The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Codling (with no substitution) and Sue Gallone (one of the Council’s Independent Persons).

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee, held on Wednesday, 9 July 2025.

It was moved by Councillor Alexander, seconded by Councillor S Honeywood and:-

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday, 9 July 2025 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no Declarations of Interest made on this occasion.

Subject to providing two working days’ notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

No Questions on Notice had been submitted by Members pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38 on this occasion.

To note the Pre-Election Publicity Guidance produced for elections within the Tendring District ensuring that its contents are clear for Members in readiness for the May 2026 elections to Essex County Council.

Members heard that a Guidance Note that concerned publicity and resources had been routinely issued, to all District Council Members and Officers, in the run up to elections since 2014, in the format as shown in Appendix A of the Officer report (A.1). In readiness for the May 2026 Essex County Council elections, the Standards Committee was requested to provide any comments or seek clarification on the content of the guidance to ensure that it was clear, concise and easily understood. The Standards Committee feedback would be considered by the Chief Executive (who was also the Deputy Returning Officer for the elections) when issuing the revised guidance in March 2026.

The Committee was informed that the period just before local elections when there were restrictions on local authority publicity and rules concerning media reporting of the election campaign, was now known as the “pre-election period”, and commenced with the publication of the relevant Notice of Election. Whilst the upcoming election was not to Tendring District Council, given the close relationship, overlapping geography and number of anticipated candidates with Tendring connections, the provisions applied equally to the upcoming poll to Essex County Council. Likewise, several existing Tendring District Councillors held positions locally within registered political parties/groupings of independent candidates that were envisaged as standing in the election and that therefore necessitated these Protocol requirements being in place.

Members were also informed that, at all times, local authorities must ensure that any publicity complied with all applicable statutory requirements, including the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity (2011). Members were advised that particular care was required during periods of heightened sensitivity, such as the pre?election period, when these obligations became especially relevant. It was reported that, during this time, the Council would refrain from taking decisions or making policy announcements that were significant or potentially politically contentious. Members were further advised that, as with central government, “business as usual” would continue; however, in certain cases a local authority might act cautiously and defer decision?making until after the election had concluded.

The Committee was told that the Code of Practice made reference to the period before elections in paragraphs 33 – 35. Each local authority was able to adopt their own version of the convention in the period leading up to local elections. Paragraph 4 of the Code set out the following principles, which local authorities should follow:-

• be lawful;
• be cost effective;
• be objective;
• be even-handed;
• be appropriate;
• have regard to equality and diversity; and
• be issued with care during periods of heightened sensitivity.

Members were made aware that the Guidance Note included:-

• Introduction;
• Summary of Key Points;
• Duties of the Deputy Returning Officer;
• Council Decision Making;
• Publicity;
• Use of Resources;
• Security;
• Questions and Queries; and
• General.

The Monitoring Officer made the Committee aware that one of the Independent Persons (Shelia Murphy) had provided some helpful comments around making that paragraph clearer.

It was moved by Councillor Casey, seconded by Councillor Wiggins and unanimously:-

RESOLVED that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To update the Standards Committee, as part of its agreed work programme, on the current position of mandatory training for Members (and named Substitute Members) of the Council’s Audit, Licensing and Registration, Planning, Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny, Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny, and Standards Committee.

Members heard that the Officer report (A.2) reiterated the Council’s previous decision and constitutional requirement to make relevant training mandatory for Members, and their named substitutes, in respect of their membership on those Committees which provided regulatory type functions. The Officer report also detailed training undertaken and attendance to date for 2025/26.

Officers reminded Members that the Standards Committee, as part of its annual work programme since 2014, had received a report that provided details of the mandatory training provided to members of the Planning and Licensing and Registration Committees.

Mandatory Training in the context of Councillor Development more widely

The mandatory training referenced in the Officer report also formed part of the overall training provision for all Councillors within the framework established by the Council’s “Councillor Development Statement” as reported to the Standards Committee on 2 October 2019 (Minute 14 referred).

From that point onwards the Council had established a programme of Councillor Development Sessions to support training for Councillors in a range of subjects. The subjects were supported by training needs analysis of Councillors undertaken periodically. The Calendar of Meetings now identified an annual programme of Development Sessions and those had been successfully delivered over recent years.

The completed and returned evaluation sheets, circulated following any training sessions provided, were used to assist the Council to refine and to improve its training offer.

In addition, a key element of the training offer for Councillors included access to relevant training through the Local Government Association online and in-person webinars and seminars.

Access to the Local Government Association’s online training portal was available for all Councillors and that provided training modules including:-

• Community Engagement and Leadership;
• Councillor Induction;
• Commissioning Council services;
• Equality, Diversity and Unconscious Bias;
• The Effective Ward Councillor;
• Facilitation and Conflict Resolution;
• Handling Complaints for service improvement;
• Handling intimidation;
• Holding Council meetings online;
• Influencing skills;
• Licensing and Regulation;
• Local Government Finance;
• Planning;
• Police and Crime Panels;
• Scrutiny for Councillors;
• Stress management and personal resilience;
• Supporting mentally healthier communities; and
• Supporting your constituents with complex issues.

The above itself did not reference the training provided for Councillors through the All Members’ Briefings. Further training opportunities were also delivered throughout the year as appropriate.

It was moved by Councillor Wiggins, seconded by Councillor Casey and unanimously:-

RESOLVED that the Standards Committee:-

a)    notes the contents of this Officer report (A.2) and the accompanying Appendix A; and

b)    continues to encourage members of the Planning, Licensing and Registration, Audit, Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny, and Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees to attend all organised mandatory training events in order to comply with the requirements of the Council’s Constitution.

The Committee will receive the Monitoring Officer’s update regarding standards complaints and an update to the National Policy changes.

The Committee had before it the Monitoring Officer’s update on existing and new conduct complaints cases.