East Kirkby Parish Council Standing Orders

 (1)

Meetings

Meetings of the Parish Council shall be held at the village hall commencing at 19.00 unless the Parish Council decides otherwise at a previous meeting.

(2)

The Statutory Annual Parish Council Meeting shall (a) in an election year be held on the Thursday next following the fourth day after the ordinary day of the elections to the Parish Council and (b) in a year which is not an election year, be held in the third Thursday of the month.

The Annual Parish Meeting shall be held prior to the Ordinary Parish Council Meeting in April and will commence at 18.30.

All meetings, including the Statutory Annual Parish Council Meeting, and the Annual Parish Meeting, shall be held on the third Thursday of the month regardless of any elections held that year.   Meetings are held in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, and November/December.

(3)

Chairman of the Meetings

The Chairman of the Parish Council will preside over all meetings, but should the Chairman not be available then the person presiding, in the absence of the Chairman, at a meeting may exercise all the powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the meeting.

(4)

Proper Officer

Where a statute, regulation or order confers functions or duties on the proper officer of the Parish Council in the following cases the proper officer shall be the Parish Clerk.

(a) To receive declarations of acceptance of office.

(b) To receive and record notices disclosing pecuniary interests.

(c) To receive and retain plans and documents.

(d) To sign notices and other documents on behalf of the Parish Council.

(e) To receive copies of the by-laws made by a District Council.

(f) To sign summonses to attend meetings of the Parish Council.

In any other case the proper officer shall be the person nominated by the Parish Council, and in default of nomination, the Parish Clerk.

(5)

Quorum

Three members shall constitute a quorum.

(6)

If a quorum is not present when the Parish Council meets or, if during a meeting, the number of Parish Councillors present, and not debarred by reason of a declared pecuniary interest falls below the quorum, the business not transacted at that meeting shall be transacted at the next meeting or on such other day as the Chairman may fix.

(7)

Voting

Parish Councillors shall vote by a show of hands, or, if at least two Parish Councillors request, by a signed ballot.

(8)

If a Parish Councillor so requires, the Parish Clerk shall record the names of the Parish Councillors who voted on any questions so as to show whether they voted for or against it.

(9)

(1) subject to (2) below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in case of an equality of votes, may give a casting vote even though he gave an original vote.

(2) If the person presiding at the annual meeting would have ceased to be a member of the Parish Council but for the statutory provisions which preserve the office of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman until the end of their term of office, he may not give an original vote in an election for Parish Chairman.

(10)

Order of business

At each annual meeting the first business shall be:

(a) To elect a Parish Chairman.

(b) To receive Parish Chairman’s Declaration of Acceptance of Office or, if not then received, to decide when it shall be received.

(c) To decide when any Declarations of Acceptance of Office which have not been received as provided by law shall be received.

(d) To elect a Parish Vice-Chairman.

(e) To appoint any committees.

(11)

At every meeting other than the annual meeting the first business shall be to appoint a Parish Chairman if the Parish Chairman or Vice-Chairman be absent and to receive such declarations of acceptance of Office (if any) as are required by law to be made, or if not then received to decide when they shall be received.

(12)

In every year, not later than the meeting at which the estimates for the next year are settled, the Parish Council shall review the pay and conditions of existing employees.

(13)

After the first business has been completed, the order of business, unless the Parish Council otherwise decide on the grounds of urgency or expediency, shall be as follows:

(a) Public meeting. This is for the public to air their questions. Following the closure of the public meeting the public will be encouraged to remain in the meeting but not be allowed to enter any discussion held by the Parish Council.

(b) To read and consider the minutes.

(c) After consideration, to approve the signature of the minutes by the person presiding as a true record.

(d) To deal with business expressly required by statute, to be done.

(e) To dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last meeting.

(f) To receive such communications as the person presiding may wish to lay before the Parish Council.

(g) To answer questions.

(h) To receive and consider reports and minutes of committees.

(i) To receive and consider reports from officers of the Parish Council.

(j) To consider resolutions or recommendations in the order in which they have been notified.

(k) Any other business specified in the summons.

(14)

A motion to vary the order of business on the ground of urgency or expediency:

(a) May be proposed by the Parish Chairman or by any member and, if proposed by the Parish Chairman, may be put to the vote without being seconded, and:

(b) shall be put to the vote without discussion.

(15)

Resolutions Moved on Notice

Except as provided by these Standing Orders, no resolution may be moved unless the business to which it relates has been put on the agenda by the Parish Clerk or the mover has given notice in writing of its terms and has delivered the notice to the Parish Clerk, at least seven clear days before the next meeting of the Parish Council.

(16)

The Parish Clerk shall insert in the summons for every meeting all notices of motion or recommendations properly given in the order in which they have been received unless the member giving a notice of motion has stated in writing that he/she intends to move at some later meeting or that he/she withdraws it.

(17)

If a resolution or recommendation specified in the summons is not moved either by the Parish Councillor who gave notice of it or by any other Parish Councillor, it shall, unless postponed by the Parish Council, be treated as withdrawn and shall not be moved without fresh notice.

(18)

Every resolution or recommendation shall be relevant to some question over which the Parish Council has power, or which affects its area.

(19)

Resolutions Moved without Notice

Resolutions dealing with the following matters may be moved without notice:

(a) To appoint a Chairman to the meeting.

(b) To correct the minutes.

(c) To approve the minutes.

(d) To alter the order of business.

(e)To proceed to the next business.

(f) To close or adjourn a debate.

(g) To refer a matter to a committee.

(h) To appoint a committee or any member thereof.

(i) To adopt a report.

(j)To amend a resolution.

