Code of Conduct
Gosberton Parish Council
Code of Conduct
1. Expected behaviours
1.1 Gosberton Parish Council has adopted this Code setting out the expected
behaviours required of its members or co-opted members, acknowledging
that they each have a responsibility to represent the community and work
constructively with our staff and partner organisations to secure better social,
economic and environmental outcomes for all.
1.2 In accordance with the Localism Act provisions, when acting in this capacity
all Councillors must be committed to behaving in a manner that is consistent
with the following principles to achieve best value for our residents and
maintain public confidence in this Authority.
SELFLESSNESS: Holders of public office should act solely in terms of
the public interest. They should not do so in order to gain financial or
other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends.
INTEGRITY: Holders of public office should not place themselves
under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or
organisations that might seek to influence them in the performance of
their official duties.
OBJECTIVITY: In carrying out public business, including making public
appointments, awarding contracts, or recommending individuals for
rewards and benefits, holders of public office should make choices on
merit.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Holders of public office are accountable for their
decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to
whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office.
OPENNESS: Holders of public office should be as open as possible
about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give
reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider
public interest clearly demands.
HONESTY: Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private
interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any
conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest.
LEADERSHIP: Holders of public office should promote and support
these principles by leadership and example.
1.3 As a Member of Gosberton Parish Council your conduct will in particular
address the statutory principles of the code of conduct by:
I. Championing the needs of residents – the whole community and in a
special way your constituents, including those who did not vote for you
- and putting their interests first.
II. Dealing with representations or enquiries from residents, members of
our communities and visitors fairly, appropriately and impartially.
III. Not allowing other pressures, including the financial interests of
yourself or others connected to you, to deter you from pursuing
constituents' casework, the interests of the Gosberton, Risegate and Clough area
or the good governance of the Authority in a proper manner.
IV. Exercising independent judgement and not compromising your position
by placing yourself under obligations to outside individuals or
organisations who might seek to influence the way you perform your
duties as a member/co-opted member of this Authority.
V. Listening to the interests of all parties, including relevant advice from
statutory and other professional officers, taking all relevant information
into consideration, remaining objective and making decisions on merit.
VI. Being accountable for your decisions and co-operating when
scrutinised internally and externally, including by local residents.
VII. Contributing to making this Authority’s decision-making processes as
open and transparent as possible to enable residents to understand
the reasoning behind those decisions and to be informed when holding
you and other members to account but restricting access to information
when the wider public interest or the law requires it
VIII. Behaving in accordance with all your legal obligations, alongside any
requirements contained within this Authority’s policies, protocols and
procedures, including on the use of the Authority’s resources.
IX. Valuing your colleagues and staff and engaging with them in an
appropriate manner and one that underpins the mutual respect
between you that is essential to good local government.
X. Always treating people with respect, including the organisations and
public you engage with and those you work alongside.
XI. Providing leadership through behaving in accordance with these
principles when championing the interests of the community with other
organisations as well as within this Authority.
2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interests
2.1 The Localism Act 2011 provides for registration and disclosure of pecuniary
interests and in Gosberton Parish Council this will be done as follows:
On taking up office a member or co-opted member must, within 28 days of
becoming such, notify the Monitoring Officer of any ‘disclosable pecuniary
interests’, as prescribed by the Secretary of State.
On re-election or re-appointments, a member or co-opted member must,
within 28 days, notify the Monitoring Officer of any ‘disclosable pecuniary
interests’ not already included in his or her register of interests.
If a member or co-opted member is aware that they have a ‘disclosable
pecuniary interest’ in a matter they must not participate in any discussion
or vote on the matter at a meeting.
If a member or co-opted member is aware of a ‘disclosable pecuniary
interest’ in a matter under consideration at a meeting but such interest is
not already on the Council’s register of interests or in the process of entry
onto the register having been notified to the Monitoring Officer, the
member or co-opted member must disclose the ‘disclosable pecuniary
interest’ to the meeting and register it within 28 days of the meeting at
which it is first disclosed.
2.2 The duties to register, disclose and not to participate for the entire
consideration of the matter, in respect of any matter in which a member has a
disclosable pecuniary interest are set out in Chapter 7 of the Localism Act
2011. Members are also required to withdraw from the room as stated in the
Standing Orders of this Council.
Disclosable pecuniary interests are defined in the Relevant Authorities
(Disclosable Personal Interests) Regulations 2012 No.1464 as follows:
Subject Prescribed description
Employment,
office, trade,
profession or
vacation
Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on
for profit or gain.
Sponsorship Any payment or provision of any other financial benefit (other
than from the relevant authority) made or provided within the
relevant period in respect of any expenses incurred by the
member in carrying out duties as a member, or towards the
election expenses of the member.
This includes any payment or financial benefit from a trade
union within the meaning of the Trade Union and Labour
Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992(1).
Contracts Any contract which is made between the relevant person (or a
body in which the relevant person has a beneficial interest) and
Agreed by Full Council 1st November 2017
the relevant authority—
(a) under which goods or services are to be provided or works
are to be executed; and
(b) which has not been fully discharged.
Land Any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the
relevant authority.
Licences Any licence (alone or jointly with others) to occupy land in the
area of the relevant authority for a month or longer.
Corporate
tenancies
Any tenancy where (to the member’s knowledge)—
(a) the landlord is the relevant authority; and
(b) the tenant is a body in which the relevant person has a
beneficial interest.
Securities Any beneficial interest in securities of a body where—
(a) that body (to the member’s knowledge) has a place of
business or land in the area of the relevant authority; and
(b) either—
(i) the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000
or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body;
or
(ii) if the share capital of that body is of more than one class,
the total nominal value of the shares of any one class in which
the relevant person has a beneficial interest exceeds one
hundredth of the total issued share capital of that class.
2.3 Other Interests
Members should also keep in mind that, in addition to the duty to comply with
the rules on Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, the Nolan principles (set out at
paragraph 1.2 above) apply to them. Members may feel that, whilst they do
not have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in a matter being consider by the
Council or one of its committees or other decision-making bodies, it is
inappropriate to participate due to other factors (one such example might be a
decision that affects a friend or an organisation that you are connected to).
Whilst it remains for the individual member to determine whether or it is
appropriate to participate, that member may seek guidance from the
Monitoring Officer.
2.4 Gifts and Hospitality
2.4.1 You must, within 28 days of receipt, notify the Monitoring Officer in writing of
any gift offered, benefit or hospitality with a value in excess of £100 which you
have accepted as a member from any person or body other than the
Authority.
2.4.2 The Monitoring Officer will place your notification on a public register of gifts
and hospitality.
2.4.3 This duty to notify the Monitoring Officer does not apply where the gift, benefit
or hospitality comes within any description approved by the Authority for this
purpose.
reviewed and adopted 2nd October 2023
to be reviewed October 2025