STANDING ORDERS FOR
NORTHWOOD VILLAGE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

1. MEETINGS

1.1 Full Northwood Village Management Committee (NVMC) meetings shall be held in the school hall of Northwood County Primary (CP) School, Wyatts Lane at 7pm (main monthly meeting) or 7.30 p.m. (supplementary Planning Application meeting) unless NVMC otherwise decides at a previous meeting or in exceptional circumstances. If all business is not completed within two and a half hours (2½) hours, it will be adjourned until the next meeting unless a resolution to suspend Standing Orders in this respect is carried.

1.2. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the first Tuesday in May.

1.3 The other Full NVMC meetings shall be held on the first Tuesday of the month.

1.4 Planning meetings shall be held as required as above (1.1), normally three (3) weeks after each full meeting.

2. CHAIRMAN OF MEETING

2.1. The person presiding at a meeting may exercise all powers and duties of the Chairman in relation to the conduct of the meeting.

3. PROPER OFFICER

3.1 The Proper Officer, for the purposes set out below shall be the Secretary to NVMC:

3.1.1 To receive declarations of acceptance of office.

3.1.2 To receive and record notices disclosing personal and prejudicial interests.

3.1.3 To receive and retain plans and documents.

3.1.4 To sign notices and other documents on behalf of NVMC.

3.1.5 To receive copies of bye-laws made by a District Council.

3.1.6 To sign summonses to attend meetings of NVMC.

3.2 In any other case the proper officer shall be the person nominated by NVMC and, in default of nominations, the Secretary.

4. QUORUM

4.1 Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.

4.2 If a quorum is not present when NVMC meets, or if during a meeting the number of members present and not debarred by reason of declared prejudicial interest falls below the quorum, then the business not transacted at that meeting shall be postponed until the next meeting or on such day as the Chairman may fix.

5. VOTING

5.1 Members shall vote by show of hands or, if at least two members so request before the vote, by a signed ballot.

5.2 If a member so requires, the Secretary shall record the names of the members who vote on any question so as to show whether they voted for, against or abstained.

5.2.1 Subject to (5.2.2) and (5.2.3) below the Chairman may give an original vote on any matter put to the vote, and in the case of an equality of votes may give a casting vote even though he gave no original vote.

5.2.2 If the person presiding at the Annual Meeting would have ceased to be a member of NVMC but for provisions which preserve the membership of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman until the end of their term in office he/she may not give an original vote in an election for Chairman.

5.2.3 The Person presiding must give a casting vote whenever there is an equality of votes in an election for Chairman.

6. ORDER OF BUSINESS

6.1 At each Annual Meeting the order of business shall be

6.1.1 To elect a Chairman.

6.1.2 To receive the Chairman’s declaration of acceptance of office or, if not received, to decide when it shall be received.

6.1.3 To decide when any declarations of acceptance of office, which have not been received shall be received.

6.1.4 To elect a Vice-Chairman.

6.1.5 To review and approve Standing Orders

6.1.6 To review and approve Financial Regulations

6.1.7 To appoint an Internal Auditor and approve access

6.1.8 To appoint other Committees as required

6.1.9 To appoint representatives to other bodies (as required)

6.2 At every meeting other than the Annual Meeting the first business shall be to appoint a

Chairman if the Chairman and Vice-Chairman be absent and to receive such declarations of acceptance of office (if any) as are required to be made, or if not then received to decide when they shall be received.

6.3 Each year, and before the meeting at which the budget for the next year is approved, NVMC shall review the pay and conditions of service of existing employees (See Standing Order 11 below.).

6.4 After the first business has been considered (6.2), the order of business, unless NVMC otherwise decides on the grounds of urgency, shall be as follows:

6.4.1 To read and consider the minutes: provided that if a copy has been circulated to each member not later than the day of issue of the summons to attend the meeting, the minutes may be taken as read.

6.4.2 Following a decision to approve the minutes, the signing of the minutes by the person presiding confirms them as a correct record.

6.4.3 To dispose of business, if any, remaining from the last meeting.

6.4.4 To consider resolutions or recommendations and business in the order in which they have been notified in the summons & agenda (see also 6.5 & 7.1.4).

