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 reviewed and approved updates to the council's Constitution, including changes to the Outside Bodies Procedure, Member Complaints Procedure, and the naming of the Health Scrutiny Committee. Additionally, the committee established a new Member Development Working Group and approved revisions to the council's Petition Scheme, which included a reduction in the threshold for local petitions.

Constitution Update

The committee discussed and recommended to Council the approval of several revisions to the council's Constitution. These updates aim to improve clarity, address inconsistencies, and ensure the document reflects current organisational structures and legislative requirements.

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. This ensures that decision-making is not inhibited in the absence of a Chair or Vice Chair, and also removes the word relevant to reflect that North Northamptonshire Council has a single planning committee.
• Outside Bodies Procedure: The procedure for appointing members to outside bodies has been reviewed and updated to reflect the council's current governance structure. This includes a revised definition of an outside body and clarifies the roles of the Shareholder Committee and the Scrutiny Management Board in the appointment process. These changes will take effect after ratification by Council.
• Member Conduct Complaints: Revisions have been made to the arrangements for handling code of conduct complaints to improve clarity and ease of use. While anticipating future legislative reforms, these updates aim to strengthen the assessment process. A minor consequential amendment will also be made by the Monitoring Officer to the Officer Scheme of Delegation, removing a specific condition related to the Standards Sub Committee's role in determining investigations.
• Scrutiny Committees: The name of the Health Scrutiny Committee is to be expanded to Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee to explicitly include oversight of adult social care matters, following a CQC inspection. The terms of reference will be updated to reflect this. Wider reviews of scrutiny arrangements are planned for 2026/27.
• Corporate Parenting: The Corporate Parenting Board will be formally recorded in the Constitution to give it equal prominence with other council bodies. The terms of reference are subject to review and will be incorporated once finalised.

Councillor Simon Fairhall welcomed the proposed changes, particularly those relating to the Corporate Parenting Board and the inclusion of all political groups in scrutiny. Councillor Emily Fedorowycz raised concerns about the planning committee and the need for consistent enforcement of sanctions, suggesting that other councils have a wider range of sanctions available. Councillor Fedorowycz also highlighted the importance of transparency and consistency in the enforcement of sanctions. Councillor Fedorowycz also noted that the proposed changes to the constitution were not subject to consultation due to temporary vacancies in the Chair and Vice Chair roles.

The committee recommended to Council the approval and adoption of these revisions.

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. Its responsibilities will include identifying development needs, shaping induction programmes, reviewing the annual development programme, and promoting engagement with training opportunities. The group will operate on an advisory basis, reporting to the Democracy and Standards Committee.

Councillor Emily Fedorowycz queried why this was a working group rather than a task and finish group, but accepted that its ongoing nature made it suitable as a working group. Councillor Kelly Duddridge asked about the budget allocation and meeting frequency, and was informed that existing budgets would be utilised and meetings would likely be quarterly. Councillor Duddridge also raised concerns about the accessibility of training materials, particularly recorded sessions, and the possibility of a dashboard for tracking progress. Councillor Lee Duffy inquired about the council's database of councillor training and whether training undertaken in town and parish council positions was included. It was confirmed that a tracker for NNC training exists, but not for town and parish council training. The group will also explore the possibility of an annual appraisal for councillors to discuss their development needs. Councillor Simon Fairhall saw the working group as an opportunity to help councillors become more effective and to present the council's training and support programmes to potential future councillors.

The committee agreed that the Chair of the Member Development Working Group would be selected annually.

Review of Petition Scheme

The committee reviewed and recommended to Council proposed changes to the council's Petition Scheme. The review aimed to improve public access and use of the scheme, and to assess the appropriateness of the thresholds for petitions to be considered.

Key proposed changes include:

• Lowered Threshold for Local Petitions: An additional lower threshold of 500 signatures will be 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 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 to allow 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, allowing for more agile revisions in the future.

Councillor Emily Fedorowycz welcomed the changes, noting that the petition scheme review stemmed from a campaign by Councillor Harrison. She highlighted the importance of public participation and suggested that the threshold for local petitions should be kept under review. Councillor Simon Fairhall supported the inclusion of visit in the criteria for who can sign a petition, referencing regular visitors to a cafe. He also expressed appreciation for the council not adopting excessively high thresholds seen in other councils. Councillor Denis McLean raised concerns about the operational sustainability of the 500-signature threshold, but acknowledged it would be trialled and reviewed. Councillor Lee Duffy questioned the fixed threshold for petitions, suggesting a formula that adjusts for population size, particularly in smaller settlements. Councillor Fedorowycz raised concerns about the platform used for e-petitions, suggesting that the current requirements might be hindering their use. Councillor Kelly Duddridge welcomed the 500-signature threshold, citing difficulties in reaching higher thresholds for a petition in Wellingborough. Councillor Simon Fairhall suggested a 12-month cooling-off period for similar petitions, rather than the current six months.

The committee recommended these proposed changes to Council for approval and agreed that future revisions to the Petition Scheme would be delegated to the Monitoring Officer.