July

Thursday 11^th September

Thursday 13^th November – Budget and Precept setting

All meetings are held in the Bayford Village Hall, commencing at 7.00pm and beginning with an open public session. Members of the Press and Public are welcome.

Kate Fullerton

Clerk to the Parish Council

Email: stoketristerpc@gmail.com

STOKE TRISTER WITH BAYFORD PARISH COUNCIL

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS

(Based on NALC 2018 Model)

As adopted at the Meeting held March 2021.

This Code is based on the Model supplied by the National Association of Local Councils.

Some further guidance may be found in the Standing Orders adopted by the Council.

Clerk to the Parish Council: Mrs P Gillman

Contact Address: Horseshoes, Tuckers Lane, Ansford, Castle Cary, BA7 7LH

STOKE TRISTER WITH BAYFORD PARISH COUNCIL

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS Adopted January 2021.

Introduction

Pursuant to section 27 of the Localism Act 2011, Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council (‘the Council’) has adopted this Code of Conduct to promote and maintain high standards of behaviour by its members and co-opted members whenever they conduct the business of the Council, including the business of the office to which they were elected or appointed, or when they claim to act or give the impression of acting as a representative of the Council. 

This Code of Conduct is based on the principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Code, a ‘co-opted member’ is a person who is not a member of the Council but who is either a member of any committee or sub-committee of the Council, or a member of, and represents the Council on any joint committee or joint sub-committee of the Council, and who is entitled to vote on any question that falls to be decided at any meeting of that committee or sub-committee. 

For the purposes of this Code, a ‘meeting’ is a meeting of the Council, any of its committees, sub-committees, joint committees or joint sub-committees. 

For the purposes of this Code, and unless otherwise expressed, a reference to a member of the Council includes a co-opted member of the Council.

Member obligations

When a member of the Council acts, claims to act or gives the impression of acting as a representative of the Council, he/she has the following obligations.

1. He/she shall behave in such a way that a reasonable person would regard as respectful.
2. He/she shall not act in a way which a reasonable person would regard as bullying or intimidatory. 
3. He/she shall not seek to improperly confer an advantage or disadvantage on any person.
4. He/she shall use the resources of the Council in accordance with its requirements. 
5. He/she shall not disclose information which is confidential or where disclosure is prohibited by law.

Registration of interests

6. Within 28 days of this Code being adopted by the Council, or the member’s election or the co-opted member’s appointment (where that is later), he/she shall register with the Monitoring Officer the interests which fall within the categories set out in Appendices A and B. 
7. Upon the re-election of a member or the re-appointment of a co-opted member, he/she shall within 28 days re-register with the Monitoring Officer any interests in Appendices A and B. 
8. A member shall register with the Monitoring Officer any change to interests or new interests in Appendices A and B within 28 days of becoming aware of it.
9. A member need only declare the existence but not the details of any interest which the Monitoring Officer agrees is a ‘sensitive interest’. A sensitive interest is one which, if disclosed on a public register, could lead the member or a person connected with the member to be subject to violence or intimidation.

Declaration of interests at meetings

10. Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to an interest in Appendix A the member shall not participate in a discussion or vote on the matter. He/she only has to declare what his/her interest is if it is not already entered in the member’s register of interests or if he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it.
11. Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to an interest in Appendix A which is a sensitive interest, the member shall not participate in a discussion or vote on the matter. If it is a sensitive interest which has not already been disclosed to the Monitoring Officer, the member shall disclose he/she has an interest but not the nature of it. 
12. Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to an interest in Appendix B, the member shall not vote on the matter. He/she may speak on the matter only if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting. 
13. A member only has to declare his/her interest in Appendix B if it is not already entered in his/her register of interests or he/she has not notified the Monitoring Officer of it or if he/she speaks on the matter. If he/she holds an interest in Appendix B which is a sensitive interest not already disclosed to the Monitoring Officer, he/she shall declare the interest but not the nature of the interest.
14. Where a matter arises at a meeting which relates to a financial interest of a friend, relative or close associate (other than an interest of a person in Appendix A), the member shall disclose the nature of the interest and not vote on the matter. He/she may speak on the matter only if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting. If it is a ‘sensitive interest’ the member shall declare the interest but not the nature of the interest.

Dispensations

15. On a written request made to the Council’s proper officer, the Council may grant a member a dispensation to participate in a discussion and vote on a matter at a meeting even if he/she has an interest in Appendices A and B if the Council believes that the number of members otherwise prohibited from taking part in the meeting would impede the transaction of the business; or it is in the interests of the inhabitants in the Council’s area to allow the member to take part or it is otherwise appropriate to grant a dispensation.

Appendix A 

Interests described in the table below.

* ’director’ includes a member of the committee of management of an industrial and provident society.

* ’securities’ means shares, debentures, debenture stock, loan stock, bonds, units of a collective investment scheme within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and other securities of any description, other than money deposited with a building society.

Appendix B 

An interest which relates to or is likely to affect:

1. any body of which the member is in a position of general control or management and to which he/she is appointed or nominated by the Council;
2. any body—

1. exercising functions of a public nature;
2. directed to charitable purposes; or
3. one of whose principal purposes includes the influence of public opinion or policy (including any political party or trade union) 

of which the member of the Council is a member or in a position of general control or management;

3. any gifts or hospitality worth more than an estimated value of £50 which the member has received by virtue of his or her office.

© NALC 2018

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Adoption of NALC Standing Orders 2018

Background

Standing orders are a set of written rules of a local council. They are used to provide guidance and help regulate the proceedings of a meeting. Standing orders are also used to confirm and be referred to for the different internal organisational and administrative arrangements. They are not policies but the standing orders may refer to these policies.

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council’s were last updated in 2012. In 2018 NALC issued a revised standard model for local councils to amend/adopt as permitted within the legal framework. They contain a number of areas where the Council can make up it’s own limits. These are referred to as “insertions”.

Insertions Required

Included in the text of the model standing orders are brackets like this ‘(   )’ which require information to be inserted by a council. A model standing order that includes brackets like this ‘[  ]’ and the term ‘OR’ provides alternative options for a council to choose from when determining standing orders. 

The table below details the paragraphs where insertions are required and suggested additions:

Conclusion

The insertions in the table above need to be discussed and ratified/amended as appropriate to enable the Parish Council to adopt a revised set of standing orders complete with the insertions decided by the Council.