6.4.5 To authorise the signing of orders for payment.

6.4.6 To consider items for the next meeting

6.5. A motion to vary the order of business on the ground of urgency

6.5.1 May be proposed by the Chairman or by any member and, if proposed by the Chairman, may be put to the vote without being seconded, and

6.5.2 Shall be put to the vote without discussion.

7. RESOLUTIONS

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

7.1.1 To appoint a Chairman of the meeting.

7.1.2 To correct the minutes.

7.1.3 To approve the minutes.

7.1.4 To alter the order of business.

7.1.5 To proceed to the next business.

7.1.6 To close or adjourn the debate.

7.1.7 To refer the matter to a Committee.

7.1.8 To appoint a Committee or any members thereof.

7.1.9 To adopt a report.

7.1.10 To amend a resolution.

7.1.11 To give leave to withdraw a resolution or an amendment.

7.1.12To exclude the public (see Standing Order 18.1 below).

7.1.13 To silence or eject from the meeting a member named for misconduct (see Standing Order 9 below).

7.1.14 To give the consent of NVMC where such consent is required by these Standing Orders.

7.1.15 To suspend any Standing Order (see Standing Order 23.1 below).

7.1.16 Resolutions of NVMC shall not be reversed within six (6) months except by special resolution (the written notice whereof bears the names of at least four (4) members of NVMC or any Committee), unless the information upon which the resolution was made has fundamentally changed.

8. CORRECTIONS TO MINUTES

8.1 No discussion shall take place upon the minutes except their accuracy. Corrections to the minutes shall be made by resolution and must be initialled by the Chairman. Alternatively, the correction can be included in the minutes of the immediately-following full NVMC meeting.

9. DISORDERLY CONDUCT

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

9.2 If, in the opinion of the Chairman, a member has broken the provision of item (9.1) of this Order, the Chairman shall express the opinion to NVMC and thereafter any member may move that the member named be no longer heard or that the member named do leave the meeting and the motion, if seconded, shall be put forthwith and without discussion.

9.3 If either of the motions mentioned in item (9.2) is disobeyed, the Chairman may suspend the meeting or take such further steps as may be reasonably necessary to enforce them.

10. VOTING ON APPOINTMENTS (INCLUDING CO-OPTION)

10.1 Where more than two persons have been nominated for any position to be filled by NVMC and of the votes given there is not an absolute majority in favour of one person (i.e. at least one more vote for one than all others), the name of the person(s) having the least number of votes shall be struck off the list and a fresh vote taken, and so on until a majority of votes is given in favour of one person.

11. DISCUSSIONS AND RESOLUTIONS AFFECTING EMPLOYEES OF NVMC

11.1 If at a meeting there arises any question relating to the appointment, conduct, promotion, dismissal, salary or conditions of service of any person employed by NVMC, it shall not be considered until NVMC or Committee (as the case may be) has decided whether or not the public shall be excluded (See Standing Order 18.1.)

12. EXPENDITURE

12.1 Authority for the payment of money and/or invoices shall be given by resolution of NVMC, except for items purchased with the Petty Cash account.

12.2 The details of Petty Cash expenditure will be given at each meeting.

13. SUB-COMMITTEES

13.1 NVMC may at the Annual Meeting appoint Sub Committees and at any other time appoint such other Sub Committees as are necessary, but subject to any statutory provision in that behalf:

13.1.1 Shall not appoint any member of a Sub Committee so as to hold office later than the Annual Meeting, and

13.1.2 May at any time dissolve or alter the membership of the Sub Committee.

13.2 The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall be members of every Sub Committee.

13.3 Every Sub Committee shall, at its first meeting before moving to any other business, elect a Chairman and may elect a Vice-Chairman who shall both hold office until the next Annual Meeting of NVMC.

13.4 The Chairman of a Sub Committee or the Chairman of NVMC may summon an additional meeting of that Sub Committee at any time. An additional meeting shall also be summoned on the requisition in writing of no less than a quarter of the members of the Sub Committee. The summons shall set out the business to be considered at the special meeting and no other business shall be transacted at that meeting.

