The Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee of Derbyshire County Council was scheduled to discuss the annual report of the Independent Remuneration Panel, a minor change to the council's constitution regarding the D2 Strategic Leadership Board, and complaints received against councillors. The meeting's agenda also included the confirmation of minutes from a previous meeting.

Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel

The committee was scheduled to consider the latest report from the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) concerning member remuneration for the 2026/27 financial year. The IRP, established under the Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003¹, is tasked with advising the council on its Members' Allowances Scheme. The panel's report, dated February 2026, included recommendations for the upcoming financial year.

The IRP recommended that the Basic Allowance be increased in line with the average pay award for all council staff. However, for Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), the panel recommended that all such allowances be frozen for the 2026/27 period. This recommendation was made in light of the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process, which is expected to lead to fewer, unitary councils, and the council's continuing need to find significant savings to produce a balanced budget. The report noted that the final pay award for local government staff for 2026/27 had not yet been agreed at the time of writing. The committee was asked to consider these recommendations and potentially make its own alternative recommendations to the full Council.

Minor Change to the Constitution: D2 Strategic Leadership Board

The committee was also scheduled to be informed of a minor change to the council's Constitution, specifically concerning the D2 Strategic Leadership Board (SLB). In September 2025, the Cabinet had approved revised terms of reference for the SLB, aiming to reflect changes in the strategic operating environment and enhance forward planning. These revised terms, which replaced those at Article 19 of the Constitution, were approved by the Monitoring Officer on 19 February 2026. As per Article 22 of the Constitution, any such amendments must be reported retrospectively to the Governance, Ethics and Standards Committee and Full Council for noting.

Complaints Received Against Councillors

A report was scheduled to inform the committee of complaints received against councillors between 1 September 2025 and 12 February 2026, made pursuant to the council's Code of Conduct for Elected Members. The council's procedure for considering such complaints involves an initial assessment by the Monitoring Officer, who, after consultation with the Independent Person, decides whether a complaint warrants formal investigation, informal resolution, or rejection. The committee is kept informed of these initial assessment decisions on a bi-annual basis.

The report indicated that 12 complaints had been received during the specified period. Of these, four were treated as withdrawn, five had been determined, and three were still in progress at the time of the report's preparation. The report also provided historical data on the number of complaints received since 2021/2022, showing an increase in the current period. The procedure for reporting complaints states that if a complaint is proven and would potentially breach the Code of Conduct, the subject member may be named, whereas if no breach is found, the member will not be identified. The committee was asked to note the complaints received.