Code of Conduct
The NHC Councillor Code applies to all District Councillors and can be found in Section 17 of the Council's Constitution.
This is an LGA (Local Government Association)-based model; you can find guidance on the LGA Model Councillor Code of Conduct here.
Guidance on use of social media can be found below - as its use potentially falls under the Code of Conduct if a Councillor is referring, for example, to their role or Council business. The expectation is that all those engaging will act civilly. The social media guidance, the Code and LGA guidance on the Code provides useful do’s and don’ts for Councillors, but also guidance to the public on what to expect.
Councillor interests
All Councillors are required by law to complete a declaration of interest form to register their declarable pecuniary interests (DPIs). There are also obligations to register 'Other Registerable Interests'.
DPIs include details of the Councillor's and a Councillor's spouse/partners':
- employment, office, trade, profession or vocation (so employers and job)
- other financial benefits
- contracts with their Council
- land within their Council area
- one month or more Licence within their Council area
- corporate tenancies/ interests in land within their Council area.
- securities with a place of business or land within their Council area.
A full description of the DPIs are set out in the NHC Councillors Code of Conduct in Appendix B to Section 17 and in The Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012 No.1464 legislation.
Other Registerable Interests include:
- any body a Councillor is in general control or management and to which they are nominated or appointed by the Council
- any body:
- (i) exercising functions of a public nature
- (ii) directed to charitable purposes or
- (iii) one of whose principal purposes includes the influence of public opinion or policy (including any political party or trade union).
Individual District Councillor Registers of Interest can be found under each individual Councillor's page here.
Parish, Town and Community Council declarations are available on the individual Parish, Town and Community Council declarations pages.
Employees of the Council are also covered by an internal Employee Code of Conduct and Gifts and Hospitality Policy.
For further guidance and protocols, please see attachments below.
Attachments