The Standards Committee of Greenwich Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 14 January 2026. The meeting's agenda includes a review of the past year's activities and a discussion on declarations of interest.

Standards Committee Annual Report 2024-25

A key item on the agenda is the Standards Committee Annual Report 2024-25¹. This report is intended to update members on the committee's activities and matters within its remit during the 2024-25 period. The report outlines the committee's terms of reference, which include promoting high standards of conduct among members, advising on the adoption or revision of codes of conduct, and ensuring members have access to training. It also details the process for considering and granting dispensations from interest requirements, drawing up protocols for complaints, and considering complaints that a member has failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.

The report highlights that for the period 2024-25, members of the Council have engaged in various training sessions, as detailed in Appendix A of the report. The Council also maintains a SharePoint site with training materials, and a comprehensive training programme for members is being developed for implementation after the May 2026 election. All members have submitted Registers of Interests, which are published on the Council's website.

The report also addresses the recruitment of independent members for the Standards Committee. Following a competitive process, two independent non-voting members were appointed in September 2023. However, one of these members, Giulia Gandolfo, resigned in December 2025, and a recruitment exercise will commence to find a replacement.

Regarding complaints under the Members' Code of Conduct, the report indicates that 20 complaints were received between 1 May 2024 and 1 December 2025, an increase from the nine complaints received in the previous year. At the time of the report, there were no outstanding complaints. The report details that 18 complaints did not meet the threshold for investigation, one was resolved informally, and two resulted in no action for other reasons. No dispensations from the Members' Code of Conduct were granted during 2024-25.

Furthermore, the report discusses proposed government activity concerning the standards regime. These proposals, expected to be introduced in 2027, include a mandatory Code of Conduct based on the Seven Principles of Public Life, mandatory Standards Committees for all principal authorities, and new sanction powers for councillors, such as suspension, withholding allowances, and facility bans. The report outlines the current timetable for this proposed legislation, with consultation expected to conclude in October 2025 and draft bill preparation in late 2025 to early 2026.

Declarations of Interest

The agenda also includes a section on Declarations of Interest. Members are reminded to declare any personal and financial interests in items on the agenda, in accordance with the Council's Constitution and the Code of Conduct. The report pack includes a list of Councillors' memberships on outside bodies, joint committees, and school governing bodies, which are relevant to these declarations. A member has a personal interest where any business is likely to affect them, or a relevant person or body, more than a majority of those in the ward they represent. A financial interest is defined where business relates to or is likely to affect an interest set out in paragraph 18 of the Code of Conduct. Members with a personal interest may stay, speak, and vote, unless the business affects their financial position. Members with a financial interest must leave the meeting but may make representations before doing so.