Member Conduct — Declarations of Interest Guide 2026
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The Guidance for Members on Declarations of Interest and Code of Conduct, issued for the 2026 Municipal Year by the Monitoring Officer Andrew Osei, is a practical reference document designed to help all 42 elected Members of Ambridge District Council understand and meet their legal and ethical obligations. It replaces the guidance issued for the 2025 municipal year and reflects the requirements of the Council’s Code of Conduct (adopted 2022), the Localism Act 2011, and the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012.
The guidance is structured around seven principal areas. It opens by reaffirming the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life — selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership — as the bedrock of the standards expected of Members. It then provides detailed, practical guidance on the two categories of registrable interest: Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs), which include employment, land, securities, contracts with the Council, and sponsorship; and Other Registrable Interests, such as unpaid directorships and memberships of public bodies.
A central section of the guidance addresses the practical mechanics of declaring interests at meetings: when a declaration must be made (at the start of the meeting or when the relevant item is reached), what form it should take, and the consequence of a DPI — that the Member must leave the room and take no part in the discussion or vote unless a dispensation has been granted by the Monitoring Officer. This section is supported by worked examples to assist Members in identifying situations that may give rise to a declaration.
Separate sections address social media conduct (emphasising that the Code of Conduct applies online as well as in formal settings), and gifts and hospitality (with a £50 acceptance threshold and a £25 reporting threshold). Members are strongly encouraged to attend the training sessions provided at the Member Induction Programme on 6 May 2026 and at refresher sessions throughout the year.The Guidance for Members on Declarations of Interest and Code of Conduct, issued for the 2026 Municipal Year by the Monitoring Officer Andrew Osei, is a practical reference document designed to help all 42 elected Members of Ambridge District Council understand and meet their legal and ethical obligations. It replaces the guidance issued for the 2025 municipal year and reflects the requirements of the Council’s Code of Conduct (adopted 2022), the Localism Act 2011, and the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012.
The guidance is structured around seven principal areas. It opens by reaffirming the seven Nolan Principles of Public Life — selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership — as the bedrock of the standards expected of Members. It then provides detailed, practical guidance on the two categories of registrable interest: Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs), which include employment, land, securities, contracts with the Council, and sponsorship; and Other Registrable Interests, such as unpaid directorships and memberships of public bodies.
A central section of the guidance addresses the practical mechanics of declaring interests at meetings: when a declaration must be made (at the start of the meeting or when the relevant item is reached), what form it should take, and the consequence of a DPI — that the Member must leave the room and take no part in the discussion or vote unless a dispensation has been granted by the Monitoring Officer. This section is supported by worked examples to assist Members in identifying situations that may give rise to a declaration.
Separate sections address social media conduct (emphasising that the Code of Conduct applies online as well as in formal settings), and gifts and hospitality (with a £50 acceptance threshold and a £25 reporting threshold). Members are strongly encouraged to attend the training sessions provided at the Member Induction Programme on 6 May 2026 and at refresher sessions throughout the year.