13.5 Except where ordered by NVMC the quorum of a Sub-Committee shall be three (3).

13.6 Minutes of all Sub Committee meetings will be kept and made available to NVMC.

14. VOTING IN COMMITTEES

14.1 Members of Sub-Committees shall vote by show of hands or, if at least two members so request, by signed ballot.

14.2 Chairmen of Sub-committees shall in the case of an equality of votes have a second or casting vote.

15. PRESENCE OF NON-MEMBERS OF SUB COMMITTEES AT SUB COMMITTEE MEETINGS

15.1 A member who has proposed a resolution, which has been referred to any Sub Committee of which he is not a member, may explain his resolution to the Committee but shall not vote.

16. INTERESTS

16.1 If any member has a prejudicial interest within the meaning of Statutory Instrument 3576 (Model Code of Conduct Order 2001) in any item to be discussed he/she shall, while it is under consideration by NVMC, withdraw from the meeting unless:-

16.1.1 The disability imposed upon him/her by those sections has been removed by the Isle of Wight Council or

16.1.2 The matter to be discussed forms part of a report of a NVMC Committee and is not itself the subject of debate.

16.2 The Secretary shall record in a book kept for the purpose, particulars of any notice given by any member or any officer of NVMC of any declared interest, and the book shall be made available during reasonable hours of the day for the inspection by any member.

17. INSPECTION OF DOCUMENTS

17.1 A member may for any purpose of his duty as such (but not otherwise) inspect any document in the possession of NVMC or a Sub Committee, and if copies are available shall, on request, be supplied with a copy.

17.2 All minutes kept by NVMC and by any Sub Committee shall be made available for the inspection by any member of NVMC.

18. ADMISSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS TO MEETINGS

18.1 The public and press shall be admitted to all meetings of NVMC, its Committees and Sub-committees. NVMC may, however, temporarily exclude the public by means of the

following resolution: “That in accordance with Section 1 (2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act of 1960 the Public and Press will be excluded from the following item, having due regard to the confidential nature of the business to be discussed.”

18.2 The Secretary shall afford the Press reasonable facilities for taking their report of any proceedings at which they are entitled to be present.

18.3 If a member of the Public interrupts the proceedings at any meeting the Chairman may, after warning, order that he/she be removed from the Meeting Chamber.

18.4 A reasonable amount of time will be set aside to receive statements from the public before the start of meetings, and any one member of the public shall have three (3) minutes to deliver their statement. This three-minute period may only be increased at the discretion of the Chairman.

19. CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS

19.1 No member of NVMC, or of any Sub Committee shall disclose to any person not a member of NVMC any business declared to be confidential by NVMC or the Sub-Committee as the case may be.

19.2 Any member in breach of the provision of item (19.1) of this Standing Order shall be removed from any Sub-Committee by NVMC.

20. LIAISON WITH IW COUNCILLORS

20.1 Agendas of Full NVMC and Sub Committee meetings shall be sent, together with supporting papers, to the IW Councillor for Northwood (in the event that he / she is not a member of NVMC).

21. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

21.1 The Secretary shall, as soon as it is received, enter in a book kept for the purpose the following particulars of every planning application notified to NVMC:

21.1.1 The date on which it was received

21.1.2 The place to which it relates

21.1.3 A summary of the nature of the application

21.2 The Secretary shall give the details of every planning application to the Chairman, or in the Chairman’s absence to the Vice-Chairman, before the meeting at which it will be considered.

22. CODE OF CONDUCT ON COMPLAINTS

22.1 The Council shall deal with complaints of maladministration allegedly committed by NVMC or by any officer or member in the manner as recommended in the NVMC Code of Practice for dealing with complaints, when adopted.

23. VARIATION, REVOCATION AND SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS

23.1 Any or every part of the Standing Orders, except those printed in bold type, may be suspended by resolution in relation to any specific item of business.

23.2 A resolution permanently to add, vary or revoke a Standing Order shall when proposed and seconded, stand adjourned without discussion to the next ordinary meeting of NVMC.

24. DELEGATED POWERS

24.1 Where emergency action is required between meetings, the Chairman (or Vice-Chairman in the Chairman’s absence) and the Secretary, in consultation with two (2) other NVMC members, are empowered to take appropriate action on NVMC’s behalf, subject to this action being confirmed at the next NVMC meeting.

25. STANDING ORDERS TO BE GIVEN TO MEMBERS

25.1 A copy of these Standing Orders shall be given to each member by the Secretary

These Standing Orders were adopted at a meeting of the NVMC on 5 September 2006.