The Democracy and Standards Committee of West Northamptonshire Council met on Wednesday 09 September 2026 to discuss proposed updates to the Council's Constitution, including significant changes to planning functions and the Local Government Pension Scheme. The meeting also included an update on member code of conduct complaints and a review of the member development programme.

Updates to the West Northamptonshire Council Constitution

A substantial portion of the meeting was dedicated to considering updates to the Council's Constitution, which is a requirement to ensure legal compliance. These updates were primarily driven by new national legislation affecting both planning functions and the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

The report outlined significant changes to the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which came into effect on 31 October 2026. These regulations introduce a national scheme of delegation for planning applications, meaning that local authorities now have less flexibility in deciding which applications are determined by officers and which by planning committees. The proposed amendments aimed to align the Council's Constitution, including its Planning Protocol and the terms of reference for the Strategic Planning Committee and Non-Strategic Planning Committee, with these new regulations.

Key changes included:

• National Scheme of Delegation: The regulations categorise applications into those that must be delegated to officers, those that are delegated but can be referred to a committee under specific criteria, and own interest applications. This necessitates amendments to the Council's Planning Protocol to reflect these new processes.
• Removal of Call-In Rights: The existing call-in process, where ward councillors could request an application be reviewed by a planning committee, is no longer lawful under the new regulations.
• Informal Member Review (IMR) Process: The report discussed a proposed Informal Member Review process as an alternative to member call-in rights. However, legal advice indicated that the proposed IMR, with defined principles, timelines, and membership, would likely be considered an integral part of the determination process and potentially inconsistent with the legislative intent. Alternative legally sound arrangements were suggested, including advising ward members of applications, facilitating discussions between ward members for consultation responses, and allowing ward members to express views on whether Schedule 2 applications should be determined by committee or officers.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Updates: Amendments to the Constitution were also proposed to reflect developments in the LGPS governance framework, including the Fit for the Future reforms and new regulations concerning governance, pooling, management, and investment of funds. These changes aim to clarify governance structures, committee responsibilities, and officer roles, and to formalise knowledge and understanding requirements for those involved in pension fund matters. A new role of LGPS Senior Officer was to be incorporated, distinct from the Chief Finance Officer.

The report recommended that the Committee consider and recommend these updates to Full Council for approval to ensure legal compliance and effective decision-making.

Code of Conduct Complaints Update

The Committee was scheduled to receive statistics on Member Code of Conduct complaints dealt with under the Member Complaints Procedure. This report, presented by Wendy Binmore, Head of Democratic Services, aimed to provide the Committee with a summary of outstanding or resolved complaints concerning breaches of the West Northamptonshire Council Code of Conduct, as well as codes adopted by Town and Parish Councils. The purpose of this update was to enable the Committee to fulfil its standards functions by promoting high standards of conduct and to identify any patterns or common themes that might indicate a need for further training for members.

The report detailed complaints received between 01 March 2026 and 28 August 2026, categorising them by council, date, reference number, status, and a brief outline of the nature of the complaint and its outcome. The report noted that some specific details of pending complaints were withheld to avoid prejudicing ongoing processes, and personal details were omitted to protect identities.

Member Development - Progress Report and Specific Training Needs

An update on the Member Development Programme was presented, outlining training and briefings that members had received since May 2026. This included sessions on topics such as the Greyfriars Redevelopment, flood risk, waste services, social housing regulatory standards, and data protection. Planned future sessions included training on strategic planning, building control, and highways maintenance.

The report also highlighted the importance of considering specific training needs for the Democracy and Standards Committee itself. Suggestions included further guidance on the Code of Conduct and standards regime, refresher training, and specific training for the Hearings Panel procedures. The Committee was asked to identify any such training needs to ensure members are equipped to carry out their roles effectively.

Review of Committee Work Programme

The Committee was scheduled to review its Work Programme for 2026/2027. The programme outlined planned topics for future meetings, including updates on the Register of Members' Interests, further constitutional amendments, and national changes in ethics and standards. The review aimed to ensure the Committee's work remained relevant and aligned with its responsibilities.