The Standards Committee of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council met on 15 September 2025, and appointed Councillor Jo Slimin as Vice-Chair for the 2025/26 municipal year. The committee also noted progress on handling Code of Conduct complaints against councillors, and the recommendation of Karen McManus as an Independent Standards Assessor and Natasha Jindal as an Independent Person. Finally, the committee reviewed its work programme for the coming year.

Complaints Report

The committee reviewed the progress of the Monitoring Officer on determining Code of Conduct complaints received against borough, parish, and town councillors. The Monitoring Officer, whose role is to ensure the legality and fairness of the council's decisions¹, reported that since the last meeting on 17 March 2025, ten new complaints had been received, bringing the total of ongoing complaints to nine.

The committee discussed the nature of the complaints, including a case where a councillor allegedly failed to respond to communications with a member of the public. The Monitoring Officer clarified that each case is considered individually and that the specific complaint had been resolved. There was also discussion of complaints arising from the same parish council, and whether that council had received adequate training on the Code of Conduct. The Monitoring Officer said that further information could be provided to assist parish councils.

The committee resolved to note the progress made on complaints received and the learning derived from the consideration of complaints.

Recruitment of Independent Standards Assessors

The Monitoring Officer updated the committee on the recruitment process for an Independent Standards Assessor and an Independent Person, positions that provide independent oversight of the council's ethical standards. The Monitoring Officer confirmed that the Interview Panel recommended to the Council the appointment of Karen McManus as an Independent Standards Assessor and Natasha Jindal as an Independent Person, with their terms commencing on 1 November 2025.

The Monitoring Officer thanked the Interview Panel for their participation in the interviews, namely Councillor Arun Mummalaneni, Parish Councillor Francesca Maritan-Hawkins, and Councillor Jo Slimin.

The committee resolved to note the recommendation of the Interview Panel to Council for the appointment of Karen McManus and Natasha Jindal, and expressed its thanks and gratitude to Alan Harrison, Independent Person, and Amanda Orchard, Independent Standards Assessor, for their contributions to the standards process.

Standards Committee Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for 2025/2026. The Monitoring Officer said that the Draft Annual Report, extension of Independent Standards Assessor terms, and the review of the Code of Conduct, Social Media Guidance, and Arrangements for Dealing with Complaints against Councillors would be presented at the March meeting.

The Monitoring Officer also said that the council was still waiting for an update from the Government regarding its consultation on reforms to the local standards framework. If any changes were announced between meetings, they would be circulated to committee members, and a workshop might be arranged.

Appointment of Vice-Chair

Councillor Jo Slimin was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Standards Committee for the 2025/26 municipal year.