Agenda item

The Executive Member for Corporate Services presented the Code for Local Authority Statutory Officers and said the code was the result of a collaborative effort by SOLACE, CIPFA and LLG. He explained that the code focused on the ‘Golden Triangle’ and the statutory roles that underpinned good governance.

The Executive Member for Corporate Services confirmed that the golden triangle structure remained strong and compliant at East Herts and aligned with national recognised standards. The Code made a commitment to transparency and leadership in the governance framework. He said it had been presented to the Standards Committee for comments on 29^th January 2025.

Councillor Dumont proposed that the recommendation in the report be supported. Councillor Dunlop seconded the proposal.

Councillor Clements said that when the code was presented to the Standards Committee, there was a reference in it to the Decision-Making Accountability report which said the golden triangle was not working as it should and believed that was the reason the Code was being presented to Council to adopt. He said that he did not object to the code but without seeing the report, Members would not be confident that the issues had been resolved. He asked if Members could have sight of the report.

Councillor Dumont said that the Code had been developed over a year ago and it was being adopted by several local authorities across the country.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services confirmed that the Code had been developed in July 2024 and had been discussed in several forums such as the Hertfordshire Heads of Legal group and the Standards Committee. He said that the LGA conducted a decision-making accountability (DMA) report last year which was at the behest of the previous Chief Executive in order to assist with the formulation of suggested structures for the senior management team.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services said that the DMA identified that the Golden Triangle wasn’t operating quite as strongly as it should be at that time and highlighted that it was an area that should be strengthened. He said that the DMA was not disclosable as it was conducted in order to allow the Leadership Team to have full and frank discussions around what senior leadership structure better suited the authority today and in the future, and in order to be able to have those discussions, a safe space was required to develop ideas, debate live issues and reach decisions away from external interference and distraction.

Councillor Crystall added that the key parts of the DMA report highlighted the structure of the Leadership Team, and this was something that the Interim Chief Executive was currently looking at.

Councillor Deering said that the DMA report had been referred to in a public meeting and felt that any privilege attached to it was removed. He asked for clarification if the report was privileged or non-disclosable.

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services said it was not disclosable but did not have legal privilege status.

Councillor Deering asked for a written note that set out that provision.

The motion to support the recommendation having been proposed and seconded was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the Parking strategy 2025 be approved.