Subscribe to updates
You'll receive weekly summaries about North Northamptonshire Council every week.
If you have any requests or comments please let us know at community@opencouncil.network. We can also provide custom updates on particular topics across councils.
Democracy and Standards Committee - Monday, 20 April 2026 - 7.00 pm
April 20, 2026 at 7:00 pm Democracy and Standards Committee View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)Summary
Open Council Network is an independent organisation. We report on North Northamptonshire and are not the council. About us
The Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council met on Monday 20 April 2026, electing Councillor Chris Munday as Chair and Councillor Jonathan Carvetta as Vice-Chair. The committee then approved several updates to the council's constitution, including changes to the outside bodies procedure, member conduct complaints, and the petition scheme. A new Member Development Working Group was also established.
Constitution Update
The committee discussed and approved several proposed changes to the council's constitution. These updates aim to improve clarity, address inconsistencies, and ensure the document remains legally compliant and reflective of current organisational structures.
Key changes include:
- Planning Committee and Delegations: Amendments were made to delegations concerning the consultation with the Chair or Vice-Chair of the planning committee when objections are received from town or parish councils, or objectors. These changes ensure that decision-making is not inhibited in the absence of a Chair or Vice-Chair, and reflect the council's single planning committee structure.
- Outside Bodies Procedure: The procedure for appointing members to outside bodies has been reviewed and updated to align with the council's current governance structure. This includes a revised definition of an
outside body
and clearer categories for these organisations. The Shareholder Committee's title and terms of reference will be updated to reflect this change, and the Scrutiny Management Board will be invited to review meetings to promote engagement. - Member Conduct Complaints: The arrangements for handling code of conduct complaints have been reviewed. While anticipating future legislative changes, revisions have been made to ensure clarity, improve the assessment process, and strengthen the handling of complaints. A minor consequential amendment will also be made to the officer scheme of delegation to remove a reference to the Standards Sub Committee's role in determining investigations.
- Scrutiny Committees: The name of the Health Scrutiny Committee will be expanded to
Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee
to explicitly include oversight of adult social care, following a CQC inspection. The terms of reference will be updated to reflect this. Wider reviews of scrutiny arrangements and representation on the Scrutiny Management Board are planned for 2026/27. - Corporate Parenting: The Corporate Parenting Board will be formally recorded in the constitution as a council body, giving it equal prominence to other governance arrangements. The terms of reference are currently under review and will be incorporated once finalised.
The committee recommended these proposed changes to the council for approval.
Review of Petition Scheme
The council's petition scheme, which has not been reviewed since 2021, was updated to improve public access and use, and to ensure the appropriateness of signature thresholds.
Key changes to the scheme include:
- Lowered Threshold for Local Issues: An additional lower threshold of 500 signatures has been introduced for petitions relating to local issues affecting no more than two wards. These petitions will be considered at a public scrutiny committee meeting.
- Prominence on Agendas: Scrutiny committee agendas will now include a
Public Participation
heading to provide greater prominence for the receipt of petitions. - Flexibility for E-Petitions: Lead petitioners will have greater flexibility to vary the
live
period of an e-petition, allowing more time to reach higher thresholds. - Removal from Constitution: The petition scheme will be removed from the council's constitution and managed by the Monitoring Officer in future, allowing for more agile revisions.
Concerns were raised by councillors regarding the accessibility of e-petition platforms and the potential for issues in smaller wards or villages to reach signature thresholds. The monitoring officer assured members that the scheme would be kept under continuous review to ensure it remains proportionate and effective. The committee recommended these changes to the council for approval.
Member Development Working Group
The committee approved the establishment of a new Member Development Working Group. This group will provide strategic oversight and cross-party input into the council's approach to elected member learning and development.
The working group's responsibilities will include:
- Identifying individual and collective development needs.
- Shaping induction programmes for new councillors.
- Reviewing and prioritising ongoing development opportunities.
- Encouraging engagement with training and promoting equality of access.
- Monitoring training take-up and identifying risks or gaps.
The group will operate in an advisory capacity, reporting its recommendations to the Democracy and Standards Committee. Membership will be drawn from across political groups, and a Chair will be selected annually. The group is expected to commence its work at the start of the 2026-2027 municipal year.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
-
Election of a Chair
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council decided that Councillor Munday be elected as chair for the remainder of the municipal year. This decision was made on 20 April 2026.
-
Apologies for absence
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council noted the apologies of Mark Bate and Jessica Slater. This decision was made on 20 April 2026.
-
Members' Declarations of Interest (if any)
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council on 20 April 2026 resolved that no declarations of interest were made.
-
Close of meeting
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council decided to close the meeting. This was resolved on 20 April 2026.
-
Approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2025
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council decided to adopt the minutes of the meeting held on 13 November 2025 as an accurate record. This decision was made on 20 April 2026.
-
Election of a Vice Chair
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council decided that Councillor Carvetta be elected as vice-chair for the remainder of the municipal year. This decision was made on 20 April 2026.
-
Constitution Update
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee recommended to Council that revisions to the constitution be approved and adopted on 20/04/2026. The committee's recommendations included updates to the Outside Bodies Procedure, Member Complaints Procedure, Health Scrutiny Committee, and Corporate Parenting Board.
-
Member Development Working Group Membership
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council approved recommendations on 20 April 2026. A cross-party member development working group will be established, with its chair selected annually.
-
Review of Petition Scheme
Recommendations ApprovedThe Democracy and Standards Committee of North Northamptonshire Council approved recommendations on 20 April 2026. These recommendations proposed incorporating changes to the petitions scheme into a wider review of the council's constitution. Future revisions to the petitions scheme will be delegated to the monitoring officer as part of the officer scheme of delegation.
Attendees
Topics
Meeting Documents
Additional Documents