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0 votes
The Clerk has put Code of Conduct on our next meetings agenda under a closed session. Should Cllrs be allowed to know in advance of the meeting what will be covered in this session?
by (1.7k points)

2 Answers

0 votes
Quite a few answers here:

https://towncouncillor.com/4510/what-are-reasons-exclude-public-from-parish-council-meetings

And here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/8-9/67/section/1

You can only have a closed session after a vote by the council to go into a closed session.  If you are not told the reasons why it is necessary, and you personally agree with them, don't vote in favour.  The vote has to be a majority as always but if nobody explains why it is necessary - it should follow that nobody would vote to support it.
by (6.4k points)
0 votes
They should know by virtue of the agenda papers, but the cllrs would have to resolve to make the item discussed in a closed session.
by (34.9k points)
A bit more info. The clerk has put a separate agenda item for closed session. The following agenda item is ' discuss Cllrs code of conduct'. It's a challenging and disruptive Council. The Chairman and his Vice are staying put until Sept when we can meet face to face. Q. Should Cllrs be given more information? I sense an explosive meeting.
Yes more info. I can only assume a council member is thought to have breached the code of conduct, if not the why has a closed session been called. Ultimately it is down to the monitoring officer from the Principal Authority to investigate alleged breaches of the code, not the Parish Council.
Agenda and all supporting documents should be published - publicly - prior to any meeting.

The subject (or reason) for a closed session should be clearly stated - but not such detail as to disclose anything that should be "closed."

Far too common to see "closed session" with no justification and no detail.

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