The Standards Committee of Tendring Council met on Wednesday 15 July 2026 to discuss proposed updates to the council's probity protocols and social media guidance for members. The meeting also included an update on standards complaints and national policy changes.

Licensing and Registration Probity Protocol

The committee was scheduled to consider a revised Licensing and Registration Probity Protocol. This protocol, which aims to ensure high standards of conduct within the Licensing and Registration Committee and its sub-committees, had undergone consultation with members of the Licensing and Registration Committee, the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Community, relevant officers, and Independent Persons. The report outlined the outcome of this consultation, which included suggestions to expand on the definition of 'prejudicial' interest, clarify member training requirements, strengthen the emphasis on remaining open-minded, and add provisions regarding the discussion of confidential documents and the departure of standby members from meetings. The committee was to be asked to endorse the revised protocol and recommend its adoption by Full Council.

Review of Social Media Guidance for Members

A review of the Social Media Guidance for Members was also on the agenda. This guidance, last considered in February 2022, had been updated to reflect current social media usage and terminology. The report detailed the outcome of a review that considered guidance from the Local Government Association (LGA) and highlighted the benefits of social media for communication between members and residents. A dedicated member development session had been held on 24 June 2026, covering topics such as building trust, platform selection, managing misinformation, and online safety. The guidance emphasised that inappropriate social media use could breach the Members' Code of Conduct and that members are personally responsible for their online activity. The committee was to be asked to approve the final version of the guidance and recommend its circulation to all members and town and parish councils.

Update on Complaints and National Policy Changes

The committee was scheduled to receive an update from the Monitoring Officer regarding standards complaints and any relevant national policy changes. The report provided a summary of existing and new conduct complaint cases, detailing their current status and outcomes. For the period of 2025/26, eleven cases had been received, with no new complaints logged so far in 2026/27. The update indicated that some cases were still under investigation by internal and external investigators, while others had been closed with no further action. There were no requests for dispensations since the last update.