(k) To give leave to withdraw a resolution or amendment.

(l) To extend the time limit for speeches.

(m) To exclude the public.

(n) To silence or eject from the meeting a member named for misconduct.

(o) To invite a member having an interest in the subject matter under debate to remain.

(p) To give consent of the Parish Council where such consent is required by these Standing Orders.

(q) To suspend any Standing Order.

(20)

Questions

A Parish Councillor may ask the Parish Chairman or the Parish Clerk any question concerning the business of the Parish Council, provided notice of the question has been given to the person to whom it is addressed, before the meeting begins.

(21)

No question not connected with the business under discussion shall be asked except during the part of the meeting set aside for questions.

(22)

Every question shall be put and answered without discussion.

(23)

A person to whom a question has been put may decline to answer.

(24)

Rules of debate

No debate shall take place upon the minutes except upon their accuracy. Corrections to the minutes shall be made by resolution and must be initialled by the Parish Chairman.

(25)

A resolution or amendment shall not be discussed.

(a) Unless it has been proposed and, unless proper notice has already been given, it shall, if required by the Parish Chairman, be reduced to writing and handed to him before it is further discussed or put to the meeting.

(b) A Parish Councillor shall direct his/her speech to the question under discussion or to a question of order.

(c) No speech by a mover of a resolution shall exceed two minutes, and no other speech shall exceed four minutes except by the consent of the Parish Council.

(d) An amendment shall be either:

(i) To leave out words.

(ii) To leave out words and insert or add others.

(iii) To insert or add words.

(e) An amendment shall not have the effect of negating the motion before the Parish Council.

(f) When a resolution is under debate no other resolution shall be moved except the following:

(i)     To amend the resolution.

(ii)    To proceed to the next business.

(iii)   To adjourn the debate.

(iv)   That the question be now put.

(v)    That a Parish Councillor named cannot be further heard.

(vi)   That a Parish Councillor named do leave the meeting.

(vii)  That the resolution be referred to a committee.

(viii) To exclude the public and the press.

(ix)   To adjourn the meeting.

(26)

(a) The ruling of the Parish Chairman on a point of order or on the admissibility of a personal explanation shall not be discussed.

(b) Parish Councillors shall address the Parish Chairman.

(27)

Disorderly conduct

(a) No Parish Councillor shall at a meeting persistently disregard the ruling of the Parish Chairman, wilfully obstruct business, or behave irregularly, offensively, improperly or in such a manner as to scandalise the Parish Council or bring it into contempt or ridicule.

(b) If, in the opinion of the Parish Chairman, a member has broken the provisions of paragraph (a) of this Order, the Parish Chairman shall express that opinion to the Parish Council and thereafter any Parish Councillor may move that the Parish Councillor named shall no longer be heard or that the Parish Councillor do leave the meeting, and the motion, if seconded, shall be put forthwith, and without discussion.

(c) If either of the motions mentioned in paragraph (b) is disobeyed, the Parish Chairman may suspend the meeting or take such further steps as may be reasonably be necessary to enforce them.

(28)

Right of reply

The mover of a resolution shall have the right to reply immediately before the resolution is put to the vote. If an amendment is proposed the mover of the amendment shall be entitled to reply immediately before the amendment is put to the vote.

(29)

Alteration of resolution

A Parish Councillor may, with the consent of his seconder, move amendments to his own resolutions.

(30)

Revision of previous resolution

(a) A decision (whether affirmative or negative) of the Parish Council shall not be reversed within six months except either by a special resolution, the written notice whereof bears the names of at least three members of the Parish Council, or a resolution moved in pursuance of the report or recommendation of a committee.

(b) Once/when a special resolution has been disposed of no similar resolution may be raised within a further six months. 

(31)

Expenditure

The Parish Accounts shall be held by the Parish Chairman and the Parish Clerk shall administer the expenditure on the account.

Orders for the payment of money shall be authorised by the resolution of the Parish Council and a cheque, in the requisite amount payable, signed by two Parish Councillors and dispensed by the Parish Clerk.

Upon adoption of Internet banking, expenditure will be authorised by the resolution of the Parish Council, dispensed by the Parish Clerk via the appropriate digital system, and a record of all transactions shall be placed before the Parish Council at the Parish Council meeting following the expenditure for perusal.

(32)

Accounts and Financial Statement

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this Standing Order or by statute, all accounts for payment and claims upon the Parish Council shall be laid before the Parish Council.

(b) Where it is necessary to make payment before it has been authorised by the Parish Council, such payment shall be certified as to its correctness and urgency by the Responsible Financial Officer. Such payment shall be subsequently authorised by the Parish Council at the next available meeting. 

(33)

The Parish Clerk shall supply to the Parish Council at the ordinary meeting next after the end of the Financial Year a statement of receipts and payments. 

(34)

Estimates

The Parish Council shall approve written estimates for any up-coming proposed expenditure.

(35)

Interests

The Parish Clerk shall keep copies of Parish Councillor Pecuniary Interest forms which are available on the District Council website.

(36)

Sealing of documents

(a) A document shall not be sealed on behalf of the Parish Council unless its sealing has been authorised by a resolution.

(b) Any two Parish Councillors may seal, on behalf of the Parish Council, any document required by law to be issued under seal.

(37)

Code of Conduct

The East Kirkby Parish Council Code of Conduct (2025) is a Statutory document which will be complied with as a mandatory document as part of the annual signing of the Declaration of Acceptance of Office of Councillor of East Kirkby Parish Council. The Declaration of Acceptance of Office of Councillor of East Kirkby Parish Council is signed at the Annual Parish Council Meeting, held in May.