The Standards Assessment Board of Durham County Council was scheduled to meet on Tuesday 28 April 2026 to receive an update on ongoing complaints concerning alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members. The meeting was also scheduled to consider two specific confidential complaints.

Code of Conduct Complaints Update

The Board was scheduled to receive an update on complaints received by Durham County Council under the Code of Conduct for Members. This report, prepared by Helen Bradley, Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer, covers the period since the Board's meeting on 2 April 2026, as a previous meeting on 17 April 2026 was adjourned due to being inquorate. The report's purpose was to provide the Board with an update on the status of complaints being assessed, ensuring they are being handled in accordance with the Council's Procedure for Member Code of Conduct Complaints.

The report indicated that as of the meeting date, several complaints had been considered, with outcomes ranging from no further action to informal resolution. Some complaints were noted as withdrawn due to a lack of necessary information from complainants, while others were rejected for not engaging the Code of Conduct. The report detailed the status of complaints received both before and after 23 March 2026, outlining which were scheduled for consideration by the Board on 28 April 2026, and which were planned for future meetings on 11 May 2026 and 1 June 2026.

The Council has a duty under section 27 of the Localism Act 2011¹ to promote and maintain high standards of conduct among its members. This includes adopting a Code of Conduct consistent with the Nolan Principles², which outline the standards of public life. The Council is also responsible for having arrangements in place to consider allegations of breaches of these codes by its own members and those of town and parish councils for which it is the principal authority. The report recommended that the Standards Assessment Board note its contents.

Confidential Complaints

The meeting was also scheduled to consider two specific complaints in private session, as these were deemed to involve exempt or confidential information. These were:

• Complaint Reference FS-Case-821225691: This complaint was scheduled for consideration by the Board on 28 April 2026.
• Complaint Reference FS-Case-810791640: This complaint was also scheduled for consideration by the Board on 28 April 2026.

The report pack indicated that these agenda items were considered by virtue of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, which relate to information likely to reveal the identity of a person or information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person.