Standing Orders

About Council Standing Orders

The Council Standing Orders describe how the Parish Council conducts business. It is a wide ranging document that is reviewed each year.

This page contains the index from the current version of the document, reproduced here so you can search on the line items.

It also contains the opening section on Rules of debate at meetings.

You can download the full text by clicking on the link in the table at the bottom of this page. The full document is 22 pages long.

NORTHAW & CUFFLEY PARISH COUNCIL
STANDING ORDERS 2024

1. RULES OF DEBATE AT MEETINGS  – Page 3
2. DISORDERLY CONDUCT AT MEETINGS – Page 5
3. MEETINGS GENERALLY  – Page 5
4. COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES  – Page 8
5. ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETINGS – Page 9
6. EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL, COMMITTEES AND SUB-COMMITTEES  – Page 11
7. PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS  – Page 11
8. VOTING ON APPOINTMENTS  – Page 11
9. MOTIONS FOR A MEETING THAT REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE TO BE GIVEN TO THE PROPER OFFICER  – Page 12
10. MOTIONS AT A MEETING THAT DO NOT REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE – Page 12
11. MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION – Page 13
12. DRAFT MINUTES – Page 14
13. CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISPENSATIONS  – Page 14
14. CODE OF CONDUCT COMPLAINTS – Page 15
15. PROPER OFFICER  – Page 16
16. RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL OFFICER – Page 17
17. ACCOUNTS AND ACCOUNTING STATEMENTS  – Page 18
18. FINANCIAL CONTROLS AND PROCUREMENT – Page 18
19. HANDLING STAFF MATTERS – Page 20
20. RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION – Page 20
21. RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION  – Page 20
22. RELATIONS WITH THE PRESS/MEDIA – Page 21
23. EXECUTION AND SEALING OF LEGAL DEEDS – Page 21
24. COMMUNICATING WITH DISTRICT AND COUNTY OR UNITARY COUNCILLORS – Page 21
25. RESTRICTIONS ON COUNCILLOR ACTIVITIES – Page 21
26. STANDING ORDERS GENERALLY – Page 22

(The following is an extract from the document)

1. RULES OF DEBATE AT MEETINGS

Motions on the agenda shall be considered in the order that they appear unless the order is changed at the discretion of the chairman of the meeting.

a A motion (including an amendment) shall not be progressed unless it has been moved and seconded.

b A motion on the agenda that is not moved by its proposer may be treated by the chair of the meeting as withdrawn.

c If a motion (including an amendment) has been seconded, it may be withdrawn by the proposer only with the consent of the seconder and the meeting.

d An amendment is a proposal to remove or add words to a motion. It shall not negate the motion.

e If an amendment to the original motion is carried, the original motion (as amended) becomes the substantive motion upon which further amendment(s) may be moved.

f An amendment shall not be considered unless early verbal notice of it is given at the meeting and, if requested by the chair of the meeting, is expressed in writing to the chair.

g A councillor may move an amendment to their own motion if agreed by the meeting. If a motion has already been seconded, the amendment shall be with the consent of the seconder and the meeting.

h If there is more than one amendment to an original or substantive motion, the amendments shall be moved in the order directed by the chair of the meeting.

i Subject to standing order 1(k), only one amendment shall be moved and debated at a time, the order of which shall be directed by the chair of the meeting.

j One or more amendments may be discussed together if the chair of the meeting considers this expedient but each amendment shall be voted upon separately.

k A councillor may not move more than one amendment to an original or substantive motion.

l The mover of an amendment has no right of reply at the end of debate on it.

m Where a series of amendments to an original motion are carried, the mover of the original motion shall have a right of reply either at the end of debate on the first amendment or at the very end of debate on the final substantive motion immediately before it is put to the vote.

n Unless permitted by the chair of the meeting, a councillor may speak once in the debate on a motion except:

i to speak on an amendment moved by another councillor;
ii to move or speak on another amendment if the motion has been amended since they last spoke;
iii to make a point of order;
iv to give a personal explanation; or
v to exercise a right of reply.

o During the debate on a motion, a councillor may interrupt only on a point of order or a personal explanation and the councillor who was interrupted shall stop speaking. A councillor raising a point of order shall identify the standing order which they consider has been breached or specify the other irregularity in the proceedings of the meeting they are concerned by.

p A point of order shall be decided by the chair of the meeting and his decision shall be final.

q When a motion is under debate, no other motion shall be moved except:

i. to amend the motion;
ii. to proceed to the next business;
iii. to adjourn the debate;
iv. to put the motion to a vote;
v. to ask a person to be no longer heard or to leave the meeting;
vi. to refer a motion to a committee or sub-committee for consideration;
vii. to exclude the public and press;
viii. to adjourn the meeting; or
ix. to suspend particular standing order(s) excepting those which reflect mandatory statutory or legal requirements.

r Before an original or substantive motion is put to the vote, the chair of the meeting shall be satisfied that the motion has been sufficiently debated and that the mover of the motion under debate has exercised or waived their right of reply.

s Excluding motions moved under standing order 1(r), the contributions or speeches by a councillor shall relate only to the motion under discussion and shall not exceed five minutes without the consent of the chair of the meeting

(End of extract)

The full document can be downloaded in PDF form by clicking on the link below.

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