The Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Monday 7 September 2026. The committee recommended to the full council the approval of revisions to the constitution concerning the planning scheme of delegation. The committee approved three guidance documents designed to support the effective, consistent, and transparent operation of the council's arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of the Councillor Code of Conduct. The committee noted the report, which provided an update on national developments and cases relating to standards in public life, as well as the local picture for standards within North Northamptonshire Council. The committee noted the Work Programme for 2026/27.

Planning Reform - Legislative Changes

The committee recommended to the full council the approval of revisions to the constitution concerning the planning scheme of delegation, which will come into effect on 31 October 2026. The number of members on a planning committee will remain at 13. These changes are necessary to comply with new national legislation, the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which aim to provide greater clarity and consistency in planning decision-making by defining which applications must be determined by officers and which may be considered by planning committees. The existing flexibility for councils to determine their own schemes of delegation, including criteria for referrals to committee based on ward councillor requests, town and parish council objections, or a set number of public objectors, will be removed. Instead, referrals to committee for Schedule 2 applications will require agreement from a nominated officer and a nominated member, and must meet specific criteria related to significant economic, social, or environmental issues, or significant planning matters. The committee also recommended retaining the current arrangements for own interest applications, where the council, its officers, or members are involved.

Handling of Councillor Code of Conduct Complaints - Associated Guidance

The committee approved three guidance documents designed to support the effective, consistent, and transparent operation of the council's arrangements for dealing with allegations of breaches of the Councillor Code of Conduct. These documents provide practical guidance on the application of existing arrangements and relevant legal principles, without altering the council's constitutional framework or creating new powers.

The approved guidance includes:

• Guidance on Determining the Scope of Councillor Code of Conduct Complaints: This document outlines a structured approach to determining whether complaints fall within the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct, clarifying the treatment of social media activity, conduct outside formal meetings, and vexatious or politically motivated complaints. Councillor Simon Fairhall raised concerns about the potential for AI to be used to generate complex complaints and suggested incorporating references to AI and word limits into the guidance. Councillor Emily Fedorowycz suggested adding a consideration for assessing if in capacity as a counsellor when determining the scope of complaints.
• Guidance on Confidentiality in Councillor Code of Conduct Complaints: This guidance establishes a framework for considering requests for confidentiality and anonymity, balancing the rights of complainants and subject members with principles of transparency and public accountability. Councillor Fedorowycz queried whether there was discretion to disclose that a complaint originated from another councillor, even if not identifying them individually, to help manage cross-party working relationships. The Monitoring Officer, Kamila Coulson-Patel, explained the difficulties in granting confidentiality and the need for credible evidence of risk.
• Guidance and Procedure for Standards Hearing Panels: This document provides a comprehensive procedure for the conduct of hearings where allegations are referred for determination, covering pre-hearing arrangements, hearing procedures, decision-making, and available sanctions. Councillor Fedorowycz also raised a point regarding non-cooperation with the hearing process, noting the vagueness of the wording in the initial iteration.

The committee also delegated authority to the Corporate Director of Law and Governance to make any minor consequential amendments required prior to publication.

National and Local Picture – Standards Matters

The committee noted the report, which provided an update on national developments and cases relating to standards in public life, as well as the local picture for standards within North Northamptonshire Council. The report highlighted two cases from Leicestershire County Council and Leicester City Council where councillors were found to have breached their respective Codes of Conduct. These cases served as reminders to members about maintaining respectful communications, the balance between freedom of expression and conduct, and the importance of accurate Registers of Interests.

Significant changes were also noted regarding the Register of Interests, where the requirement for councillors' home addresses to be published has been removed, with addresses now withheld under section 32A of the Localism Act 2011, though they remain on the official register for internal council use. The report also provided an update on the ongoing situation regarding remote meetings and proxy voting, noting that there is still no confirmed timetable for legislative changes to allow local authorities to hold meetings remotely.

Councillor Mark Pengelly raised concerns about the completeness of members' Registers of Interests, noting that some appeared to be missing information. Kamila Coulson-Patel, Monitoring Officer, encouraged councillors to review and update their registers and assured members that quarterly checks were being conducted. Councillor Chris Monday questioned the absence of an appeals process for standards matters, which Kamila Coulson-Patel confirmed was a limitation of the current legislation, with no confirmed timetable for government reforms.

To note updates to Work Programme for 2026-27

The committee noted the Work Programme for 2026/27. This included planned discussions on planning reform, the handling of councillor code of conduct complaints, and updates on national and local standards matters. An additional meeting was scheduled for 12 November 2026 to discuss the Community Governance Review. Kamila Coulson-Patel also requested that the constitutional review for planning calling be deferred to early 2027 to allow new arrangements to take effect. Councillor Fedorowycz enquired about the progress of investigating new technology to increase public engagement, which was noted as being provisionally scheduled for the January meeting.