Borough councils in collaboration programme set to adopt same Code of Conduct

Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils - which share a monitoring officer - are poised to adopt the same Code of Conduct in order to make standards complaints easier to manage.

The borough councils merged their management team in 2022 to save on costs and have since expanded their merger to combine the authorities' planning functions.

The joint management setup means the two councils share a monitoring officer.

However, both councils operate a different Code and have different arrangements in place for the monitoring officer to deal with complaints of misconduct.

Guildford's Corporate Governance and Standards Committee and Waverley's Standards Committee have now agreed to recommend full council to adopt the Code at a simultaneous meeting on Thursday (16 January).

The report, which recommended adoption, said that having one set of standards arrangements "will make the process clearer for residents and members, as well as officers who manage standards complaints".

Waverley Borough Council currently uses the LGA model Code, while Guildford Borough Council operates its own Code of Conduct.

Under the plans, Guildford will adopt the LGA model code.

Adam Carey